Wednesday 31 August 2016

1 SEP 1896- 16 OCT 1974 C.VAIDYANATHA BHAGAVTHAR

Chembai

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Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar
Chembai1.jpg
A statue of Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar at Chembai (Kottayi), his birthplace near Palakkad
Background information
Birth nameVaidyanatha Iyer
Born1 September 1896
Chembai, Palghat, India
Died16 October 1974 (aged 78)
Ottapalam, Palghat, India
GenresCarnatic Music
Occupation(s)Singer
Years active1904–1974
LabelsHMV, Inreco, BMG, Vani Cassettes
Websitechembai.com
Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar a.k.a. Vaidyanatha Iyer (Malayalam:ചെമ്പൈ വൈദ്യനാഥ ഭാഗവതർ, b. 1 September 1896, d. 16 October 1974) was a Carnatic music singer from Palakkad (state of Kerala, India). Known by his village name Chembai, or simply as Bhagavatar, he was born to Anantha Bhagavatar and Parvati Ammal in 1896, into a Tamil Brahmin family at Kottayi-I/II near Palakkad on Janmashtami day.[1] Chembai was noted for his powerful voice and majestic style[2] of singing. His first public performance was in 1904, when he was nine. A recipient of several titles and honours, he was known for his encouragement of upcoming musicians and ability to spot new talent.[1] He was responsible for popularising compositions like Rakshamam and Pavana Guru, among others.[citation needed] The music critic 'Aeolus' described him as "the musician who has meant the most to Carnatic Music in the first fifty years of the 20th century."[3] His prominent disciples include Chembai Narayana Bhagavathar, Mangu Thampuran, Guruvayur Ponnammal, T. V. Gopalakrishnan, V. V. Subramaniam, P. Leela,Jayan and Vijayan, K. J. Yesudas and Babu Parameswaran, among others.[4] He also mentored and lot of young accompanists, including Palghat Mani Iyer, Lalgudi Jayaraman, M. S. Gopalakrishnan, T. N. Krishnan, Palani Subramaniam Pillai and L. Subramaniam. Memorial music festivals have been held in his honour annually since his death in 1974, the most important being the annually celebrated Chembai Sangeetholsavam.

Early life[edit]

Chembai.jpg
Main article: Concerts of Chembai
The family's connection with classical music spans five centuries. Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar's father, Anantha Bhagavatar, was a violinist and singer from Chembai, near Palakkad, to whom a local Maharaja awarded the title "Ghana Chakratanam", indicating his mastery of a special style of singing tanam.[2] At age 3, Chembai began to learn Carnatic music from his father[1] in the customary guru-sishya tradition, and also received violin and flute training in 1912.sembai is also one of 12 names of Sirkazhi, the birthplace of saint Gnanasambandar 7th century .c.e in TN.

Singing career[edit]

Some of the noteworthy early events that helped shape Chembai's career include his arangetram (debut concert) in Ottapalam in 1904, performances at Vaikom and Guruvayur in 1907, his year with Kaliakudi Natesa Sastry (1909) and the accolades he received from Palghat Anantharama Bhagavatar (1911). Between 1913 and 1927, he performed at many different music festivals and sabhas, notably including the Madras Music Academy.

Release of recordings[edit]

Main article: Chembai discography
Chembai has many phonograph recordings to his credit, recorded from 1932 to 1946. Those were the days before the advent of the concert microphone, and a singer was entirely dependent on the timbre and reach of his voice for a successful concert. Chembai was blessed with a voice of great depth.[2]

Lalita Dasar Kritis (1945)[edit]

An old friend, T. G. Krishna Iyer, from Tripunithura, had settled in Madras (now Chennai) and offered a house to Chembai on Palace Road near Santhome. He had composed some 155 kritis in Malayalam, Tamil and Sanskrit under the mudra 'Lalita dasar' and requested Chembai to popularise them. Chembai set the kritis to classical music and got them published under the name Lalita Dasar Keertanaigal. He made it a practice to sing these kritis in most of his concerts. He also released a record containing selected kritis from Lalita Dasar's kritis like Evariki Telusunamma (Dhanyasi), Ennil Kaninda (Shankarabharanam), Pavana Guru (Hamsanandi), Varijadala Lochani (Arabhi), among others.[1]

Performing ability and style[edit]

He could do a niraval and swaraprastara from any given point, which bespoke of mental alertness in a concert.[5] His empathy for his accompanists and disciples was noteworthy and he would go to great lengths to encourage them.[5]

Disciples[edit]

Chembai had many students, including K. J. Yesudas and many noted musicians like T. V. Gopalakrishnan,[6] P. Leela,[7] the Jaya-Vijaya twins,[8] and others.

Death[edit]

Chembai died on 16 October 1974, aged 78, of a cardiac arrest. Shortly before that, he performed his last concert at a Poozhikkunnu Sreekrishna temple in Ottapalam (the venue of his first concert), and concluded the concert with his favourite song "Karunai Cheivan Endu Thamasam Krishna" (Why is there so much delay in conferring your mercy, Krishna?). His nephew said he had always spoken about an easy death, and had attained it.[9]

Awards and titles[edit]

Main article: Awards of Chembai
Chembai received several awards and titles during his career, most notably including:
  • "Gayana Gandharva" (a title bestowed by Kalki Krishnamurthy in 1940)[1]
  • Sangeetha Kalanidhi (1951; highest accolade in Carnatic music)[1]
  • Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1958)[10]
  • Sangeetha Kalasikhamani (1964; by The Fine Arts Society, Chennai)
  • Padma Bhushan (1973) - The Padma Bhushan is a national award bestowed by the President of India on select musicians and other eminent people. Chembai was selected to receive the award in 1973 from the then president V. V. Giri.[11]
  • The Department of Posts, Govt of India released a special issue stamp in Chembai's birth centenary year (1996).[12]

Music festivals[edit]

Main article: Chembai Sangeetholsavam
Chembai had been conducting a music festival in his native village from 1924 onwards. This was continued by his family and now by Chembai Sreenivasan and Chembai Suresh (C. A. Subramanian). The concert, called Chembai Ekadasi Music Festival, is held annually in February–March. Chembai also holds a music festival on Guruvayur Ekadasi Day (mid-November) at Guruvayur every year. This festival, now called Chembai Sangeetholsavam in his honour, is officially conducted by the Guruvayur Devaswom Board.[13]

Guruvayurappan Chembai Puraskaram[edit]

The Sri Guvayurappan Chembai Puraskaram, awarded by Sree Krishna Temple, Guruvayur, is instituted in Chembai's memory of the late Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. This award, comprising a cash prize of INR 50,001, a gold locket of Sree Guruvayurappan, a citation and ponnadai, is usually presented during the annual Chembai Music Festival.
The recipients of the Chembai puraskaram include:

See also[edit]

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