Latest news with #Sivaraman
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
When a mridangam maestro meets a marxist leader
What could be common between a mridangam exponent and a Marxist leader? Music. The friendship between Umayalpuram Sivaraman, who describes himself as a hardcore traditionalist, yet ultramodern, and M.A. Baby, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a connoisseur of Carnatic music, dates back decades. The two came together to share their story at a special conversation session at The Hindu office, where N. Ram, former Editor-in-Chief, explained how an unusual association blossomed into an enduring friendship. It was during the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that the world of Carnatic music first opened its doors to Baby. Then a student, who almost went underground and later courted arrest, he found an unexpected path to music. 'His elder brother advised him to visit a temple and listen to concerts. That is how he first discovered the great music of Sivaraman,' Ram said. Baby fine-tuned his taste in music by attending concerts of past masters, who were often accompanied by Sivaraman on the mridangam. To this day, he vividly recalls the songs rendered at those performances and the way Sivaraman's artistry elevated each concert. He once even travelled to Erode to hear him accompany K.V. Narayanasamy, after seeing an announcement about the concert in The Hindu. 'That day KVN sang 'Evarimata' in Kamboji. The elaboration of the raga, the rendition of the kriti, and the tani avartanam that followed are unforgettable,' Baby said. So thorough is Baby with Sivaraman's bani that when he was a Member of Parliament, he once asked Arun Kumar, after listening to him perform, whether he was a disciple of Umayalpuram Sivaraman. When the mridangam maestro was thoroughly impressed when he came to know about this. Recalling the incident, Sivaraman said, 'Later, I received a call on my landline — I still don't have a mobile phone. The person at the other end said, 'I'm Baby. I'd like to meet you.' So I invited him over, and that's when I realised he was the person Arun had mentioned. We again met with some friends, and ended up discussing music till late in the night. 'My wife, who was worried, called to check if I'd been kidnapped,' he laughed. Appreciative of Baby's deep sensitivity to music, Sivaraman pointed out how we can identify the style of most artistes, both vocalists or instrumentalists. That's a rare quality. Baby, who has organised many concerts, was instrumental in bringing together Chenda melam exponent Mattanoor Sankarankutty Marar and Sivaraman for a performance. He even arranged for the latter to accompany Kathak exponent Birju Maharaj. Babyrecalled Sivaraman's decision to call Neyyattinkara Vasudevan to sing a Pallavi for the inauguration of the Kerala University Students' Union. 'When Vasudevan saw Sivaraman walking in, there were tears in his eyes.' Referring to himself as a honeybee, Sivaraman said, 'Wherever there is good music, irrespective of caste or religion, I offer to accompany the artiste'. Believe it or not, he has also composed music for a fashion show. Sharing his experience of accompanying stalwart musicians, Sivaraman pointed out how each possessed mastery in their respective field. ' Your imagination should come through in your playing. Through hard work, you reach the top and maintain your place by constantly improving. Otherwise, others will overtake you,' he said. Speaking on the subject of creativity, Sivaraman said, 'Don't think everything old is good, and don't term everything new as bad. People with wisdom always choose the best from the old and the best from the new.' The conversation also featured Sivaraman's friendship with the actors Sivaji Ganesan and M.G. Ramachandran. He played for the Sivaji Ganesan starrer Mridhanga Chakravarthy. 'Sivaji Ganesan used to call me vathiyar (teacher). Before every shot, he would ask me if he was playing it right. Such was his humility,' he said. Sivaraman also recalled the presence of MGR and Devaraj Urs at the Music Academy to attend a concert of M. Balamuralikrishna, the year he was conferred the Sangita Kalanidhi award. 'I accompanied him. After the concert, we went to meet both the Chief Ministers. MGR came up to me and said, 'You played well. He had prepared the pallavi at home, but you played on the spot. You are great.' Will anyone say that? That shows how deep his musical knowledge was..'
