Classical music in South India is known as Carnatic music. It has a long history of technique, and practice. An entire plethora of Ragas (combination of musical notes intended for specific compositions) were codified in the 17th century royal court of Thanjavur under the Nayak dynasty of kings. The author of this theoretical work was Venkatamakhi the son of a savant and minister to three kings — Govinda Dikshitar. In the centuries following this, the practice of music was widely prevalent, both in temples and in royal courts, enriched by innumerable composers.
While ancient South India had many women singers and poets ranging from wandering minstrels known as Viraliyar, to saints like Avvayyar, the modern era momentarily frowned upon public singing by women. In the early 20th century a long lineage of hereditary musicians came from the background of the Devadasis (temple and court dancers and musicians). It was they who could adapt to a new world of performing arts. From temple and royal palace performances, they moved to the arena of the modern stage. First they were the singing stars of drama performances. Then they gave Kutcheri performances on the proscenium stage in small towns and big cities like Madras. Next they entered the world of cinema and gramophone records. The journey of this group of women was not easy.
Let us look at a few legends who made music proud.
We are looking at an era before television, when the radio which was not movable (there were no transistor radios at that time). There was the gramophone, which had to be wound up diligently before playing each record.
M.S. Subbulakshmi (1916-2004)
Undoubtedly on top of the playlists in our home were the records of M.S. Subbulakshmi. She had been a friend of my parents, and my uncle, who introduced her to cinema in the film “Sevasadanam” .
She was born in 1916 to Madurai Shanmukavadivu, a Veena player of that temple town, who belonged to the Devadasi community. Shanmukavadivu came to Madras to record plates. Ambitious for her young daughter Subbulakshmi, she persuaded the recording company to give a “chance” for her to sing. She did not sing any frivolous light song, but a devotional song in Tamil on Lord Muruga, the son of Shiva. The simple melody in Raga Senchuruti - “Maragatha Vadivum” was put on a vinyl disc by Twin Records (a known label of that time) in 1926. This “record” still exists in private collections! Her exclusive contribution to the world of recording albums in every avatar of this genre: 78 rpm, long-play discs, cassettes and CDs, is phenomenal in quality, quantity and popularity.
M.S. Subbulakshmi
In the beginning of her singing career she was noticed but not well known. She had broken into the male bastion of Carnatic music and made a mark. Directors of cinema needed singing stars as in those days there were no playback singers. A pretty face was not enough. M.S. Subbulakshmi, encouraged by her first film's success, went on to star in another three films. They were “Shakuntala”, “Savithri”, and “Meera”. Her singing was so enchanting, that the producers and the recording companies made good business with the albums.
Devotional music was already her forte. She sang the Bhajans of Meera in the film. It was indeed a challenge for her to sing the original compositions in a Hindi dialect for the Hindi film, and again in Tamil for the Tamil version. It was also the first time a South Indian musician established her name in the national scene.
What was her contribution as a musician and recording artist to the freedom movement? On many occasions, when the leaders of the freedom movement addressed crowds, she was asked to sing a Bhajan. Her husband T. Sadasivam was himself a freedom fighter. Mahatma Gandhi became an ardent fan of her bhajans. She recorded Mahatma Gandhi's favourite Meera Bhajan — “Hari Thum haro” specifically on his request. And when Gandhi the father of the nation met his tragic end, All India Radio played that recording from New Delhi, as a moving tribute to the departed great soul.
The jewels in the crown of Subbulakshmi's musical prowess are the recording of Suprabhatham (the prayer of awakening the deity at dawn) and Vishnu Sahasranamam (the thousand names of Vishnu). No classical musician had ever attempted these devotional Sanskrit chants, let alone record them.
In a concert career which was powered by her unique voice, Subbulakshmi earned many honours and titles. Her life was blessed with fame, name, and wealth. It is indeed no wonder that Subbulakshmi was the first musician to receive the highest honour of Bharath Ratna from the president of India.
