An embodiment of laya

Tavil vidwan Venugopal Pillai's generosity of spirit and keenness to share knowledge benefited many. 

He walked with the titans. In the realm of melam music, his was a name to reckon with. Yet greatness sat lightly upon tavil maestro Mayavaram Venugopal Pillai, who passed away recently at the age of 91.

The early years were not easy for the child, who lost his father very early in life. “Too young to remember the father I lost,” he sighed. “Contemporaries revered his memory and spoke of his multifaceted genius with awe.” Father Ammachatram Kannusami Pillai was not only a renowned tavil vidwan but also a vocalist and composer who played the nagaswaram, jalatarangam, mridangam and dholak, all entirely self taught. As if this were not formidable enough, he was also an ashtavadani.

Venugopal Pillai's rendezvous with destiny led him under the wing of the legendary Needamangalam Meenakshisundaram Pillai and his later his son-in-law Nachiarkoil Raghava Pillai after the family moved from Thiruvizhandur to Mayavaram. Musicologist and scholar, B.M.Sundaram, son of Meenakshisundaram Pillai, recollects, “He was my father's disciple. Possessed of a sharp intellect, his playing style was oriented more towards kanakku than janaranjakam -- possibly the reason why he lost out on popular acclaim. He was blessed with the gift of maintaining evenness of kalapramana, irrespective of co-artists' tendency to slow down or accelerate the original pace. He often accompanied Pattiswaram Ramaswami Pillai, Thirunageswaram Ratnasami Pillai, Valangaiman Shanmugha Pillai and the Sembonnar Koil brothers. And of course, Tiruvavaduthurai Rajarathnam Pillai.”

In safe hands

Unassuming to the point of being self effacing, Venugopal Pillai was content to let his art do the talking and enjoyed a busy career. “When he was the accompanist, nagaswara vidwans knew that they were in the safest hands in the business. His precise, consistent sense of kalapramana made him adhere to tala like glue. His speciality lay in adapting his playing to each individual nagaswaram style. This made him much sought after,” reminisces Vedaranyam Balasubramanian, tavil exponent and nephew. “Back then, during temple festival processions, the melam would last all night. Once, while accompanying the renowned Vandikkaratheru Subramaniam Pillai, my guru's marathon tani lasted nearly six hours from midnight to dawn! The crowd stood transfixed. Each permutation was new, sans repetition. Vandadum varaadadumai vaasithar. Such towering vidwat!”

Venugopal Pillai's generosity of spirit and keenness to share a lifetime's store of knowledge benefited scores of disciples, many of whom came to learn music and went on to learn lessons in humility. “A teacher extraordinaire, he could make the most complicated korvais appear easy by breaking them down to the simplest components so that any student could grasp it. And the variations! Taking any korvai, any tala or nadai, he would tell us to how to adapt it to all nadais,” says Balasubramaniam.

Another disciple, Dr. Subbalakshmi recalls, “I began learning from Vadyar in 2001. When I meekly enquired whether I could be his sishya, knowing full well that traditional drumming is a male prerogative, he replied without a moment's hesitation, ‘Besha', but warned me that it required arduous training. I never absented myself. Vadyar would wake up early, have his bath, visit the temple and be seated in his chair with that bright patch of kumkum smeared on his forehead, braced to teach. He had given away his tavil but had preserved two tavil kazhis of his two gurus. Later, he presented them to me, a rare honour. Vadyar taught at the Government Music College, Madras, from 1973 to 1985, where he was held in high esteem. He also had a long-standing association with the Tamil Isai Sangam where he was senior external examiner. Several disciples are top level performers today. He arranged for his some of his students to be subjects for my functional MRI studies for my PhD thesis, and was able to explain to them the importance of scientific investigation to understand the miraculous working of the human brain.”

Positive impact

Pillai had only positive things to say about fellow vidwans and revered his gurus. “With Needamangalam, it was the ‘nam' sound which he rendered to such precision that it truly lifted his performance, along with his dancing movements while playing, the very embodiment of laya,” says Dr. Subbulakshmi. “Recollecting his Sri Lanka days, Vadyar spoke of the genius of Yazhpanam Dakshinamurthi Pillai, whom he taught and later accompanied. Vadyar touched upon Pillai's rare teermanams in the fourth kalam, almost unbeatable and the friendly rivalry between Dakshinamurthi Pillai and another luminary, Needamangalam Shanmugavadivel, (son of N. Meenakshisundaram) a left hander on the valam.”

