singing world. S. RAJAM on N.C. Vasanthakokilam, as told ... · to NC, this song gained in...
Transcript of singing world. S. RAJAM on N.C. Vasanthakokilam, as told ... · to NC, this song gained in...
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14 l SRUTI August 2007
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maximum advantage in this film. Her proficiency in Carnatic music was evident as never before in any of her films. She sang many songs in many raga-s. A ragamalika about the birth of Lord Krishna, Porumai kadalaagiya Bhoomadevi (Bilahari, Neelambari, Bhairavi, Sankarabharanam, Todi, Pantuvarali, Mohanam, Sree, Anandabhairavi and Hamsanadam), Karunanidhey Madhava (Hindustani Kapi - Papanasam Sivan set to music by C.S. Jayaraman), another ragamalika Aayar manaiyiley maayan valarndu (Kharaharapriya, Athana, Harikambhoji, Chenchuritti, Behag, Sreeranjani, Kathanakutoohalam, Kalyani, Vasanta, Surati — Papanasam Sivan set to music by C.S. Jayaraman), and Navaneeta Kannaney (Sindhu- bhairavi - K.P. Kamakshi and C.S. Jayaraman), were the famous songs.‘Krishna Vijayam’ was long in production and when it came out, the trends in Tamil cinema were changing fast under the impact of films like ‘Velaikari’ (1949). Even though the film was well made with tuneful music it did not do as well as expected.After this, NCV stopped acting in films and concentrated on classical Carnatic music, giving concerts and singing over the radio. Indeed according to some music lovers and critics she would have excelled MS had she had the
backing and public relations push. Her Sadasivan (Sachi) was no match for T. Sadasivam, MS’s husband!
Her health too suffered and she fell a victim to tuberculosis, a dreaded disease in those days. She was known as a very obstinate woman, not always easy to get on with. Sundar Rao Nadkarni told this writer in the late 1950’s that she was a difficult actress to handle and did not always listen to the director. In ‘Krishna Vijayam’ she refused to do some scenes because they would affect her dignity as a noted musician! “Romba pidivaatham
pidicha pombaley!” That’s how he described her in his Kannada-Konkani accented Tamil!She lived in a spacious bungalow on Eldam’s Road, Teynampet with Sachi. The relationship soon came to an end and she relocated to Gopalapuram where she lived with her sister. She died in November 1951 of TB. She was just 30 years old. Very fond of flowers, she wore loads of them in her hair! With MS and D.K. Pattammal reigning supreme and with M.L. Vasanthakumari coming up fast to catch up with them, NCV was beginning to be outshone. However, old-timers remember her and her music and recall the days sixty years ago when she was almost at the top of the singing world. n
S. RAJAM on N.C. Vasanthakokilam, as told to S. JANAKI.
NC. Vasanthakokilam’s music career was short, but while it lasted, she was one of the topmost women vocalists in Carnatic music. Vasanthakokilam, or NC as she was popularly known, could sing with great felicity. She was gifted with a golden voice which was the envy of many a Carnatic musician. It was a voice with a rich and pleasant timbre, very pliant and malleable (“kambi pol saareeram”) which could accommodate briga-s and fast paced renderings, without any distortions (pisiru) or losing its melodious quality.
A Golden VoiceShe was not very healthy, but her voice belied her weak physique. Although she was thin and frail, her voice combined melody with tensile strength. I have heard her sing without a mike.
NC was perfect in whatever she sang — intonation, sruti suddham, emotion and clarity of words. The purity of notes in her rendering and her adherence to sruti were remarkable. Her voice could traverse the middle and higher octaves with effortless ease. Her voice rang with vibrancy, a reenkaara, as she crossed the tara shadja and dwelt on the rishabha. It is my impression that M.S. Subbu-lakshmi took NC’s music as a model. In
A film abandoned midway !
COURTESY: S. SIVAKUMAR
cover story.indd 14 8/8/2007 2:36:45 PM
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the Simhendramadhyama kriti Unnai allaal verey gati NC sang a number of sanchara-s above the panchama and in the tara sthayi. Listeners were astounded by her rendition of this Kotiswara Iyer composition. She would often take up niraval on the phrase “Kai mel palan arul deivamey”. The song was a great hit. Thanks to NC, this song gained in popularity and other musicians also started including it in their recitals. NC carried the music lovers along with her on the strength of her simple music and fine voice.
Like MS, she too was guided by a Sadasivan. In this case Sachi, as he was better known, supported and assisted her but he was not a patch on the famous Sadasivam. I knew C.K. Sachi because he directed ‘Radha Kalyanam’ the second film in which I acted, for which the music was by Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar. Sachi took NC under his wing but she did not live long and succumbed to tuberculosis.
We must be thankful that she has left behind many recordings through which her music lives on. n
Sangeeta vidushi N.C. Vasanthakokilam truly had the voice of a “kokilam” combined with the magical quality of spring. She was a worthy member of a female musical triad — M.S. Subbulakshmi, D.K. Pattammal and N.C. Vasanthakokilam. Although nothing much has come to light about her novitiate and the guru-s who had moulded her inherent talent
to performing levels, it cannot be gainsaid that she established a very special equation with the rasikas-s. Her repository was overflowing with compositions of Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Papanasam Sivan, Gopalakrishna Bharati, Subramania Bharati and other greats. Her raga alapana-s were marked with substance and style and studded with euphonious prayoga-s that immediately targeted one’s heart. Her kriti renderings had remarkable musical and emotional consciousness that lifted the ambience to an elevated plane.
D.K. Pattammal had the reputation of being a laya virtuoso and a past master in the rendering of intricate nadai pallavi-s. Once this writer heard Vasanthakokilam at a chamber concert rendering the inimitable Bhairavi varnam of Adiyappaiyer, set to Ata tala. The ease and fluency with which she negotiated the composition in various nadai-s left an everlasting imprint in the minds of the handful of rasika-s assembled. Among the rasika-s was the inimitable Alathur Venkatesa Iyer. Even he, the uncompromising great, gave a nod of approval after the rendering of the Viriboni varnam.
On another occasion, when she presented a concert at the Srinivasa Gandhi Nilayam, her delineation of Kambhoji in the three octaves held the audience captive. Sarasadala nayana in Khamas, Mayetvamyahi in Tarangini, Sundari nannindarilo in Begada and the piece de resistance Tanthai taai irundal in Shanmukhapriya, were some of the sparkling gems in her vast repertoire. It is a pity that she crossed the great divide before her song could be adequately sung.
SULOCHANA PATTABHIRAMAN
Remarkable musical and emotional consciousness
COURTESY : FILM NEWS ANANDAN
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