th

20 Century
Composers
 By
S.Mahathi
Table of contents

1. Mysore Vasudevacharya
2. Muthaiah Bhagavathar
3. Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan
4. Periasamy Thooran
5. G.N Balasubramaniam
6. Ambujam Krishna
7. M.D Ramanathan
8. Kalyani Varadarajan
9. Nallan Chakravartula
Krishnamacharyulu
10. Maharajapuram Santhanam
11. T.R Subramaniam
12. Mangalampalli Balamurallikrishna
13. Lalgudi Jayaraman
14. N. Ravikiran
Mysore Vasudevacharya

(28 May 1865 – 17 May 1961)

Mysore Vasudevacharya was an Indian musician and composer of

Carnatic music compositions who belonged to the direct line of Thyagaraja's
disciples. Vasudevachar's compositions (numbering over 200) were mostly in
Telugu and Sanskrit. Some of his most popular kritis include Broche varevaru
ra in Khamas raga, Devadideva in Sunadavinodini, Mamavatu Sri Saraswati in
Hindolam, Shankari Ninne in Pantuvarali, Bhajare Re Manasa in Abheri and Ra
Ra Rajeevalochana Rama in Mohanam. He was a recipient of the civilian
honour of the Padma Bhushan.
He is credited with two writings in Kannada, one of them an
autobiography called Nenapugalu (memories) and Na Kanda Kalavidaru (the
musicians I have met) in which he wrote the biographies of many well known
musicians. Mysore Vasudevachar also taught in Rukmini Devi's Kalakshetra,
(founded in 1936). He was already quite old by then, but thanks to Rukmini
Devi he agreed to shift to Kalakshetra. He became the chief musician in
Kalakshetra and helped in setting the Ramayana to music. He died in 1961 at
the age of 96. He lived a simple and austere life devoted to the study of Sanskrit
and music.
 S. Rajaram, his grandson worked at Kalakshetra eventually taking
charge of the institution at Rukmini Devi's request. Vasudevachar had
composed the music for only the first four kandas and it was left to Rajaram to
finish the work. An accomplished musician and Sanskrit scholar, he was
amongst the few musicians, the sole repository of Vasudevacharya's
compositions. S. Krishnamurthy (1922–2015), his other grandson worked at All
India Radio and translated his Vasudevachar's memoirs into English. He has
also published a memoir of his own.
Vasudevacharya was born in an orthodox Madhwa Brahmin family in
Mysore and started learning music from Veena Padmanabhiah, the chief
musician of the Mysore court. He also mastered Sanskrit and allied fields such
as Kavya, Vyakarana, Nataka, Alankaram, Tarka, Itihasa, Purana having studied
at the Maharaja Sanskrit college in Mysore while learning music privately.
He then went on to learn from the famous composer-musician Patnam
Subramania Iyer supported by the Maharaja's generous stipend and imbibed the
music of not only his Guru but also other great maestros of the Thanjavur-
Cauvery delta. Vasudevacharya eventually became the chief court musician
(Asthana Vidwan) at the Mysore court. He was known for his madhyama-kala
tanam singing which he learnt from his Guru. Patnam Subramania Iyer often
requested his sishya "Vasu" to help him with the sahitya (lyric) aspects of his
compositions. This aspect of his training undoubtedly helped Vasudevacharya
as a composer.
He was adept in all the aspects of Carnatic music especially Raga
Alapana, Thanam, Pallavi, Niraval, and Kalpana swaram.He published a large
number of his compositions in the book Vasudeva Kirtana Manjari. His
compositions in Telugu have such sweetness and lilt, and beautifully blend with
the tune of the raga as do the Sanskrit compositions, which are mellifluous. His
songs reflect his mastery of Sanskrit and show his erudition and scholarship in
Sanskrit literature. He considered his insight into Telugu as a gift from
Thyagaraja (Thyagaraja's bhiksha). Unlike the Dasa kuta songs, his
compositions don't have any Dvaita undertones but many have the words
"Paramapurusha Vasudeva" or "Vasudeva" which means the supreme
Vasudeva/Lord Vishnu which incidentally is also his mudra or signature.
True to his Vaishnava heritage and the Thyagaraja shishya parampara to
which he belonged, most of his compositions are in praise of Lord Rama. In
addition to Kritis and Keertanas, he also composed Varnams, Thillanas, Javalis
and slokas. His admiration for the trinity of Carnatic music specially Thyagaraja
resulted in Srimadadi Thyagaraja Guruvaram in Kalyani, Shri Ramachandra (a
ragamalika) and two other ragamalikas in praise of Muthuswami Dikshitar and
Shyama Sastri. Vasudevachar's compositions are thus like sugar candy which
gives one instant pleasure and yet lingers on in the mind and heart long after.