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Watch: Umayalpuram explains how to play for the stalwarts of Carnatic music
Mridangam maestro Umayalpuram Sivaraman shared his experiences of accompanying great musicians — each possessing exceptional mastery in their respective fields — and said that it became easier for him after undergoing rigorous training. He likened the experience to visiting a sweet stall. 'You will be bewildered about what to buy,' he said during a conversation with CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby at The Hindu office. 'You should have the reflexes to play immediately. Whatever is in your brain should come out through the mridangam. Through hard work, you reach the top and maintain your place by constantly improving. Otherwise, others will overtake you,' he said. Recalling his experience with Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, he said the veteran often sang in madhyama kalam, and sometimes the mridangam player had to establish the tempo before he began the kriti. 'I wanted to accompany him in one desadi thalam, but for a long time, we didn't get the opportunity. Then one day, he sang it, and I said, 'Today I am very happy, mama.' He replied, 'Only today do I have the confidence that you will play well,'' Mr. Sivaraman recalled with a smile. Mr. Sivaraman said one could never deviate from kaala pramanam (sense of timing) while playing for Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. 'He would say, 'Ennathu? Odapidathe. No running. Nothing.' And you had to play with abandon because his voice was so powerful,' he said. In one programme, to showcase Mr. Sivaraman's scholarship, Chembai gave him five thani avarthanams in a single concert. 'After that, he asked me to drink Horlicks from a flask. He said, 'I will not stop singing, and you should not stop playing.' At the end of the programme, he said, 'I have earned name and fame. I also got money. You should earn all that too.' Then he sang the Mangalam,' Mr. Sivaraman reminisced. Playing for Madurai Mani Iyer was a different experience. The mridangam player could never deviate from shruti. 'The great T.R. Mahalingam said of Madurai Mani Iyer: 'If you want to worship Swara Devatha, here is Mani Iyer's music.' When Madurai Mani aligns with the tambura, there is no dichotomy. You have to tune the mridangam accordingly. If it's not in tune, he will look at you,' Mr. Sivaraman said. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer was known for sarva laghu singing. 'It is like the running of a horse. You won't have time to tune,' he said. G.N. Balasubramanian was famous for brigha-laden music, and Sivaraman had to adapt his playing accordingly. 'The Alathur Brothers were pallavi experts. When you ask them, they would say, 'There's nothing you don't know.' But then they would sing something I wasn't familiar with. While singing Thiruppugazh, if you didn't play aruti, they would ask why hadn't I played it,' he said. He added that while accompanying Musiri Subramania Iyer, he had to play the niraval properly and also provide the aruti. 'If you accompanied flautist T.R. Mahalingam, you would never know what he was going to play. He might play a misra gathi adi tala varnam. You had to be ready,' he said, and even demonstrated by singing Viribhoni Varnam. With Viswanatha Iyer, Sivaraman said he had to embellish his playing because Viswanatha Iyer himself knew mridangam well. 'These are all the ways I learned so many things. Everyone is great,' he said. Mr. Sivaraman also shared his experience of playing Simhanandana Thalam with 128 beats for Mudikondan Venkatarama Iyer at the Music Academy. 'He had a tuft. He would keep the thalam correctly. Sometimes, his tuft would come undone — he would stop to tie it back, but he never missed the thalam. You also had to play thani avarthanam in that thalam. So when you go through all these drills, it becomes easy. You really have to pass through all this,' he said. Asked whether playing for T.N. Seshagopalan was tough, Mr. Sivaraman said he was a very great musician in all aspects — composition, niraval, swaram, pallavi, and Thiruppugazh. 'When you play for Seshagopalan, he will also put you to the test. The thing is, you have to really prove your worth and create something great in the concert so that he will appreciate it,' he said. Reporting: B. Kolappan Video: Johan Sathyadas, Thamodharan B, Shiva Raj Editing: Shiva Raj
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Watch: MGR and Sivaji Ganesan possessed unique music knowledge: Umayalpuram Sivaraman
Mridangam maestro Umayalpuram Sivaraman said that the musical knowledge of the late Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and the late thespian Sivaji Ganesan was unique. Recalling his association with MGR and Sivaji Ganesan, for whom he played in the film Mridhanga Chakravarthy, Mr. Sivaraman said that when there was a controversy over who should play for the lead role, producer Kalaignanam, music director M.S. Viswanathan (MSV), Sivaji Ganesan, and director K. Sankar selected him, 'though there were many applications and missions from the music fraternity.' 'I went there, and the crescendo was recorded in one take. MSV couldn't believe it was done in one take. He said, 'You can play one more time.' But I said no. Then he said, 'Super,'' said Mr. Sivaraman in a conversation with CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Babu at The Hindu office. He also shared the experience of playing for a romantic scene in which the heroine, fascinated by the mridangam playing of the hero (played by Prabhu), runs upstairs. As MSV was not satisfied with the other mridangam player, he asked Mr. Sivaraman to play 'something romantic.' 'I had not tried romantic before. But he said, 'You have to play and make it sound passionate.' It was the first time I was seeing her. I played something, and he said it was romantic. Then I said, 'I will follow romanticism in all my concerts,'' he quipped. He also spoke about the humility of Sivaji Ganesan, despite being a great actor. 'Sivaji Ganesan used to call me Vathiyar (teacher). Before every shooting, he would ask whether Vathiyar had come. He would ask if his fingering was right. He could do anything—he was a great artiste. But look at the humility with which he asked me,' he said. MGR was also a fan of Mr. Sivaraman and would attend his concerts with journalist Manian and collect his recordings. He recalled how MGR received him warmly at Sathya Studios. 