Musiri Subramania Iyer
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Musiri Subramanian Iyer (9 April 1899 – 25 March 1975) was a Carnatic
vocalist Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
whose stage performing
career A career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work (human activity), work and other aspects of personal life, life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways. Definitions The ...
spanned the 1920s to the 1940s. After
retirement Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
from the stage, he remained an iconic figure in Carnatic music as a dedicated
teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
and leader in the Carnatic community. His
bhava The Sanskrit word ''bhava'' (भव) means being, worldly existence, becoming, birth, be, production, origin,Monier Monier-Williams (1898), Sanskrit English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Archiveभव, bhava but also habitual or emotio ...
-laden renditions of Carnatic songs have become the measuring stick for generations of Carnatic vocalists. Musiri Subramania Iyer is considered one of the giants of Carnatic music in the twentieth century.


Early life and career

Musiri Subramania Iyer was born in Bommalapalayam in the
Trichy Tiruchirappalli (), also known as Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with being the best livable and the cleanest city of T ...
district of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
. His
father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. A biological fat ...
, Sankara Sastry was a
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
pandit A pandit (; ; also spelled pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt. or Pdt.) is an individual with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge in Hinduism, particularly the Vedic scriptures, dharma, or Hindu philosophy; in colonial-e ...
. One of three siblings, he lost his
mother A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...
, Seethalakshmi, as a
boy A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is usually described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy ...
and his sister Rajathi passed when she was but a child. His family was poor—in later life Musiri seldom spoke about those early years. He married Nagalakshmi when he was 14 years old. Musiri Subramania Iyer learned to fluently speak, read and write in English when he was 17. Inspired by the singing of a popular acting star of those days, S. G. Kittappa, he decided to become a musician. Like Kittappa, Musiri had a strong vocal range in the higher
octaves In music, an octave (: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is an interval between two notes, one having twice the frequency of vibration of the other. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referr ...
, and could imitate the former's hit songs with ease. Musiri Subramania Iyer's initial training in music was under S. Narayanaswamy Iyer for two years, before moving to Chennai for more serious studies with violinist Karur Chinnaswami Iyer. Due to a lack of time to devote to teaching, Chinnaswami sent him to become the disciple of renowned vocal teacher T.S. Sabhesa Iyer who lived in Purasawalkam. Musiri Subramania Iyer trained with him for 9 years in the guru shishya parampara, learning his guru's particular way of performing neraval that Musiri Subramania Iyer would later become famous for. He made his debut in
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
in 1920. His name was announced as "Subramania Iyer of Musiri" and the name stuck. (As per tradition in India, the town the artist hails from is sometimes added as a prefix to ones name, honoring the town while simultaneously giving a distinction of a specific geographical nature to the artist, such as
Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar (born Vaidyanatha Iyer, 28 August 1896 – 16 October 1974) was an Indian Carnatic music singer from Kerala. He was born in Vatakara, Kerala, and moved to Palakkad along with his family during his childhood.L. R. ...
, etc.) Given that Musiri was not born in Musiri, accounts differ as to why the name Musiri was added to his name. Musiri once stated that it was simply because Musiri was a more well known location than Musiri's home town of Bommalapalayam, and easier to say as a prefix. Whatever the case, Musiri Subramania Iyer was a prolific and expert performer, and within 10 years his reputation as a master musician across India was sealed. In his career, the popularity of Musiri and his name reached every corner of India. His 78 rpm gramophone records were successful to the point that the audience would sometimes demand he sing songs in the exact way as heard on the record. Beginning with the krithi ''Nagumomu'', everything Musiri recorded were best sellers. Nagumomu was a song that, previous to Musiri, was only sung in the Abheri raga, as India's
Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...
composer
Tyagaraja Sadguru Tyagaraja Swami ( Telugu: సద్గురు త్యాగరాజ స్వామి; 4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Tyagayya, and in full as Kakarla Tyagabrahmam ( Telugu: కాకర్ల త్యాగబ ...
is thought to have composed it in Abheri. However, Musiri Subramania Iyer felt that the song sounded more emotional in the Karnataka Devagandhari raga, (a similar but subtly different raga) and he sang and recorded Nagumomu with ''Karnataka Devagandhari''. Carnatic music is an exacting music that places large importance on tradition. Therefore, Musiri Subramania Iyer's rendition of the song in a different raga than it was originally written caused outrage in many Carnatic musical purists. But Musiri stuck to his decision. Given that Musiri was a devotee of Tyagaraja, taking liberty with Tyagaraja's song was out of freedom of spontaneous expression and not out of irreverence. As a point of fact, Nagumomu sounded so suited to Karnataka Devagandhari raga that everyone began to perform it in the "Musiri Subramania Iyer way", artists such as Bangalore Nagarathnamma, M. S. Subbulakshmi, and
Bhanumathi Ramakrishna P. Bhanumathi Ramakrishna (7 September 1925 – 24 December 2005) was an Indian actress, singer, film producer, director, music composer, and novelist. She is regarded as the first female super star of Telugu cinema. She is also considered the ...
. Other songs that became popular and became recognizable through Musuri's signature touch were ''Enta vetukondu'' in Saraswathi Manohari
raga A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, fro ...
, ''Enthu daginado'' in todi raga, ''Tiruvadi caranam'' in Kambhoji, ''Enraikki shiva'' kripai in Mukhari, and ''Vritta shenjadai ada'', a ragamala. Musiri Subramania Iyer acted in the role of Sant Tukaram in the eponymous film. Though the film is out of print, Musiri Subramania Iyer 's songs in the film have stood the test of time. Musiri Subramania Iyer did not like acting in the film, citing that acting with women, make up and bright lights made him uncomfortable. Musiri Subramania Iyer 's guru also warned him against acting in the film, knowing that Musiri Subramania Iyer had struggled with lung illness in the past, and the damp climate in
Coimbatore Coimbatore (Tamil: kōyamputtūr, ), also known as Kovai (), is one of the major Metropolitan cities of India, metropolitan cities in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyy ...
might affect his health. For financial reasons, Musiri accepted the acting part. The exertions he underwent during the making of the film is thought to have resulted in lifelong lung trouble for Musiri Subramania Iyer, forcing his early retirement from live performance in 1945 at 46 years of age. Though retired from the concert circuit, Musiri Subramania Iyer was active in many Carnatic music affairs throughout India. He was appointed as the first principal of the Central College of Carnatic Music,
Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
in 1949. During his tenure, he influenced a whole generation of musicians, retiring in 1965. He was also the Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of Sri Tyagaraja Brahma Mahotsava Sabha, and was responsible for organizing the annual aradhana of Tyagaraja's passing, at his
samādhi Statue of a meditating Rishikesh.html" ;"title="Shiva, Rishikesh">Shiva, Rishikesh ''Samādhi'' (Pali and ), in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, is a state of meditative consciousness. In many Indian religious traditions, the cultivati ...
in Thiruvaiyaru. The annual celebration of Tyagaraja's music is the largest musical gathering in India, and continues to this day. Musiri Subramania Iyer is also credited for his key role in the unification of various factions associated with the Aradhana. In another instance, during a function, Ganesan Iyer, a leading lawyer during that time in Dindukkal also an ardent Karnatic rasika happened to sing in the presence of Musiri Subramania Iyeri. After he completed his song, someone had asked Musiri Subramania Iyer to rate the performance. Not quite impressed by the performance, Musiri Subramania Iyer wittily said his singing was comparable to how Musiri Subramania Iyer would have performed as an advocate. This was quoted by Ganesan Iyer on many occasions.