Muthaiah Bhagavathar

(15 November 1877 – 30 June 1945)

Muthiah was born on 15 November 1877, in Harikesanallur,

a small village in the Tirunelveli district of British India, into an
affluent Tamil Brahmin family. He was exposed to music from a very
early age, as his father was a patron of musicians. He lost his father at
the young age of six years, when his maternal uncle M. Lakshmana
Suri took over the responsibility for his education, initiating Muthiah
into Sanskrit and Vedic studies. However, the love of music that had
been implanted in him led Muthiah to leave his hometown of
Harikesanallur, Tamil Nadu when he was only ten years in search of a
teacher.
He found the gifted teacher Padinaindumandapa Sambasiva
Iyer at Tiruvarur, who recognised Muthiah's talent for music.
Sambasiva Iyer was the father of T.S Sabesa Iyer, a contemporary
who also went on to win the prestigious Sangeetha Kalanidhi award
from the Madras Music Academy in 1934. During the nine years he
spent with Sambasiva Iyer, Muthiah cultivated this talent and made
his name as a Harikata Vidhwan. His rich voice and excellent tanam
singing made him one of the era's most highly coveted concert artists.
He was Asthana vidvan in seithur zamin and first guru of M S
Subbulakshmi.
He has to his credit almost 400 musical compositions, the
largest among the post-Trinity composers, that included many
different types of Varnams as well as Kritis and Thillanas. The songs
were on a number of the Hindu pantheon, his patrons. He composed
them in four languages – Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit and Kannada.
Some of the ragams that owe their existence today to this great
composer include Vijaysaraswathi, Karnaranjani, Budhamanohari and
Niroshta. He also popularised Shanmukhapriya and Mohanakalyani.
When someone asked if he could compose something that would
appeal to Westerners, he composed the English notes (later
popularised by Madurai Mani Iyer). His mudra was Harikesha.
In 1934, Muthiah composed music for Tamil Nadu Talkies then
owned by S. Soundararaja for their Lavakusa, a film based on the
Uttara Ramayana. Muthiah travelled to Bombay where the film was
being made at the Ranjit Studios. He composed 63 songs for the film
resulting in the film being renamed as Sangeetha Lavakusa. One of the
greatest contributions of Muthaiah Bhagavathar to Carnatic music is the large
number of Kirtanas which he has written in new Ragas. Most of these Ragas
have no known compositions before Muthaiah Bhagavathar actually composed
in them. Muthiah Bhaagavatar died in June 30, 1945.

Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan

 (26 September 1890 – 1 October 1973)

Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan was an Indian composer of Carnatic