K.B. Sundarambal (1908-1980)
Another legend in her lifetime was K.B. Sundarambal. She was born in 1908 to very poor parents in the village of Kodumudi near Trichnopoly in Tamil Nadu. She had the rare gift of a powerful singing voice which proved to be her remarkable destiny. The often chronicled detail of her early life is the amazing account of her seeking alms, singing on moving trains near her village. Sundarambal was introduced to a successful producer, Velu Naicker, who gave her a job in his company.
Drama companies at that time were so popular that they even toured neighboring countries like Ceylon, Malaya and Burma....wherever Tamils had been settled as indentured labourers by the British.
K.B. Sundarambal
Sundarambal met her partner S.G. Kittappa when she was touring Ceylon. He had already become a star of the theatre, singing his way into the hearts of thousands. The two enthralled audiences, recorded discs and together they made waves in South India and beyond the shores of India.
Both Kittappa and Sundarambal sang these popular patriotic songs. Following Kittappa's untimely passing away, Sundarambal quit the drama stage and put her heart and soul into devotional music. At that time songs about the Mahatma and about India's quest for freedom were also considered devotional music. Many of those songs were released as plates and became part of the life of ordinary people.
Her fans would not let her retire. Cinema was the new medium, and new producers and directors knocked on her door. The first film was Nandanar, based on a moving story of a Shiva devotee who was an “untouchable” by birth. She apparently received an unprecedented fee of rupees one lakh for this role. In the fifties she soared again as a singing star when the famous producer and director S.S. Vasan persuaded her to play the role of Avvayar. Sundarambal lived the role of the saint poetess. She acted in a few more films: Manimekalai, Thiruvilayadal, Karaikkal Ammayar, and Kandan Karunai. Sundarambal was the first film actress to enter the Legislative Council of Madras State in 1951.
Film clips of these evergreen devotional songs are seen on every Tamil language TV channel even today. In appearance and in song Sundarambal virtually “became” the saint-poet Avvayyar. It is a phenomenon matched only by M.S. Subbulakshmi's portrayal of Meera.
D.K. Pattammal (1919-2009)
The early twentieth century broke many taboos. The freedom movement liberated women in innumerable ways. By joining the struggle, and making sacrifices in their family lives which were until then sheltered, protected and secluded, women found new identities.
She sang classical Carnatic music like an angel when she was a primary school student in Kanjivaram. Her teacher recognized her talent, made her enter contests and encouraged her to sing to a discerning audience in public. Her father was hesitant and worried for her future. But destiny had other plans for her...
D.K. Pattammal
D.K. Pattammal the prodigy from a Brahmin family of Tamil Nadu, made her mark as a smart young singer who broke some traditional barriers, and sang for the nation! My uncle K. Subramanyam was well-known as a pioneer of the “talkies” in Tamil cinema. He was a talent scout par excellence. After introducing M.S. Subbulakshmi in “Sevasadanam”, he introduced D.K. Pattammal in his path-breaking film “Tyagabhoomi”. Based on a novel by the famous Tamil writer “Kalki” Krishnamurthy, this film which had a novel theme, had a range of new ideas. Issues relating to caste, class, women's rights and so on were never seen in Tamil cinema before. An additional engaging element was the depiction of the current freedom struggle. A moving last scene in the film portrayed the hero and heroine donning Khadi and marching in a silent protest, holding the Indian national Congress flag, only to be rounded up and taken away in a police van by the British overlords. The background score for this sequence was the song “Desa sevai seyya varir” (“Come serve the nation”) written by Kalki Krishnamurthy and tuned by Papanasam Sivan. It was sung by the young Pattammal.
Pattammal's music acquired a popular dimension. Her conservative father neither wanted her to act in films, nor did she wish to sing duets or lend her voice to situations as playback singers do now.
Her rise to stardom was unique in many ways. Singing in a school drama, she impressed many erudite listeners. Winning a prize, she attracted the attention of Columbia records. The company would not take no for an answer from her strict father. It took them a year to persuade him. Finally when the record was released it became a hit. Pattammal was ten years old and she was listed for years as a Columbia “Child Artist”.
