Vignettes from a doyenne’s life

Narration and songs were neatly woven in a tribute to D.K. Pattammal

Vijay Siva performing at ‘Her Music Her Life’, a centenary tribute ot D.K. Pattamal, at Kalakshetra, Chennai

The Centenary tribute to Damal Krishnaswami Pattammal (1919-2009) titled ‘Her Music Her Life,’ A JustUs Repertory production, sponsored by the family of Sruti Pattabiraman and supported by the Kalakshetra, held at Rukmini Arangam, was a poignant presentation. Conceptualised, written and presented by Gowri Ramnarayan, the evening had the torchbearer of DKP bani, N. Vijay Siva, rendering an engaging concert.

The programme was designed in such a way that every anecdote and incident from DKP’s life were followed by the singing of a kriti.

“The trailblazer’s journey was not an easy one,” remarked Gowri. Pattammal hailed from an orthodox family, where learning music or singing was anathema. But her father Krishnaswami, who had an ear for music, read the mind of his ‘Patta’ and taught her slokas and songs.

So the opening item was a sloka (

Shyamala Dandakam ) that Pattammal learnt from her father, this was followed by Syama Sastri’s kriti ‘Talli ninnu’ in Kalyani, one of her favourites. Vijay Siva came up niraval at ‘Kaumari rani purani’; he followed it up with a few rounds of swaras on the pallavi.

At a concert of DKP in New Delhi, in the front row was seated great musician and musicologist T.L. Venkatrama Iyer (also her guru). Suddenly there was panic in the packed auditorium as mild tremors were felt; the audience started running out, but TLV and DKP were unmoved. Gowri said, ‘Pattammal considered music as a ‘tapas’ (penance). Nothing could disturb it.’ After a few seconds, people entered the hall with a sheepish grin on their faces.

DKP’s forte was Muthuswami Dikshtar kritis, which are complex. Nevertheless, the doyen mastered the most difficult ‘Sri Subrahmanyaya’ in Khambodi when she was young, since her guru was none other than Ambi Dikshitar, who belonged to the Muthuswami Dikshitar lineage. DKP’s love for Dikshitar’s compositions was because of their raga bhava coupled with the grandeur of the sahitya.

Vijay Siva came up next with Pattammal’s signature kriti ‘Soundara rajam’ in Brindavanasaranga, followed by an alapana of Bahudari and Tyagaraja’s ‘Brovabarama.’ The niraval at ‘Srivasudeva’ and swara segment on the pallavi reiterated DKP’s attention to diction and raga bhava.

Rare pallavi

In her Music Academy concert in 1940, Pattammal sang a four-kalai pallavi. The energy with which she presented the RTP, rarely sung by female musicians, amazed vidwans Rajaratnam Pillai, Madurai Mani Iyer and Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar.

As a tribute, Vijay Siva also presented a Ragam and Tanam of Sankarabharanam with a four-kalai pallavi that went as ‘Bhayamedhu namakku velum mayilum sevalum irukka maya vel pidiththa guhan nayagan avan irukka.’ It was set in an intricate Tisra Ata and rendered with supreme diligence and elegance.

Vijay Siva was supported by B.U. Ganesh Prasad (violin), J. Vaidyanathan (mridangam and DKP’s nephew) and Chandrasekara Sarma (ghatam). The thani between Vaidyanathan and Chandrasekara Sarma had sparkling rhythmic exchanges.

“Pattammal learnt a few padams from the daughter of Dhanammal and a unique javali from Plate Venkatrama Iyer,” Gowri said. Vijay Siva included a javali of Patnam Subramania Iyer in Behag.

DKP’s commitment to patriotism as well as Tamil songs was remarkable. Her song in Thyagabhoomi became a big hit. Interestingly, her songs in films were standalone numbers and she never sang any duets with male singers.

The tribute programme ended with a Ramalinga Adigalar viruttam and Sethu Madhava Rao’s ‘Shanthi nilava vendum,’ that DKP made famous.