music and a singer. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha
Kalanidhi in 1971. He was also a film score composer in Kannada cinema as
well as Tamil cinema in the 1930s and 1940s. Sivan was also known as Tamil
Thyaagaraja. Using Classical South Indian as a base, Sivan created
compositions popularised by M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, D. K. Pattammal,
and M. S. Subbulakshmi.
In 1962, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
conferred by Sangeet Natak Academy, India's National Academy for Music,
Dance and Drama. Sivan's early years were spent in the Travancore area of
Kerala. He was born at Polagam village in the district of Thanjavur, which was
home to the musical trinity of Carnatic music. His given name was Ramaiya. In
1897, when he was 7, his father died. His mother Yogambal, along with her
sons, left Thanjavur and moved to Travancore (now Thiruvananthapuram) in
1899 to seek the aid of his uncle. In Thiruvananthapuram, he learned
Malayalam and later joined the Maharaja Sanskrit college and obtained a degree
in grammar.
Ramaiya was very religious, and became even more so with the death of
his mother Yogambal in 1910, when he was 20. He wandered from place to
place visiting temples and singing devotional songs. He used to be an active
participant in the devotional music sessions at the home of Neelakandasivan in
Thiruvananthapuram where he learned many of Neelakandasivan's composition.
In this period he went regularly to the temple at Papanasam, where he would
smear bhasma all over his body. Hence people first began to refer him as
Papanasam Sivan.
He took his first music lessons from Noorani Mahadeva Bhagavatar, son
of Parameswara Bhagavatar. Later, he became the disciple of Konerirajapuram
Vaidyanath Iyer, a well-known musician. He was most interested in the
devotional aspect of music. He preferred to sing devotional songs and
encouraged other singers take part in sessions of devotional music with him. He
was a regular performer in the main temple festivals in South India with his
devotional songs.
He received the President Award in 1962, and in 1969 he received the
Sangeetha Kalasikhamani Award bestowed on him by "The Indian Fine Arts
Society, Chennai". He was conferred the Sangita Kalanidhi in 1971.
D K Pattammal and D K Jayaraman, the sister-brother duo who were both
awarded Sangeeta Kalanidhi, were his disciples. He taught Pattammal many
kritis, and she also sang many of Sivan's compositions for films.

Periasamy Thooran

(26 September 1908 - January 20, 1987)

Periyasamy Thooran was born at Modakurichi in Coimbatore district

of Palanivelappa Gounder and Paavaathal, he was a born teacher, patriot and a
composer of merit. Periyasamy Thooran was primarily interested in the
traditional Tamil poetic form, marabukavidhai, that had gained new life in the
20th century. C. Subramania Bharathi, Bharathidasan and Kavimani
Desigavinayagam Pillai were his forerunners in this endeavour; Namakkal
Kavignar Ve. Ramalinga Pillai was his contemporary. These poems preserved
the meter and rhyme scheme of the traditional marabukavidhai seyyul verses,
but the language, contrary to the archaic style of the old poems, was fresh and
contemporary and closer to spoken Tamil. These poems were composed in
relatively simple meters like asiriyappa, sindhu etc.
 As a voracious writer, he composed over six hundred songs on
national, spiritual and moral issues. Eminent musicians like Tiger
Varadachariar, Musiri Subramania Ayyar and Semmangudi Srinivasa Ayyar
had spoken highly of his compositions. His songs have been brought out in five
volumes titled 'Isai Mani Manjari'. Thooran is an acknowldeged poet and
composer. Analogous to Tyagarajah's 'Santhamulekha, Soukyamu ledhu',
Thooran's 'Santhamillamal sukham undo?' (Nattakurinji) stresses that there is no
joy without patience and no contentment amidst worries. Deep philosophical
truths lay hidden in his simple devotional songs. Musical aesthtics and bhava
find abundant evidence in his compositions. His popular compositions include
Gananaathane (Saranga), Kaliyuga Varadhan (Brindavana Saranga),
Muralidhara Gopala (Maand), Muruga Muruga (Saveri), Pazhani Nindra (Kapi),
Punniyam Oru (Keeravani) and Thaye Thripurasundhari (Shuddha Saveri).
Thooran's poems were first published as volumes titled Ilanthamizha,
Minnal poo, Nilaa pinju and Patti paravaigal. Later they were compiled into a
single anthology, Thooran kavidhaigal. It was brought out by the publishing
house Pari Nilayam. Thooran employed many forms in his poetry. There are
poems like Kaivalam which are structured like folk songs, verse poems telling a
ballad-like story like Veeran Kumaran, Kizhaviyum Ranavum, Prithvi Raj -
Samyukthai, epistolary poems like Kadhalikku kaditham, Badhil, Kadidham
and poems structured like dialogue, like Odakkaran, in his anthology.

