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| 12.9.1898-9.2.1961 |
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Mayiladuturai (or Mayuram) in Tanjavur district, washed by the holy waters of the Kaveri river, is a rich granary of rice and also the arts of dance and music.
Mayiladuturai (or Mayuram) in Tanjavur district, washed by the holy waters of the Kaveri river, is a rich granary of rice and also the arts of dance and music.
In its fold of musicians, particularly the nagaswaram performers, lived the pious Sesha Pillai, a hymnodist who sang Tevaram in temples. His son Kulandaivelu Pillai was a vainika.
In 1840, Kulandaivelu and his wife Velmuthamba were blessed with a son
whom they named Swaminathan and trained him both as a vocalist and as a vainika.
Swaminathan became a brilliant vocalist under the guidance of the nagaswaram maestro, Kurainadu (Koranad) Ramaswami Pillai. But the nagaswaram prowess of Tirumangalakudi Muthuveeruswami Pillai inspired him to switch over to the pipe. He felt that the nagaswaram was a more potent vehicle for the exposition of Carnatic music.
Sometime later Swaminathan made Tirupamburam his headquarters so as tobe within reach of his patrons in Kapistalam. Sivagiri, Kannivadi, and so on.Subsequently, Melagaram SubramaniaDesikar, the head of the TiruvaduthuraiMutt, gifted Swaminathan a house andsettled him in Tiruveezhimizhalai, sothat he would be readily available forservice in the temples and other religiousestablishments nearby. This was areal blessing for it vouched for Swaminathanthe guidance of musical savantslike maha vidwan Tiruchi MeenakshisundaramPiilai, Flute Saraba Sastri andPoochi Srinivasa Iyengar. The mutualregard between Sastri and Swaminathanwas unique. Sastri was also a Harikathaperformer and he took pride in gettingthe nagaswaram maestro to polish themusic composed by him for his ownHarikatha.