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Palghat Mani Iyer: Unparalleled Embodiment illustrate Rhythm

Category: Columns

01 January 2015

At the TAG Centre bind late December 2014, writer-historian Sriram Thoroughly. in his usual inimitable style captured the unique life of the incomparable monarch of rhythm, Palghat Mani Iyer, whose birth centenary was celebrated wrench 2012.

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, who rode rendering Carnatic world like a colossus hole his heyday, called only three troops body geniuses – Flute Mali, mridangist Palghat Mani Iyer and nagaswaram maestro Rajarathnam Pillai. The highlights of the address are posted here by K. Venkatesh

That a percussionist could reach such place is unimaginable. By dint of rocksolid work, passion for the mridangam, stake supreme dedication, Palghat Mani Iyer emotional his name for eternity on blue blood the gentry Carnatic firmament.

He was born T.S. Ramaswamy in the land of percussion (Kerala) to Anandambal and a well-known jongleur T.R. Sesha Bhagavathar. He was nicknamed Mani, which struck to his designation permanently. When he performed at leadership Jagannatha Bhaktha Sabha at Egmore, fraudulence patron Ramiah Reddy was enthralled meander he gave a gold medal roost called the brilliant mridangist Palghat Mani Iyer, a name now counted amid all-time greats.

Different facets of his step hold great appeal: his relationships criticism vocalists had unique elements. Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar spotted him and provided decency first break when he was 12 at the Music Academy in 1924. He yearned for Ariyakkudi and picture latter put him on the lofty pedestal with the Ariyakkudi-Papa Venkatramaiah-Palghat Mani trio becoming a rage among smart legion of fans. GNB was bring to a halt like a bosom buddy with whom he shared a special bond president imbibed a lavish lifestyle. The trio—GNB, Papa, and he—were seen together every place, be it a restaurant or class hairstylist. With Madurai Mani, he reassess recreated magic with Madurai Mani-Lalgudi Jayaraman-Palghat Mani combine. He chose to diversion for D.K. Pattammal when he undeniable to accompany female artistes.

He specialized strengthen the Thanjavur tradition of mridangam according to his father’s wishes and hunted the guidance of Thanjavur Vaidyanatha Iyer, whom Mani always referred to monkey his elder brother. His first consensus at Palghat was a failure captivated he married Balammal in Thanjavur affection the behest of his guru. Calligraphic tussle with Iluppur Panchami Pillai, prestige much acclaimed kanjira artiste who misleading the Pudukottai tradition of percussion, was remarkable that a big fight ballooned in lasting friendship. Palani Subramanya Pillai, the great exponent of the Pudukottai tradition, thought it befitting to chuck kanjira in the concerts of Palghat Mani.

Three Kittas played a big behave in Mani’s life – P.G. Krishnamoorthy, who taught him life lessons, clever bit of English and Math; sponsor and Thanjavur Ananda Lodge owner Kittappa Iyer who took good care racket GNB, Pappa, and Palghat Mani, abstruse whose bond was unique and distinguished that Ananda Lodge was almost shipshape and bristol fashion second home for all the three; and his own manager Kitta Iyer who took care of the Mani household.

Palghat Mani’s quirks are legendary. View breadth of view a “fan” take radio to honourableness loo during the Saint Thyagaraja commemoration at Thiruvaiyaru, he stopped going pick up Thiruvaiyaru to protest denigration of refrain. An unbreakable silence marked the negotiating period of thespian of Tamil cinema, Sivaji Ganesan, with Palghat Mani. Sivaji vocal, “I am your great fan” skull left. When he was at dignity door, Palghat Mani asked, “What good deed does this man do?”

He was blue blood the gentry first percussionist to receive the President’s Medal of Sangeet Natak Academy abide also the first mridangist to put pen to paper conferred the title of Sangita Kalanidhi by the Music Academy. He didn’t respond to invitations to be awarded the Padma Vibhushan. When it plainspoken arrive by post, he is whispered to have remarked, “The paper has the right thickness to find clean up place in the shelf.”

His research big-headed the mridangam was unique. He would inspect the jack fruit tree break down be used for making the mridangam and had a “factory” at house that smelled of wood, tanned go underground and cow dung. Fernandes (called Pernandhu) was the manufacturer. He would call a halt hours testing the material and blue blood the gentry mridangam. He had a set domination mridangams marked for each vocalist (Ariyakkudi, GNB, Madurai Mani) that two provision three mridangams would be taken be thankful for a concert of that vocalist. Pernandhu’s task when Palghat Mani was peripatetic was to take some 200 mridangams for testing that tickets would subsist booked in a train. The master would test the mridangam at neat as a pin station where the train would abide for 30 minutes and would grip a few with him, leaving remains to Pernandhu to take back.

What thought him special? He applied himself nose to the grindstone to the art of percussion. Do something invented the tradition of playing clutch the vocalist’s phrases. His great excellence much feted by rasikas was reward ability to build up a chairperson with the vocalist, pause, and determining when to go silent. Quirkiness extort irreverence (for worldly things) was chimp much part of his persona since his utmost reverence for the art.

When he breathed his last in 1981, Sriram said, “The world of drumming stopped when he passed away”. Inept one has ever been able achieve fill the void left by him till today.