G.N Balasubramaniam

(6 January 1910 – 1 May 1965)

Gudalur Narayanaswamy Balasubramaniam, popularly known as

GNB, was an Indian Carnatic singer. G N Balasubramaniam was born on
January 6, 1910 at Gudalur in Mayiladuthurai taluk. G N Balasubramanian was
the son of Shri G V Narayanaswamy Iyer, who was himself a keen student of
music with an almost professional thoroughness. He studied in the Wesley
College while learning music under his father, a disciple of Karur Chinnaswamy
Ayyar and under Madurai Subramania Ayyar. He obtained his B.A. (Hons.) in
1929. GNB, a musical prodigy grew up under his father's guidance
He innovated the art through emphasis on laya
control and reducing the gamakas which eventually made
Carnatic music appeal to the lay and the learned alike. Apart
from being a great vocalist, GNB also composed several krithis.
GNB was one of the prominent composers of 20th century. He
composed over 250 krithis, most in Telugu with a few in
Sanskrit and Tamil. GNB also invented new ragas like
Chandrahasita, Sivasakti, Amrita Behag, etc., sixty had been
published.

Ambujam Krishna

(1917 – 1989)

Ambujam Krishna is the daughter of K. V. Ranga Iyengar, an

advocate of Madurai. She had her music training under Karaikudi Ganesan and
Ganesha Bhagavathar. Ambujam Krishna was a composer of Carnatic Kritis.
She has composed more than 600 kritis in various Carnatic ragas. Ambujam
Krishna has written kritis in various languages such as Sanskrit, Kannada,
Tamil and Telugu. She has also written songs with more than one language in
the same song. It is called Manipravalam in Tamil. Her works have been
published in two volumes under the title Geetamala.

Her lyrics have been set to music by various masters such as Sri
Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, V. V. Sadagopan, S. Ramanathan, T. N.
Seshagopalan, and others. She was a senior office bearer of Sri Sathguru
Sangeetha Samajam, Madurai. She started a music college Satguru Sangeetha
Vidyalayam as a wing of the sabha.

M.D Ramanathan

(20 May 1923 – 27 April 1984)

Manjapara Devesa Bhagavathar Ramanathan was born in Manjapara,

Palakkad District, Madras Province, India on 20 May 1923, as the son of
Devesa Bhagavathar and Seethalakshmi Ammal. His father Devesa
Bhagavathar was a music teacher by profession. Ramanathan travelled to
Madras along with his father to improve his musical talents after studying.

Ramanathan was known for his unique style of singing. Ramanathan has
sung in most Carnatic music ragas such as Sahana, Sri, Anandabhairavi,
Reethigowla and Yadukula Kambhoji. Other favourite ragas of his include
Kedaram, Kambhoji and Hamsadhwani.

Ramanathan composed more than 300 songs in carnatic music in Tamil,

Telugu and Sanskrit. This includes varnams, kritis and thillanas. Many
compositions are from spontaneous singing at temples. He used the word
Varadadasa as his mudra.

Kalyani Varadarajan

(8 October 1923 – 28 October 2003)

