Facebook Twitter Instagram
    India Art Review
    • Dance
    • Music
    • Art
    • Heritage
    • Theatre
    • Books
    • Films
    • Team
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    India Art Review
    Home»Views»Vintage Vignettes: V.S.N on Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavather
    Views

    Vintage Vignettes: V.S.N on Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavather

    IAR DeskBy IAR DeskJuly 30, 2021
    Share
    WhatsApp Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram

    His noble voice made him a man of masses and at the same time the mastery over Swara-singing, made him a great Vidwan, wrote  V. S. Namboothiripad, Kerala’s first music critic in 1954. 

    Those of you who have had a single chance of seeing Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavather, one of the veteran vocalists of the South, doing a performance, can never forget him; for his resonant voice and ever smiling face attract the whole audience including you. Even now though a man of above fifty, he is marked for the his resonance of voice. No doubt that his unparalleled crystal clear voice itself among others that made him one of the few masters of music in the South.

    Vaidyanatha Bhagavather comes from a family with a long tradition, to be exact, seven generations of musicians. The famous Chakra-Thanam Subba Iyer is his forefather. Anantha Bhagavather, а violinist-cum vocalist, and an authority on music is the father of Vaidyanatha Bhagavather and it was under his only tutelage he had his music lessons with his own younger brother Subramania Bhagavather. Most of the soul inspiring vocal performances of Vaidyanatha Bhagavather in his early days were assisted by this younger brother.

    One of his early attempts at performing music concert at Nerur where in those days festival in memoriam of Sadasiva Brahmendral was conducted under the auspicia of the Zamin of Andipatti, Pettachi Chetty, musicians from all over the South, young and old, vocalists as well as instrumentalists flocked there from year to year for enjoying music and to have a foot in the music field. Vaidyanatha Bhagavather got a rare chance of singing with the accompaniment of famous violinist of the day Govindaswami Pillai of Tiruchi. It is this performance which took him to fame. For seeing the good qualities of music, the stabilized layam (rhythm Thalam or as it is  known), and the natural extraordinary voluminous voice, Govindaswami Pillai was thoroughly satisfied and encouraged him. It was due to this association which afterwards led Chembai to the expert percussion instrumentalists Thala-vadia-Vidwans, like Alaganambia Pillai (Mridangam) and Dakshinamoorthy Pillai (Kanjira). This combination in music concerts in those days has won fame far and wide in the South. 

    Master of Kalpana swaras

    Vaidyanatha Bhagavather is an ardent master of Swara-singing, a unique feature in Karnatic music. His rich voice can reach an audience of six or seven thousand without any mechanical aid. The strange function of his voice is that it reaches even the higher pitches easily. He is one of the few musicians who keeps his voice under perfect control. Being the owner of such a noble voice, seldom his audience is let down in performances. Therefore he may be termed as the man of  masses on one side, while his mastery over Swara-singing, etc., entitles him to be regarded as a great vidwan and artiste.

    His encouraging measures to junior artistes and rising talents, are worth special mention; even if some of such gifted accompanists go wrong, he shows no disapproval by his facial expressions on platforms, though heavily criticised afterwards; this noble quality of him has helped number of junior artistes to face the audience with ample confidence.

    Besides being an eminent vocalist, he also plays violin and flute as though he is an expert on those instruments. He is generous with wide outlook. His bubbling sense of humour, mimicry of some of the famous violinists of the present day are never forgotten by those who have the chance of coming across them. He has a wide range of pupils who are professionally engaged all over India. And even now he welcomes music students who seek his help and teaches freely. 

    Vaidyanatha Bhagavather was conferred the title of Sangita Kalanidhi, by the Music Academy of Madras, the only popular institution of Karnatic music in 1951.

    featured
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram WhatsApp
    Previous ArticleNavarasa Vajra Mudra: 60th Navarasa Sadhana Workshop
    Next Article Ammannur Madhava Chakyar: The Legend Who Lived and Breathed Koodiyattam – 1
    IAR Desk

      Related Posts

      The Old Man and the Sea

      The Old Man and the Sea: Reinterpreting Hemingway in Kathakali

      February 28, 2025
      Tansen

      Tansen Samaroh 2024: A Centenary Celebration of Musical Heritage

      December 19, 2024
      Natyavadyasarvabhoumam

      Dance of Rhythms

      October 7, 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

      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

      Tribute to Yamini Krishnamurthy

      India Art ReviewAugust 13, 2024

      Kuchipudi Drama

      India Art ReviewMay 24, 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 Satyabhama

      Remembering Kalamandalam Satyabhama

      September 13, 2021
      Kanak Rele

      Avant-garde Danseuse Guru Dr Kanak Rele Turns 84

      June 11, 2021
      Vintage Vignettes: Violinist T Chowdiah

      Vintage Vignettes: V.S.N on T. Chowdiah

      August 6, 2021

      K N Haridas: A Painter with a Passion for European Churches

      August 5, 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.