Carnatic vocalist Manakkal Rangarajan, whose music was marked by speed and briha-laden voice, died in Chennai on Tuesday night, aged 96. He was survived by his wife Padma, a son and two daughters.
“He was born into a family of musicians in Manakkal near Lalgudi and all his brothers were singers. He was a self-taught singer,” said director Amshan Kumar, who directed a documentary on Rangarajan in 2012.
Ranagarajan appeared on the Carnatic music world as a child artist and his talent was explained by the fact that late violinist Kumbakonam Rajamanickam Pillai and mridangist Palani M. Subramania Pillai accompanied him.
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“I have come across newspaper advertisements about the concerts of young Rangarajan accompanied by the two stalwarts,” said music historian and writer Lalitharam.
Late violinist Chowdaiah used to accompany him regularly. Once during a concert, Rangarajan was rendering Kalyani raga alapana and Mr Chowdaiah wondered whether Hindustani musicians could sing like Rangarajan.
“Though he was a great musicians he could not match the popularity of the handsome G.N. Balasubramaniam, who rode like a giant. Rangarajan was also an introvert,” said Mr Amshan Kumar.
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Lalitharam said Rangarajan’s way of singing and rendering sometimes proved to be ice on cake. “He voice could produce the patters that were possible only in an instrument. He could maintain precision even during fast-paced singing. Sometime it is also satiating,” he said.