Kalyani Varadarajan was born to Sriman Nadadoor Ammal

Narasimhachariar and Srimati Singarammal. Her father was a big scholar in
Telugu and Sanskrit languages, who served as a teacher, headmaster and finally
as an educational inspector, while her mother was a musician. Kalyani had a
taste to write and compose songs since a young age, and she underwent vocal
and Veena training, first under her mother and later under other able gurus.
Thereafter, she learnt to play Violin. She had her debut in Veena performance at
the age of 16 in 1942.
She had an in-born quality to compose lyrics and set them into music
herself from an early age. She started composing songs at a very early age on
Lord Yoga Narasimha of Gatikakshetrarn – Solangipuram- Tamil Nadu, who
was her Ishta Daivata. Her quest for composing kritis in Camatic classical
music in Telugu, Sanskrit and Tamil was ever growing with her. She could
compose with ease number of kritis in different rare ragas.
Due to her rich study and knowledge in Hindustani Music she was able
to sing/play Hindustani ragas effortlessly. This she applied in her kritis also. She
has composed a number of kritis in Hindustani ragas like Bahar, Dundubi,
Bagasri, Jayajayawanti (Dwijavanti) Gowda Malhar, Jonpuri, Gurjari Todi,
Madhukauns, and Chandrakauns.
Smt. Kalyani’s compositions are on different God/Goddess in different
language. Her Kaanada composition on Lord Venkateswara – ‘Saptagirisam
sada Bhajeham’ is a popular kriti sung by many veteran artists of Camatic
music. She has composed kriits in rare ragas like Bhavapriya, Bhavani,
Yagapriya, Vijayanagari etc. She has composed on Lord Venkateshwara
(Saptha Girisham in Kaanada, Maha Venkateswara in Raga Bahudari),
Ranganatha of Srirangam temple (Vainatheya Vaahanam in raga Mohanam).
It is understood that she composed songs whenever and whereever she
visited a temple. That was her way of admiring and expression of feelings. For
instance when she had visited Yadagiri district, Jwala Narasimhan temple, she
composed a kriit in the raga Kanada. Similarly when she visited
Chamundeshwari temple she composed ‘Chandikeshwareem Asrayamyaham’ in
the raga Abhogi.
Apart from this she has composed two varnams – one tana varnam in
raga Subhapanthuvarali (Pahimam Payorasi Putri) and One pada varnam in the
raga Vachaspathi on Raja-rajeswari- This is a Pada varnam is more apt for the
dance concert. She has composed a Thillana in the raga Bhushavali and a raga
malika in rupaka tala. Her compositions are well appreciated and rendered by
many musicians all over. Her works were popularized and propagated by
various senior performing musicians like (late) Prof. Sh. T.R. Subramaniam,
Tanjore S. Kalyanaraman, Madurai Somasundaram (Somu), S. Rajam etc.
Her compositions carry Chittaswaras, madyamakala sahitya and a careful
application of grammatical aspects of Carnatic music like Yati, Prasam,
Samasam, Vibhakti etc. She used the Svanama Mudra ‘Kalyani’ or ‘Kalyani
Varada’as her signature in the compositions. The mudra blends with the sahitya,
as it appears.
Nallan Chakravartula
Krishnamacharyulu

(1924–2006)

Nallan Chakravartula Krishnamacharyulu was born in the year 1924 in

Jaggayya Peta in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to Jagannaadha Tiru
Venkataacharyulu and Venkata Ramanamma. At a very early age, Nallan
Chakravartula Krishnamacharyulu started learning Vyaakarana and
Meemaamsa Sastras from his father, and later from Sri Chilakamarri
Kesavaacharyulu. He also had a long Gurukulam style of training in the field of
Carnatic music from the legendary Parupalli Rama Krishnayya Pantulu.
Nallan Chakravartula Krishnamacharyulu was a scholar, musician,
teacher and exponent of the art of hari katha. He belongs to the lineage of Saint
Tyagaraja. He was a first generation disciple of Sriman Parupalli Krishnaiyyah
pantulu. Being a top grade artist, his reach went above and beyond being a
violinist and a musician. He was also a pandit in Sanskrit and Telugu literature
who wrote and composed numerous Kritis, yaksha ganas, poems and harikathas.
He composed over 20 krithis, varnams and Tillanas in popular as well as
rare ragas. Just like earlier Vaggeyakaras (spontaneous saintly composers), he
never needed to think of the verses due to his extraordinary scholarship in
Sanskrit language and Telugu language. He was awarded the Vaggeyakara
award by the Madras music academy in 2005.

