Chembai

Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar

A statue of Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar at Chembai (Kottayi), his birthplace near Palakkad
Background information
Birth name Vaidyanatha Iyer
Born (1896-09-01)1 September 1896
Chembai, Palghat, India
Died 16 October 1974(1974-10-16) (aged 78)
Ottapalam, Palghat, India
Genres Carnatic Music
Occupation(s) Singer
Years active 1904–1974
Labels HMV, Inreco, BMG, Vani Cassettes
Website chembai.com

Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar a.k.a. Vaidyanatha Iyer (Malayalam:ചെമ്പൈ വൈദ്യനാഥ ഭാഗവതർ, b. 1 September 1896, d. 16 October 1974) was a Carnatic music singer from Palakkad (state of Kerala, India). Known by his village name Chembai, or simply as Bhagavatar, he was born to Anantha Bhagavatar and Parvati Ammal in 1896, into a Tamil Brahmin family at Kottayi-I/II near Palakkad on Janmashtami day.[1] Chembai was noted for his powerful voice and majestic style[2] of singing. His first public performance was in 1904, when he was nine. A recipient of several titles and honours, he was known for his encouragement of upcoming musicians and ability to spot new talent.[1] He was responsible for popularising compositions like Rakshamam and Pavana Guru, among others. The music critic 'Aeolus' described him as "the musician who has meant the most to Carnatic Music in the first fifty years of the 20th century."[3] His prominent disciples include Chembai Narayana Bhagavathar, Mangu Thampuran, Guruvayur Ponnammal, T. V. Gopalakrishnan, V. V. Subramaniam, P. Leela, Jayan and Vijayan, K. J. Yesudas and Babu Parameswaran, among others.[4] He also mentored and lot of young accompanists, including Palghat Mani Iyer, Lalgudi Jayaraman, M. S. Gopalakrishnan, T. N. Krishnan, Palani Subramaniam Pillai and L. Subramaniam. Memorial music festivals have been held in his honour annually since his death in 1974, the most important being the annually celebrated Chembai Sangeetholsavam.

Early life

The family's connection with classical music spans five centuries. Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar's father, Anantha Bhagavatar, was a violinist and singer from Chembai, near Palakkad, to whom a local Maharaja awarded the title "Ghana Chakratanam", indicating his mastery of a special style of singing tanam.[2] At age 3, Chembai began to learn Carnatic music from his father[1] in the customary guru-sishya tradition, and also received violin and flute training in 1912.sembai is also one of 12 names of Sirkazhi, the birthplace of saint Gnanasambandar 7th century .c.e in TN.

Singing career

Some of the noteworthy early events that helped shape Chembai's career include his arangetram (debut concert) in Ottapalam in 1904, performances at Vaikom and Guruvayur in 1907, his year with Kaliakudi Natesa Sastry (1909) and the accolades he received from Palghat Anantharama Bhagavatar (1911). Between 1913 and 1927, he performed at many different music festivals and sabhas, notably including the Madras Music Academy.

Release of recordings

Chembai has many phonograph recordings to his credit, recorded from 1932 to 1946. Those were the days before the advent of the concert microphone, and a singer was entirely dependent on the timbre and reach of his voice for a successful concert. Chembai was blessed with a voice of great depth.[2]

Lalita Dasar Kritis (1945)

An old friend, T. G. Krishna Iyer, from Tripunithura, had settled in Madras (now Chennai) and offered a house to Chembai on Palace Road near Santhome. He had composed some 155 kritis in Malayalam, Tamil and Sanskrit under the mudra 'Lalita dasar' and requested Chembai to popularise them. Chembai set the kritis to classical music and got them published under the name Lalita Dasar Keertanaigal. He made it a practice to sing these kritis in most of his concerts. He also released a record containing selected kritis from Lalita Dasar's kritis like Evariki Telusunamma (Dhanyasi), Ennil Kaninda (Shankarabharanam), Pavana Guru (Hamsanandi), Varijadala Lochani (Arabhi), among others.[1]

Performing ability and style

He could do a niraval and swaraprastara from any given point, which bespoke of mental alertness in a concert.[5] His empathy for his accompanists and disciples was noteworthy and he would go to great lengths to encourage them.[5]

Disciples

Chembai had many students, including K. J. Yesudas and many noted musicians like T. V. Gopalakrishnan,[6] P. Leela,[7] the Jaya-Vijaya twins,[8] and others.

Death

Chembai died on 16 October 1974, aged 78, of a cardiac arrest. Shortly before that, he performed his last concert at a Poozhikkunnu Sreekrishna temple in Ottapalam (the venue of his first concert), and concluded the concert with his favourite song "Karunai Cheivan Endu Thamasam Krishna" (Why is there so much delay in conferring your mercy, Krishna?). He was talking to his disciple Olappamanna Vasudevan Namboothiripad when he suddenly collapsed and died. His nephew said he had always spoken about an easy death, and had attained it.[9] He was cremated in his birth village. The Govt. Musical College in Palakkad was renamed as 'Chembai Memorial Govt' Musical College' in his memory.

Awards and titles

Chembai received several awards and titles during his career, most notably including:

Music festivals

Chembai had been conducting a music festival in his native village from 1924 onwards. This was continued by his family and now by Chembai Sreenivasan and Chembai Suresh (C. A. Subramanian). The concert, called Chembai Ekadasi Music Festival, is held annually in February–March. Chembai also holds a music festival on Guruvayur Ekadasi Day (mid-November) at Guruvayur every year. This festival, now called Chembai Sangeetholsavam in his honour, is officially conducted by the Guruvayur Devaswom Board.[13]

Guruvayurappan Chembai Puraskaram

The Sri Guvayurappan Chembai Puraskaram, awarded by Sree Krishna Temple, Guruvayur, is instituted in Chembai's memory of the late Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. This award, comprising a cash prize of INR 50,001, a gold locket of Sree Guruvayurappan, a citation and ponnadai, is usually presented during the annual Chembai Music Festival.

The recipients of the Chembai puraskaram include:

Documentaries

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 L. R. Viswanatha Sarma (1954), Chembai Selvam (Biography of Chembai), 1954: Amudha Nilayam Ltd.
  2. 1 2 3 N. Pattabhi Raman and K.S. Krishnamurthi, Sruti, Issue 98, November 1992
  3. ↑ Aeolus, Shankar's Weekly, 12 December 1963
  4. ↑ "Chembai Memorial Govt. Music College". Thehindu.com. 30 May 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  5. 1 2 "Chembai Vaidyanath Bhagavathar". Taal.20m.com. 16 October 1974. Archived from the original on 31 May 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  6. ↑ "A maestro's music". The Hindu. 2 September 2005. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  7. ↑ "P. Leela's death mourned". The Hindu. 1 November 2005. Retrieved 16 October 2009. and
  8. ↑ "In memory of a legendary guru". The Hindu. 26 August 2005. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  9. ↑ Bhakthapriya magazine, 2004
  10. ↑ "Sangeet Natak Akademi Award". Sangeetnatak.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  11. ↑ "Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar".
  12. ↑ "Chembai Stamp Released". Indianpost.com. 28 August 1996. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  13. ↑ "Guruvayur Devaswom". Guruvayur Devaswom. 16 October 1974. Archived from the original on 14 November 2009. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  14. ↑ Chembai Puraskaram for Kadri Gopalnath, The Hindu, 31 October 2013.
  15. ↑ Chembai award for 2012 announced, The Hindu, 2 October 2012.
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