M. D. Ramanathan

Manjapara Devesa Ramanathan (May 20, 1923 – April 27, 1984) known as MDR was a Carnatic music composer and vocalist.

Biography

Manjapara Devesa Ramanathan was born in Manjapara, Palakkad District, Madras Province (now Kerala), India on 20 May 1923. His father Devesa Bhagavathar was a music teacher by profession. Ramanathan did his schooling in Palakkad and graduated with a BSc degree in Physics from Victoria College, Palakkad. On completion of his studies, he travelled to Madras along with his father to improve his musical talents.

Study of Sangita Siromani music

During the same time, Rukmini Devi Arundale initiated a new course on Sangeeta Siromani at Kalakshetra. Ramanathan auditioned for the course and was the only student to be selected for the first batch commencing in 1944. Soon, he emerged as Tiger Varadachariar's favorite and was his closest disciple when the latter died in 1950.

Principal of Kalakshetra

After his graduation, Ramanathan continued as an assistant to his guru and later became Professor of Music at Kalakshetra. He also served as the Principal of the College of Fine Arts at Kalakshetra.

Music career

Renderings

Ramanathan was known for his unique style of singing. In addition to having an extremely deep, booming voice, he rendered songs at an extremely slow pace, thereby allowing ample time for the listener to catch every phrase of a composition and gauge its meaning. He also sang with adequate bhava or expression. Ramanathan has sung in most Carnatic music ragas such as Sahana, Sri, Anandabhairavi, Reethigowla and Yadukula Kambhoji. Other favorite ragas of his include Kedaram, Kambhoji and Hamsadhwani. As he himself once admitted, his Vilambita Kaala Gaanam renderings during Kathakali dances had influenced his music and style of singing. Though Ramanathan is identified with his "trademark" slow pace of singing, he did include a few relatively brisk renderings in his concerts off and on.

His style of rendering was very different from the rather brisk style of rendering that had become quite popular then. Due to this, he also received a fair share of criticism from some music critics. During the rendering of krithis, he sometimes made alterations and embellishments to the lyrics. One highlight that his rasikas would always remember is starting the krithi from the anupallavi and then going to the pallavi.

Compositions

Ramanathan composed more than 300 songs in carnatic music in Tamil, Telugu and Sanskrit. He used the word Varadadasa as his mudra, in respect for Tiger Varadachariar, his teacher. Some of his famous compositions are:

Krithi Ragam Talam Language
Anaimakhkattanai Manirangu Misra Chapu Tamil
Aparadhamulellanu Gowrimanohari Adi Telugu
Bhaja Bhaja Manuja Behag Adi Sanskrit
Bharatesanute Arabhi Misra Chapu Sanskrit
Brindavanaloka Kalyani Adi Telugu
Brochudaku Samayaide Begada Rupaka Telugu
Dandapani Ramapriya Rupaka Telugu
Dari Neevale Begada Rupaka Telugu
Dharmavati Dharmavati Rupaka Telugu
Durgadevi Sri Adi Sanskrit
Emdukichapalamu Purvikalyani Adi Telugu
Ennakutram cheideno Huseni Adi Tamil
Gajavadana Hamsadhvani Rupaka Sanskrit
Gurucharanam Kannada Adi Sanskrit
Guruvaram Bhaja Manasa Dhanyasi Rupakam Sanskrit
Hariyum Haranam Atana Rupakam Tamil
Janani Natajana paalini 
 Shankaraabharanam
 Roopakam
 Sanskrit
 Sagara shayana vibho Bagesri Adi Sanskrit
Thillana Kāpi Rupakam ? Sanskrit
Tyagaraja Gurum Kedaram Rupakam Sanskrit
Velavane unakku Sahana Adi Tamil
Vighnaraja nannu Shreeranjani Adi? Telugu

Awards

For his contributions to music, Ramanathan was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1974 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1975. The Indian Fine Arts Society bestowed upon him the title of 'Sangeetha Kalasigamani' in 1976. He also served as a member of the Madras Music Academy's Experts Committee. He was also considered for the Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi award in the 1983-84 season though he did not get the award.

Death

Ramanathan died after a long illness on April 27, 1984 at the age of sixty.

Legacy

Ramanathan's legacy has been kept alive through his albums and private recordings. M.D. Ramanathan, A Unique Octave in Music by Madhu Vasudevan, which was released in 2003, is a fitting tribute to the legend.

References

    External links