Maharajapuram Santhanam
 (20 May 1928 – 24 June 1992)

Maharajapuram Santhanam, was an Indian Carnatic music vocalist. He

was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1989. He
was born in Sirunangur, a village in the state of Tamil Nadu. He followed the
footsteps of his father Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer who was also a
renowned Carnatic vocalist.
Besides studying with his father, he was also a disciple of Melattur
Sama Dikshitar. Maharajapuram Santhanam was also a distinguished
composer. He wrote many songs on Lord Murugan and Kanchi Shankaracharya,
Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamigal (Maha Periyavar). He was the
principal of Ramanathan College in Sri Lanka. Later he came and settled in
Chennai.
The songs which were popularised by Maharajapuram Santhanam
are,"Bho Shambo" (Revati), "Madhura Madhura" (Bagheshri), both composed
by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, "Unnai Allal" (Kalyani Raga), "Sadha Nin
Padhame gathi, Varam onnru" (Shanmukhapriya), "Srichakra Raja"
(Ragamalika), "Nalinakaanthimathim" (Ragamalika),"Ksheerabdi kannike"
(Ragamalika), "Thillana (Revathy)" among others.
The Maharajapuram Santhanam Day is celebrated on 3 December
every year. He died in a car accident near Chennai on 24 June 1992. His sons
Maharajapuram S. Srinivasan, Maharajapuram S. Ramachandran, and his
primary disciple Dr. R. Ganesh are now carrying on his musical tradition.
Griffith Road, on which the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha stands, was renamed
Maharajapuram Santhanam Road in his memory.

T.R Subramaniam
 (20 th September 1929 – 4th October 2013)

Popularly known as TRS, was a vocalist in the Carnatic tradition.

He was popular for infusing unconventional and populistic techniques in his
renditions, especially of the pallavi, without compromising on the classicism of
the rendition. Famous for his willingness to explore new avenues regardless of
whether they would be accepted or not, TRS' concerts were much sought-after.
He was also much loved as a teacher. He received a double doctorate in music.
TRS's skill in rendering the ragam-tanam-pallavi is unrivaled. TRS is
a disciple of Musiri Subramania Iyer. Prior to learning from Musiri, he learnt
music from other teachers. He has formally graduated from the University with
college degrees.
TRS has also composed some varnams, kritis and tillanas. He
occasionally renders his compositions in concerts. He has also tuned some
Purandaradasa kritis. TRS has a wide repertoire of songs which he sings in
concerts, many of which include compositions of modern composers.

Mangalampalli Balamurallikrishna

(6 July 1930 – 22 November 2016)

Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna was an Indian Carnatic vocalist,

musician, multi-instrumentalist, playback singer, composer, and character
actor. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in
1978. He has garnered two National Film Awards (1976, 1987), the Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award in 1975, the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest
civilian honor in 1991, for his contribution towards arts, the Mahatma Gandhi
Silver Medal from UNESCO in 1995, the Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des
Lettres by the French Government in 2005, the Sangeetha Kalanidhi by Madras
Music Academy, and the Sangeetha Kalasikhamani in 1991, by the Fine Arts
Society, Chennai to name a few.

Balamuralikrishna started his career at the age of six. In his life-time,

he gave over 25,000 concerts worldwide. He presented jugalbandi concerts
(duets) with many Pandits. He is also known for popularizing the compositions
of Sri Bhadrachala Ramadasu, Sri Annamacharya, and others.

Apart from his native tongue, Telugu, he has also composed in other
languages including Kannada, Sanskrit, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, and
Punjabi. Balamuralikrishna has experimented with the Carnatic music system
by keeping its rich tradition untouched. Ragas such as Ganapathi, Sarvashri,
Mahati, Lavangi etc. are credited to him. The ragas which he invented represent
his quest for new frontiers. Ragas such as Lavangi are set to three or four notes
in ascending and descending scale. Ragas such as Mahathi, Lavangi, Sidhdhi,
Sumukham that he created have only four notes; while his other ragaa creations
such as Sarva Sri, Omkaari, and Ganapathy have only three notes.

Balamuralikrishna has over 400 compositions to his credit and is one

of the very few people to have composed in all the 72 Melakarta Ragas and has
created several ragas, with 4 notes and 3 notes and also has invented a new Tala
system. His compositions encompass every genre in Carnatic Music including
Varnas, Krithis, Thillanas, Bhavageethas. He died at his residence in Chennai
on 22 November 2016.

Lalgudi Jayaraman
 (17 September 1930 – 22 April 2013)

Lalgudi Gopala Jayaraman was an Indian Carnatic violinist, vocalist

and composer. He is commonly grouped with M.S. Gopalakrishnan and
T.N.Krishnan as part of the violin-trinity of Carnatic Music. Born in the lineage
of a disciple of the musician Thyagaraja, Lalgudi Jayaraman inherited the
essence of Carnatic music from his father, V. R. Gopala Iyer, who enforced
traits of intense focus and discipline in the young Jayaraman through rigorous
lessons. Though a harsh father and guru, Gopala Iyer would not allow the young
Jayaraman to even sharpen pencils, believing that his tender fingers were too
precious.
His mesmerizing techniques and complete control over the
instrument has made him one of the maestros in his chosen field. Melodious,
rhythmic and stylish are some of the words used to define the music of Lalgudi
Jayaraman. He holds the distinction of being the first musician to be awarded
with the Chowdaiah Memorial National-Level Award. For his outstanding work
in his field, Lalgudi Jayaraman has been bestowed upon with Padma
Bhushan(2001) and Padma Shri(1972), India's third and fourth highest civilian
awards.
Lalgudi Jayaraman invented a new technique of playing the violin,
which came to be known as 'Lalgudi Bani'. This innovative style was stylized in
a manner that it best suited the needs of Indian classical music. His
compositions of several 'kritis', 'tillanas' and 'varnams' boast of a unique blend
of raga, bhava, rhythm and lyrical beauty.
Lalgudi Jayaraman has composed many varnams that have come to
serve as guides to various ragas. By composing in ragas like Devagandhari and
Nilambari he has disproved the belief that such ragas would be unsuitable for
varnams. Some of his most popular varnams are those set in Charukesi, Valaji,
and Bahudari ragams.
Along with this, he has also created a wide range of ragas. Lalgudi
Jayaraman was the first violinist, who brought international focus on the
Carnatic style of playing violin. Also, he has been credited with the introduction
of the new concept of musical ensemble with violin, venu (flute) and veena in
1966.
Lalgudi Jayaraman has made compositions in four languages namely
Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Sanskrit. His compositions are very expressive and
have gained huge popularity with Bharatnatyam dancers. Some of the most
popular "Lalgudi" tillanas are in Behag, Mohanakalyani and Kaanada ragas.
Lalgudi has taken part in concerts, not only on the Indian ground but
also in many foreign countries. He has even performed in solo and 'Jugalbandi'
concerts which became very popular. He also composed the lyrics and music for
the operatic ballet 'Jaya Jaya Devi' which was showed in 1994 at Cleveland in
United States.

N. Ravikiran

(born 12 February 1967)

 Ravikiran was born in Mysore, Karnataka. He made his first
appearance at the age of two, in April and again in August 1969, in Bangalore,
and was interviewed by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Pandit Ravi Shankar, M S
Subbulakshmi and Flute T R Mahalingam. He also performed at the XLIII
Madras Music Conference held at The Madras Music Academy in December
1969, and was awarded a scholarship from the academy. He was able to identify
about 325 ragas (melodic scales) and 175 talas (rhythmic cycles) of Carnatic
music.
Narasimhan Ravikiran has created over 800 classical Indian and
contemporary compositions. His Indian classical pieces include musical forms
such as varnam, kriti, javali, tillana and padam. He has created pieces in each of
the 35-talas of Carnatic Music as well as a 72-mela ragamalika geetam, a 13-
part piece that spans over all the 72-parent ragas of Carnatic music in seven
minutes
He has created new ragas including: Veetavanam in honour of Ludwig
van Beethoven. Mohini dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. Choodamani, created at
age two and named after his mother. Keshavapriya, Vaishnavi, Katyayani,
Samapriya, Shivamanohari, and Andhakarini.
Ravikiran has also set to music works of several azhwars, verses of
Vedanta Desikaverses from ancient Tamil sangam literature- compositions of
Purandara Dasa, D V Gundappa and a few contemporary composers.
In January 2016, Ravikiran composed music to 1330 tirukural verses in
16 hours over 3 days at the International Institute of Tamil Studies, Taramani,
Chennai.
Thank You