Place in Carnatic music

Renowned for his high pitched voice and tonal purity (known in Carnatic music as sruti), Musiri Subramania Iyer was considered a great exponent of
bhava The Sanskrit word ''bhava'' (भव) means being, worldly existence, becoming, birth, be, production, origin,Monier Monier-Williams (1898), Sanskrit English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Archiveभव, bhava but also habitual or emotio ...
, bringing out the full emotional content of each krithi that he sang. His patanthara of several krithis has his special stamp, which can be easily recognized when they are rendered by his disciples. He was a specialist in ''neraval'' singing and also vilamba sangitham, a slower tempo song designed to exude tranquility and bring out the full emotional content of the ragas and krithis that he rendered. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, who was a contemporary of Musiri Subramania Iyer, said "Musiri Subramania Iyer brought ''gauravam'' (dignity) to our profession." He also heralded Musiri's dedication to bhava by saying "He used to be so lost in ''bhava'' that he never thought of evoking any response." In th
All India Radio archives catalog
this introduction was written: "Vocalist of mesmerizing melodies Musiri Subramania Iyer, was the repository of
pathos Pathos appeals to the emotions and ideals of the audience and elicits feelings that already reside in them. ''Pathos'' is a term most often used in rhetoric (in which it is considered one of the three modes of persuasion, alongside ethos and ...
, piety and poignancy. He was more at home in the pristine heights of upper octave than at any other. The enlightened and the lay had always rushed to the concert hall to hear the soulful melody of Musiri Subramania Iyer which had become the subject to talk in innumerable households. His audience got soaked in emotions and feelings that were at once human and divine." Musiri Subramania Iyer was not only a respected musician but also a sought-after teacher. His special contribution is the number of disciples he trained in his own home, all of whom have attained distinction in their own right. In fact his ''shishya parampara'' is so well recognized, his style of rendering krithis has come to be known as the ''Musiri School''. Well known disciples include M S Subbulakshmi, N. Rajam, Musiri M.R.Gopala Rathnam, T. K. Govinda Rao, Bombay Sisters C. Saroja & C. Lalitha, Thylamba Krishnan, Mani Krishnaswamy, K. S. Venkataraman, Suguna Purushothaman and Suguna Varadachari. The Musiri Subramania Iyer Bani is carried out to the next generation by these great Vidwans and Vidushis. Some of the students under Musiri Subramania Iyer Bani are Vocalists Kum K. Gayatri, Kum. Vidya Kalyanaraman, Sakuntala Narasimhan, Sri. Prasanna Venkatraman, Jayam Venkateshwaran and others.


Awards

Before the Sangeetha Kalanidhi award existed, the highest honor possible in 1939 was to be invited as the President of the Annual Conference by the Madras Music Academy. Musiri Subramania Iyer was invited to be President of the Annual Conference that year, and was awarded the Sangeetha Kalanidhi by the Music Academy of Chennai as soon as the award came into being in 1942. Musiri Subramania Iyer was only 40 when he received it, a record that was bested by Semmangudi who received the award at the age of 39 in 1947. In 1963 he was awarded the Isai Perarignar from the Tamizh Isai Sangam. The Indian Fine Arts gave him the Sangita Kala Shikhamani in 1966. In 1967, he was made a Fellow of the Sangit Natak Academy. The President honored him with the
Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
in 1971. Roads have been named after him in
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
, and national postage stamps were issued bearing his portrait in 1999.


References


Further reading

*V. Sriram. ''Carnatic Summer: Lives of twenty great exponents'', pp. 49–62 East West Books, Madras 2004 (2007 Edition)
The Hindu: Musiri for Bhava
''Friday Review Chennai and Tamil Nadu'', 24 March 2006 *Ramanathan, Dr.

''Sruti Magazine'', ''The intellectual Approach'', January 2010 *MusicIndiaOnlin

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iyer, Musiri Subramania Male Carnatic singers Carnatic singers 1899 births 1975 deaths People from Tiruchirappalli district Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 20th-century Indian male classical singers Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts Singers from Tamil Nadu Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship