Facebook Twitter Instagram
    India Art Review
    • Dance
    • Music
    • Art
    • Heritage
    • Theatre
    • Books
    • Films
    • Team
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    India Art Review
    Home»Interviews»Seetha Narayanan: A Unique Carnatic Music Journey (Part II)
    Interviews

    Seetha Narayanan: A Unique Carnatic Music Journey (Part II)

    LalitharamBy LalitharamDecember 4, 2020
    Seetha Narayanan
    Share
    WhatsApp Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram

    In the second and final part of this interview excerpt from a Tamil interview with Lalitharam, Carnatic musician Seetha Narayanan speaks about her Journey in Madras – the Mecca of Carnatic Music.

    You sing a lot of unfamiliar bhajans. When did you start that?

    Perhaps because I came from the North, a lot of acquaintances in the Railway Colony approached me to teach them bhajans. I knew only a few Meera bhajans then. My mother had heard of Shi. Ramamoorthy Rao. He was a leading Bhajan singer then – well versed both Carnatic and Hindustani systems. We invited him to teach us ladies in the colony. He had tuned the entire Saundarya Lahari in 100 hundred ragas. The ragas would alternate between Hindustani and Carnatic. I also learnt to render bhajans in thumri style.

    When did you start giving programs exclusively based on Bhajans?

    I had written an article on ‘Bhajans — Bridging North and South’ in a souvenir by a Madurai sabha. On reading it, music and dance scholar TS Parthasarathy asked me if I could do a lecture-demonstration on the topic at the Madras Music Academy. My first entry to the prestigious venue.

    Do you believe you would have been like other famous performing artistes if you had been born here in Madras?

    To be frank, I don’t think I am unlike others, even now. I did not actively seek opportunities to perform. I sing wholeheartedly when invited to sing.

    Let’s come back to your training. You had trained under Dr. S Ramanathan as well right?

    Indeed. I thought it would be beneficial to train under a scholar with concert experience as it would help me understand nuances of kutcheri performance. Ramanathan sir had just then come back from Wesleyan University in the US.

    When was it?

    In 1981, I suppose. The first time I went to his home, he was teaching upstairs. His room was overflowing with students.  I was used to one-on-one sessions. Such group sessions were new to me. After his classes, I met him and requested him to take me as his student. He asked me to sing something and I sang Evarura in Mohanam. He liked it very much and asked me to come from the very next day for classes. I trained under him until he passed away (1988).

    What was Ramanathan’s methodology?

    There were seven or eight students in our batch. Our classes were for an hour from 10 a.m. every day. He will just keep singing, be it ragam or nereval. It’s upto us to grasp them. He wouldn’t give notations for the songs he taught. You could ask him to teach anything and you can be assured that he would know it. He gave away knowledge without any hesitation. He was treasure trove of knowledge yet remained simple and approachable. I learnt over 100 kritis from him. I also honed my manodharmam under him.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIuqyLZu5Gs

    You are nearing 80 – yet you have a rich voice. Your Shruti Sudhdham is impeccable and the clarity of sangatis in your renditions are amazing.  Do you do anything special to maintain your voice?

    It is just a gift. I had lost my voice totally between 1964 and 1968. I was in Bombay then. We tried approaching ENT specialists and homoeopathy based treatments. It was all in vain. Just as I thought nothing would work, I got my voice back. I resumed singing at 3 kattai shruti then and I could gradually increase the shruti and sing effortlessly in 5 kattai.

    I don’t do anything special to maintain my voice. I’d day I use my throat well rather than abuse it. I could sing for three hours even after a concert of that much time. But when I speak for just 10 mins, my voice gets tired. Shouting or even laughing aloud would impact the voice. Carnatic music demands singing with a stress to bring out the raga bhava in the right way. It puts a lot of pressure in the voice. In Hindustani, when they sing taan, it is less from the throat, more from the mouth. We can’t do so. Vidwan Chengalpet Ranganathan used to say, “If mikes had come to vogue earlier, many of the legends would have managed to live for several more years.”

    Seetha Narayanan

    You learned from Ranganathan too, right?

    Yes. After Ramanathan sir’s demise. A radio concert of Raganathan sir’s prompted me to approach him. I wanted to master Pallavi singing from him. He agreed to teach me only after I assured him that I was ready to invest the required efforts without taking shortcuts.

    How long did you train under him?

    Two decades. From 1988 till 2008. When I look back, I realise I have learnt over 500 kritis from him. He has composed thillanas in all the 35 suladisapta talas. I was fortunate to learn them from him.

    When you look back at the path you have come along – What do you feel?

    Madras is called the “Mecca of Carnatic Music”. I came here when I was thirty. Despite the late start, I feel contended that I am placed on par with my peers and treated with respect in this field. I feel grateful when I look back at my journey.

    (Translated excerpts from a Tamil interview by Lalitharam. This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Read Part 1 here) 

    carnaric musicians Carnatic carnatic composers carnatic gurus Carnatic musician featured karnatic music karnatic singers
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram WhatsApp
    Previous ArticleSeetha Narayanan: A Unique Carnatic Music Journey (Part 1)
    Next Article Anandavalli: A Visual Swathi Thirunal Padam
    Lalitharam
    Lalitharam

      Lalitharam writes on classical music, Indian history and arts. His biographies on legendary musicians GN Balasubramaniam and Pazani Subramania Pillai are critically acclaimed. He has also made documentary films on artists such as S Rajam, GNB and Pazhani Subramania Pillai. In 2013, he spearheaded a documentation effort on the Saivaite Nagaswara Temple tradition in the form of DVD titled 'Nadamum Nadanum'. He is also the founder trustee of Parivadini Charitable Trust.

      Related Posts

      Ammanattam

      Ammanattam: The Lost Art of Kerala’s Women

      March 29, 2025
      Neurologic Music Therapy

      How Classical Music is Aiding Autism Care

      August 7, 2024
      Mangad Natesan

      Remembering Carnatic Musician Mangad Natesan

      May 3, 2024

      Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

      Author In Focus VK Karthika

      Pathaan

      Pathaan: A Triumph of Love Over Hate

      V K KarthikaMarch 31, 2023

      Pathaan breaks the typical stereotype of Islamic Terrorism.

      Avatar

      Eastern Ethos Lifts up Cameron’s Avatar Sequel

      V K KarthikaJanuary 31, 2023

      Eastern ethos and laws of the nature are set to get a new tech-driven meaning as Cameron is planning two more sequels.

      Yazh

      Reviving Yazh, the Indian Harp

      V K KarthikaNovember 28, 2022

      Without Tharun, Yazh, an ancient instrument would not have taken birth in modern times

      Tholppavakoothu

      Girl Power up in Puppetry

      V K KarthikaSeptember 30, 2022

      Rajitha Ramachandra Pulavar and her team gave a new meaning to Tholppavakkooth and the body politics went in for a change in 2021

      Nanjiyamma tribal singer of Attappady

      Why the National Award for Tribal Singer Nanjiyamma Matters

      V K KarthikaAugust 27, 2022

      India witnessed a debate on the ‘purity of music’ when tribal singer Nanjiyamma won the National Award.

      EVENTS

      Nangiyarkoothu

      Celebrating 60 Years of Dance Excellence

      India Art ReviewMay 23, 2025

      Swara-dhi: A Soulful Summer Camp for Music Connoisseurs

      India Art ReviewMay 23, 2025
      Sooryakanthi festival

      Sooryakanthi Dance Festival From Nov 28- Dec 1

      India Art ReviewNovember 25, 2024

      Memorial Awards and Dance Performances in Chennai

      India Art ReviewNovember 25, 2024

      Have You Read These?

      Youth

      The Fountain of Youth

      Vineeth AbrahamMay 16, 2023

      What will happen when a bookworm set out to clean his library? One of the…

      The Elephant Whisperers

      Poetics of Fostering the Animal: The Elephant Whisperers

      Babu Rajan P PMay 1, 2023

      With the decline of natural habitats, human-elephant conflict has seen a surge, often leaving the majestic creatures as unwitting participants. “The Elephant Whisperers” documentary pays homage to the conservation endeavors aimed at preserving these habitats and raising awareness among communities about the perils of anthropocentrism.

      1899 and the Virtual Studio: Futuristic Filmmaking

      IAR DeskMarch 12, 2023

      1899, the new web series from the creators of German masterpiece Dark, will be filmed entirely in a virtual studio. Here’s all you wanted to know about ‘Volume’ and why it matters to futuristic filmmaking.

      Yazh

      Reviving Yazh, the Indian Harp

      V K KarthikaNovember 28, 2022

      Without Tharun, Yazh, an ancient instrument would not have taken birth in modern times

      A ‘Lyrical Dance’ Tribute to Edassery’s Poem

      G S PaulNovember 8, 2022

      Choreographic ingenuity of Vinitha Nedungadi created alluring visuals of the sublime poetic imagination of Edassery in Anthithiri.

      vijayakumar menon

      Vijayakumar Menon Taught Kerala How to Appreciate Art

      Renu RamanathNovember 3, 2022

      The only wealth Menon amassed during his solitary journey was that of art. When Vijayakumar…

      About
      About

      India Art Review is a dedicated digital journal of art and culture, based in Chennai and with representatives in Kerala, Delhi, the UAE, Canada and the US.

      We're social, connect with us:

      Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Telegram
      People in Art
      Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma: The Only Matriarch of Mohiniyattam

      Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma: The Only Matriarch of Mohiniyattam

      May 12, 2021
      ML Vasanthakumari MLV: The Doyenne of Melody, Laya and Vidhvatta

      MLV: The Doyenne of Melody, Laya and Vidhvatta

      July 3, 2021

      Alice Boner: Kathakali’s First Ambassador to the West

      December 15, 2020
      Ustad Amir Khan: A True Nadayogi

      Ustad Amir Khan: A True Nadayogi

      February 13, 2021
      Must Reads
      Mangad Natesan

      Remembering Carnatic Musician Mangad Natesan

      May 3, 2024
      P K G Nambiar

      PKG Nambiar(1930-2023): The Man who Redefined the Role of Vidooshaka

      May 10, 2023
      Kanak Rele

      Dr. Kanak Rele (1937-2023): A Revolutionary in Dance 

      February 22, 2023
      Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

      Adieu, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

      May 10, 2022
      Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube RSS
      • Home
      • About
      Copyright © 2022. India Art Review

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.