With her concerts and more recordings, she earned the title “Gana Saraswathi” which was prominently printed on her record labels. Trained in the solid Carnatic tradition Pattammal reinvented her music for the records she made.
No woman before her had attempted what was strictly in the male musician's domain — the Ragam, Thanam, Pallavi. Her gurus had guided her and laid a strong foundation for her to use her imagination and improvise within the framework of the grammar of the music. Pattammal cashed in on the novelty of a woman singing this elaborate part of a typical concert and became confident enough to record it!
The years after India's independence saw cinema exploiting the national spirit in many ways. Many films included such songs and the directors created a visual to go with the song. This visual was usually a Bharatanatyam dance sequence. It is the essential dance of Tamil Nadu known in earlier times as “Sadir”, which came out in the twentieth century in its new avatar with a new name — Bharatanatyam. Showcased in Cinema, it lent itself beautifully to express the lyrics penned by contemporary poets and freedom fighters. The songs sung by Pattammal and danced by Kamala (known as Baby Kamala and later as Kumari Kamala) were big hits. Both were pioneers in this new genre. Captivating songs like “Vetri Ettu Dhikkum” (let the drum beats of Victory be heard far and wide) and “Aduvomay Pallu Paduvomay” sung by Pattammal were released as 78rpm records. At midnight on August 15, 1947, in sync with India's Independence, Pattammal was invited to do a live broadcast of the song “Aduvomay” on All India Radio.
The years after Independence saw Pattammal singing more patriotic songs in films. The records were as popular as the films. Even when she was a veteran, she sang some of her old hits with dignity and never failed to end her concerts with some nostalgic pieces. When she sang “Shanthi nilava vendum” (let there be Peace everywhere in the world) which praised Gandhi's idea of non-violence, the older generation were ecstatic, while the younger musicians craved to learn the song.
In the year 2000, actor Kamal Haasan produced a film, set in the freedom movement era called “Hey Ram”. Kamal Haasan persuaded Pattammal to sing the famous patriotic song “Vaishnava Janatho” for this film. He recorded her at her home (she was in her eighties). In 2000, Pattammal also sang in the A.R. Rahman version of the national anthem “Jana Gana Mana”. Her concert career was phenomenal. D.K. Pattammal, the woman who opened the gates for many women singers, a legend in her lifetime, lives on.
A revolution
For three legendary singers, music proved to be the bridge which carried them forward towards a new horizon. Centuries of a social and cultural phenomenon, namely the Devadasi heritage, had both exalted women and denigrated them. In the early twentieth century, their long history was coming to an unceremonious end. This was impelled by reformists who looked at a new India. They sought to abolish the Devadasi system altogether. Many gifted artists from the community wound their way up to a new life devoid of exploitation and bondage which their matrilineal ancestors had been subjected to for long. One extraordinary woman who stands out as an icon of change for the heritage of her mother is M.S. Subbulakshmi.
The poorest of the poor in the villages of South India may have many a story to tell. In fact, the hagiographies of the sixty three Nayanmars chronicled by Sekkikar in his magnum opus the Peria Puranam, reveals that the Tamil saints were for the most part, ordinary people from under-privileged backgrounds. Yet, the hand of God could lift them to sainthood. In the life of K.B. Sundarambal, one can see the act of a daring woman, using her talent to express Bhakti, and carving a niche for herself in the history books of a new India.
Conservative society in pre-independent India had many barriers erected specifically for women. In the early twentieth century, many men of letters were part of the freedom movement. They were the educated men of the Brahmin community. Their daughters and wives were expected to marry young and manage their households. The freedom movement brought some hope for these women to fulfill their dreams. They marched as Satyagrahis silently, in protest against the suppression of a foreign power. This gave them a new identity. And a new cause to unite. To sing patriotic songs for this cause, was virtually a revolutionary step taken by a young Brahmin girl. D.K. Pattammal did it with grace and dignity. The first Brahmin woman to sing concerts in public, she opened the door for innumerable others to follow.
The voices of these three singers were heard, literally and metaphorically.