A witty raconteur, Venugopal Pillai's anecdotes brimmed with wisdom and humour. His disarming simplicity, childlike candour, down-to-earth approach and homespun wisdom endeared him to those who had a close association with him. Although a recipient of the Kalaimamani and other awards, richly-deserved recognition on a wider platform eluded him. A strong sense of duty towards family ensured that he saw his children well-educated and settled. “My father was fiercely independent and self-reliant. He exemplified tolerance, determination, hard work and simple living,” remembers daughter Dr. Vanitha. “He won a battle against cancer, but was ailing briefly before he passed away.”

courtesy: Hindhu (Friday Review, April 16, 2010)

Upholding the musical tradition

Tiruvalaputhur T. A. Kaliyamoorthy

The Cauvery delta region has produced several musicians who have been upholding the rich tradition of Carnatic music. Several hamlets in and around Kumbakonam and Mayiladuthurai (erstwhile Mayavaram) have had a major share in the proliferation of nagaswaram and thavil vidwans since time immemorial. Tiruvalaputhur is one such hamlet from where thavil vidwan T.A. Kaliyamoorthy hails. And he talks about his journey thus far…
Your ancestors and initiation… Tiruvalaputhur has been a part of a very rich and hoary tradition in music. My grand aunt Tiruvalaputhur Kalyani amma was an accomplished Bharatanatyam artist and was famous for her Simhanandanam dance. My paternal grandfather, Vaidyalingam Pillai, was a mridangam vidwan. Tiruvalaputhur Pasupathiya Pillai was my grand uncle. He was a respected thavil vidwan. Many thavil vidwans today are descendants of his disciples. I still remember the big thatched roof shed appurtenant to his house in which all his students stayed. It was guru kula vasam for all of them. At any point of time there would be at least a hundred of them. My initial training was under my uncle Kadirvel Pillai from whom I learnt all the basic aspects of thavil and later I came under the direct tutelage of my grand uncle when I was just seven years old. Nachiar Koil Raghava Pillai was one of his senior -most students. Iluppur Nallakumar Pillai, Nachiar Koil Ramdas Pillai, A.K.Venugopal Pillai and Tiruvazhundur Ramdas Pillai were some of his famous disciples. By the time I was 12, I had started playing at concerts as no formal arangetram system was in vogue then.
And after that… Those days one had to play in a set and earn a name for himself. My career took off with vidwan Vandikkara Theru Manimamundiya Pillai's set. During processions, I would be seated on a table as I was too young to hold the thavil. I would almost get hidden by it. People watched me play at such a young age with awe. Later I joined Tiruvengadu Subramania Pillai's group. With limited transport facilities, concert tours to far off places were all linked and it would take months before one returned home, unlike today's jet age where we can return home at the wink of an eye. My teachers were furious because I missed school and so they asked me to choose my career. And I quit school.
Any regrets… No regrets at all. I have come a long way in this field and it is almost 51 years since I started performing. It is only when I travel abroad that I feel handicapped by my inability to communicate in English with foreign musicians and audience , particularly when they shower praises or want to clarify doubts. In that sense, today's youngsters are quite lucky, because their exposure equips them for such things.
Awards… Naganatha Sivam, who is a gurukkal (temple Priest) in a London temple, has instituted an award in memory of his wife, Gowrimanohari, that is given away annually to a vidwan during the music festival conducted by Karraikudi Mani sir. It was in 1999, when I participated in a tani avartanam concert in London alongside Mani sir that I became acquainted with kurukkal. The attention we received from the gurukkal's family was something very special. His wife was very affectionate and hospitable by nature. Naganatha Sivan is divinity personified. Receiving this Gowrimanohari award during the recently concluded music season, I deem it a special privilege, as I was selected. I have to also thank Karraikudi Mani sir, for having considered me. In 1981, I received the Kalaimamani award. I was the first thavil vidwan to receive the Vizag Music Academy's Sangitha Kala Sagara title.
Concept of Special Thavil… After my stint with Tiruvengadu Subramania Pillai , I played for the Sembanar Koil brothers- Sambandam and Rajanna. The last set I played was for Sivapuri Padmanabha Pillai. After I turned 19, I began to get noticed. Leading nagaswara vidwans wanted me to play for them. While they had their own set, I was a special invitee who would accompany them. This is what is known as Special Thavil (in Tamil it is called as Sirappu Thavil). It is a sort of recognition for the vidwan and his accomplishments. This concept of Special Thavil was prevalent even during the times of Needamangalam Meenakshisundaram Pillai.
Association with vidwan Karraikudi Mani… My association with him began during the special tani avarthanam concerts. Playing with him is an experience. Thanks to his efforts, I travelled with him to Australia. There, our music CD was released. This new concept opened the doors to concerts in European countries. It was Mani sir's pioneering effort that resulted in our collaborating with European musicians, which was invaluable. The thavil, thus got international recognition and I dedicate this to the instrument. There was an overwhelming response to our album. My association with him continues even now. We exchange views about concert planning and matters relating to rhythm, patterns, korvais etc.
Artist in your family… One should be divinely destined to become a musician. He should be blessed if he is to become a leading star in the field. I am the fourth generation vidwan in my family. But my children have not have not taken after me. All of them are educated and well settled. Maybe my grandchildren will take up this instrument … but I leave it to God.

Courtesy: The hindhu Friday Review (April 2, 2010)