More than three decades after his death, renowned Carnatic music composer and vocalist Manjapra Devesa Bhagavathar Ramanathan, alias M.D. Ramanathan, will get a fitting memorial in his native village Kannambra, near here.
Construction of a cultural complex, valued at ₹1 crore, has already begun at the village. It would be made a centre for research on music, Minister for Cultural Affairs A.K. Balan said. The centre would help students and music appreciators know more about the artist, termed a musician among musicians by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer.
Born on May 20, 1923, at Manjapra in Kannambra, Ramanathan had his initial training under his musician father Devesan Bhagavathar. After his graduation in Physics from Government Victoria College in Palakkad, Ramanathan left for Chennai to become a colossus in the world of Carnatic music.
“Other than a hall dedicated to him at Chembai Memorial Government Music College in Palakkad, his native place does not have a proper memorial for its illustrious son. The government is now constructing memorials for all those who contributed to the promotion of art and culture across the State. The Ramanathan memorial is figuring on top of the list,” said the Minister. The memorial will also have facilities to train young musicians. It would have a section to preserve recordings of his concerts.
A professor
When Rukmini Devi Arundale initiated a new course titled Sangeeta Siromani at Chennai’s Kalakshetra, Ramanathan auditioned for it and was the only student to be selected for the first batch that commenced in 1944. Ramanathan later became a professor of music at the same institution. He was also principal of Kalakshethra Fine Arts College. The musician sharpened his skills under his guru Tiger Varadachari. To express his extreme dedication to the master, Ramanathan termed himself as ‘Varadadasa.’ An expert in Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada, he interpreted compositions easily.
As a Vaggeyakara, Ramanathan had composed around 300 songs. He was given Padmasri in 1974. In 1976, he became the recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. He died on April 27, 1984.