'Once, I was passing through Sathya Studios with my wife. I went in and gave my card to the watchman. He walked slowly. But when he came back, he was running. I asked him, 'Why are you running?' He said MGR was angry. He said, 'A great artiste is waiting and you behaved like this?'' When he met MGR, he asked, 'What do you want me to do for you?' I said, 'I don't want anything. I just want your love.' Inside the studio, there was a big simmhasanam (throne), and MGR asked Mr. Sivaraman to sit on it. 'I asked him, 'Why?' He said, 'You are the Chakravarthy (Emperor) of mridangam. I just apply grease paint and act.' Will anyone say something like that? The thing is—they truly enjoyed music,' he said. Mr. Sivaraman also recalled the presence of MGR and Devaraj Urs at the Music Academy to attend a concert by M. Balamuralikrishna, the year he was conferred the Sangita Kalanidhi award. 'Both of them were enjoying the concert. After it was over, we went and thanked both Chief Ministers. MGR came to me and said, 'You played well. But he prepared the pallavi at home. You played on the spot. You are great.' Will anyone say that? That shows how deep their musical knowledge was. The musical understanding that these actors had was something truly unique.' Reporting: B. Kolappan Video: Johan Sathyadas, Thamodharan B, Shiva Raj Editing: Shiva Raj
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby seeks Bharat Ratna for percussion artists
CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby, a connoisseur of Carnatic music, made a strong case for awarding the Bharat Ratna to percussionists in India, stating that percussion music had reached 'Himalayan heights' in the country. 'There is not only Umayalpuram Sivaraman. There were Kishan Maharaj, Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, and Samta Prasad. But the highest honour, like the Bharat Ratna, has gone only to Bhimsen Joshi, Bismillah Khan, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Ravi Shankar, and Lata Mangeshkar,' he said during a conversation with Mr. Sivaraman at The Hindu office in Chennai on Sunday (July 13, 2025). Mr. Baby's friendship with Mr. Sivaraman dates back to several decades. He has organised many concerts and even persuaded Mr. Sivaraman to perform for Kathak dancer Birju Maharaj. He added that the Music Academy and The Hindu should play a role in advocating Bharat Ratna recognition for percussion artists. 'This is the most appropriate platform to raise the question: why has a percussion artist never been given the Bharat Ratna? No one deserves it more than Umayalpuram Sivaraman. He is already a Padma Vibhushan awardee. The music fraternity should raise its voice for the recognition that is long overdue. Why is the government not listening to such a sane voice in the field of music and culture?' he asked. He also recalled an incident in which tabla maestro Kishan Maharaj criticised the Centre for its miserly attitude toward conferring awards on musicians. 'Unless we live for 80 or 85 years, no national honour will come to us,' Mr. Baby quoted Kishan Maharaj as saying at an event in Delhi attended by Union Ministers. The CPI(M) leader further pointed out inadequacies and partialities in the selection of awardees. 'Of course, there are genuine North Indian artists, but genuine South Indian artists have not been sufficiently considered,' he said. Mr. Sivaraman said that long ago, he had suggested to the Sangeet Natak Akademi that it institute an award in memory of the legendary nagaswaram player T.N. Rajarathinam Pillai. 'There is the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar. Institute a similar award in the name of Rajarathinam Pillai,' he said. Mr. Baby supported this demand, saying Rajarathinam Pillai was equal in stature to Bismillah Khan. Mr. Sivaraman, who has performed with four generations of musicians, said he was ready to accompany the next generation as well. He also described the specific playing styles required for accompanying great musicians such as Mudikondan Venkatrama Iyer, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, G.N. Balasubramanian, Madurai Mani Iyer, T.R. Mahalingam, and M.D. Ramanathan. Speaking on the subject of creativity, Mr. Sivaraman cited poet Kalidasa to explain his philosophy: 'Don't think everything old is good; don't criticise everything new as bad. People with wisdom will always select the best from the old and the best from the new. That is my motto,' he said. N. Ram, former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, who introduced the two, said the event was meant to highlight and celebrate an unusual association and a relationship that blossomed into enduring friendship. He said that Mr. Baby first encountered Mr. Sivaraman's music during the Emergency, when he was semi-underground and courted arrest. 'His elder brother advised him to visit a temple and listen to concerts. That is how he first discovered the great music of Mr. Sivaraman,' he said.
New Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Lizard yet again in sambar! This time at Krishnagiri school
KRISHNAGIRI: Exposing poor hygiene practices yet again, a lizard was found in sambar served during breakfast at a Panchyat Union Primary School at Pungampatti village near Barur on Wednesday. Four students were admitted to the Government Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital as a precaution, though school and revenue department officials claimed students did not consume it. The sambar was served along with pongal to four students under the Chief Minister's Breakfast programme. The dead lizard was found in the plate of one student, said school sources. All the four students were rushed to the nearby primary health centre at Barur by the school teachers. They were later referred to the Government Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital for observation. The students are fine, said sources. Pochampalli Tahsildar Sathya and District Education Officer (Elementary) Sivaraman rushed to the school. Fresh breakfast was later prepared and served to other students. Last week a lizard was found in the sambar served under the breakfast scheme at the Kolinjivadi Municipal Middle School in Dharapuram in Tiruppur district. Also, food safety officials sealed a private canteen at the Government Thanjavur Medical College Hospital a week ago after a dead lizard was found in the sambar served with lunch.
