Music, his canvas
SRIRAM VENKATKRISHNAN
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His art has always complemented his rich knowledge as musician. S. Rajam turned 90 on Feb. 10.
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His painting style, Rajam says, is influenced by Ajanta and the Bengal School.
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On February 10, S. Rajam turned 90. To the small group of friends and admirers who were with him when he cut the cake with a single candle (ninety candles would have been too much, candles shaped like the number ninety were not available and as for two candles, while the one shaped nine could be had, zero proved elusive), it was the celebration of a full life. And it was time to look back.
Rajam’s parents presided over an open house, a caravanserai for artists, most of whom had performing engagements at the Mylai Sangita Sabha that functioned from a school a few buildings away on the same street. Experience was gained by listening to the musicians and Rajam, his sisters and brothers, Balachander in particular, absorbed all that was said and sung. “It was Pudukottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai who suggested that father build an upper storey and predicted that the central hall on the first floor would be full of music,” he recollects. And so it remained till very recently when advancing age made Rajam move to the ground floor.
Rajam had the who’s who of music as his teachers. Ambi Dikshitar (“He began with the Tyagaraja kriti ‘Enta Nerchina,’ says Rajam), Papanasam Sivan, Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar, Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Madurai Mani Iyer… the list is endless. No wonder that later in life when he was recruited by All India Radio, he could count many of the performing artists as his friends and well-wishers.
Magical memories
What recollections he has of recordings at AIR! A thrilling Nandanar being performed as a musical play with GNB as the Vediyar, Dhandapani Desigar (naturally) as Nandanar, Balamuralikrishna playing the viola with Ramnad Krishnan and Rajam singing in the chorus. A Silappadikaram being performed with only songs and no dialogue — the first Indian opera over the radio. And of course, the effort that he took to popularise the songs of Koteeswara Iyer, a project that became a lifelong passion.
Thanks to his father’s eclectic interests, Rajam was one of the first heroes of Tamil cinema. The whole family acted in ‘Seetha Kalyanam’ (1933) and then Rajam sang under Muthiah Bhagavatar’s baton while acting in ‘Radha Kalyanam.’ The last was ‘Rukmini Kalyanam’ after which he was married. “After my kalyanam, my wife requested me to give up acting in films,” he says with a smile.
Born painter
Painting was something that came naturally to Rajam. He learnt the art under the formidable D.P. Roy Chowdhury at the Government College of Fine Arts. His style, he says, is influenced by Ajanta and the Bengal School.
Music lovers will remember him for all time for giving human face to the Trinity and other great composers. For painting Swati Tirunal, he received Rs. 90 from the Music Academy, he recollects, but he had already spent Rs. 100 on a pair of shoes he was to wear for the unveiling ceremony!
His paintings continue to embellish Deepavali special editions and calendars, the latest of which was the L&T calendar of 2008 with the 72 Melakartas as its theme. Some of his paintings are even in far away Hawaii. He has sketched the themes of many kritis for letter pads.
For years, Rajam was a mainstay at the akhandams of Tyagaraja songs organised by the Sadguru Sangita Samajam of Purasawalkam. With repetition of songs not being allowed, his vast repertoire came in handy. He has participated in similar akhandams organised at Ettayapuram for Dikshitar as well.
A member of the Experts Committee of the Music Academy, his was a voice that often spoke for innovation in the conduct of the annual conferences. “He wanted lesser known ragas to be given prominence as he felt that they added variety to Carnatic music performances,” says singer Sanjay Subrahmanyan. Rajam even suggested that the Academy select certain ragas each year and ensure musicians performed them. Not many may know that he won the first prize at the first competition organised by the Academy. That was in 1931.
“Learning from him is a humbling experience,” says disciple Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam. “Despite all his erudition and experience, he is never opinionated and always looks for the positive in everybody and everything.”
Rajam’s contribution to Sruti magazine is monumental. Articles on raga appreciation, interviews and sketches came from him for many years.
It would be no exaggeration to say that he takes a paternal interest in the magazine and its welfare. It was apt that the birthday celebration, a private one, was largely a Sruti initiative.
As Rajam cut the cake, his fingers were rock steady, and as he sang ‘Sankaram Abhirami Manoharam’ as a prayer to Lord Amrutaghateswara of Tirukadayur, his voice was steady as well.
Singing and painting have been his passions and they keep the ravages of time at bay.
(The author can be contacted at srirambts@gmail.com)
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