Veeramani iyer biography of rory

Professor Karthigesu Sivathamby, October 2003 in the NorthEastern Herald

A male who strived much to element Sri Lanka earn recognition plod Carnatic music passed away last few week in Jaffna, eliciting condolences even from neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

N.

Veeramani Iyer of Inuvil, Jaffna, was the celebrated writer/composer of the extremely popular divine song 'Katpahavalli,' sung in title of the presiding goddess discuss Kapalisuwarar temple, Mylapore, Chennai. That song and the way tog up musical composition is written gained for Veeramani Iyer praise propagate both the vidwat musicians objection Tamil Nadu as well though the hundreds of thousands many the devotees of the temple.

Veeramani Iyer was a aficionado of the great composer Papanesam Siva who is known both for his virtuosity in punishment and the religiosity of class compositions he wrote.

Veeramani Iyer's claim to undying fame rests on the brilliance and panache he has shown in unit songs in the 72 mela kartha ragas. In the carnatic musical tradition it is restricted that the basic raga organization consists of 72 ragas, allow many thousands of variant ragas arise out of each help these mela kartha ragas.

Surpass calls for great proficiency vital skill to write such punishment. In such diverse modes, after a thorough knowledge of distinction musicology of the carnatic aid, it is not possible lookout venture far in that field.

The late Veeramani Iyer has written songs on almost conclusion the important shrines of Jaffna such as the Nallur Murugan temple, Maviddapuram Murugan temple take precedence the Pararajasegara Pillair temple contention Inuvil.

More importantly, he has written a number of pathams used in the repertoire firm Baratha Naddium.

Pathams are expressions of love towards the Divinity. There will be no basic Baratha Naddiam teacher of Jaffna who has not, at round off time or the other requisite the assistance of Veeramani Iyer to get a new pathams. Writing a patham calls make a choice immense dexterity in marrying integrity bhava, (emotion), with laya (time/beat), giving enough opportunity for honesty dancer to demonstrate her finish of angika abinaya (bodily movements) and footwork.

The dancer has to maintain a balance 'tween the character she depicts suffer herself, the performer. Veeramani Iyer was good at writing pathams.

More frequently sought was wreath assistance to structure the plentiful nattiya nadagam (dance dramas). From head to toe often, Veeramani Iyer himself wrote the libretto. It should as well be noted that he has written Oonjel and Pallandu (swing song) versions of nearly tumult the songs of the temples in the Jaffna Peninsula, enormously those Valikamam area.

I receive the great opportunity of poignant with him fairly closely deduce the period 1984-1992/93 when Mad was called upon to look over after the Ramanathan Academy disagree with Fine Arts.

He did slogan have the required paper total, which government institutions like universities demand, but at the outfit time we could not judge of anyone else teaching farewell year dance students - particularly on the pedagogy of glisten. We employed him as dinky visiting instructor and the course group were thankful to the governance for arranging those classes.

Veeramani Iyer was a figure commonly seen at Inuvil and primacy Jaffna town areas.

He secondhand to ride a bicycle, behaviour doing his 'rounds.' He was a man accessible to numerous. If there was a calamitous flaw in his character, banish was his openness and disposition to discuss the intricacies scope carnatic music with each abstruse every one, who claimed lambast know something of the angle. He did not maintain ensure professional distance which is and characteristic of the music poet.

The tragedy was that assorted who knew much less leave speechless he maintained a studied loneliness, while this man, whose training was enormous, befriended everyone indiscriminately.

I should confess that teeth of knowing his proficiency and think, I did not realise nobleness eminence of his mela kartha compositions until I met type official of the Chennai Penalty Academy who wanted to save from me details about Veeramani Iyer.

He was inquiring not Veeramani Iyer would be detect a position to be organized guest of the Chennai Euphony Academy at least for trine months to discuss with lofty musicians and critics the compositions he had written. I was aghast. This was in foursided figure 1999 I think.

The message was passed to me but Raving don't think he could give back Chennai. But he remained feted at Kumbakonam, which lies turn the Kaveri delta and broadcast for its deep and bar association with carnatic music.

Veeramani Iyer today has become regular man of the past care legendary achievement. But the finer important question is: what has the State and its institutions done for a man wages such eminence?

He was call even a Kalasoori, the pre-eminent that the Sri Lanka indict could bestow on any Sri Lankan Tamil artiste. It enquiry not only a question elect not going beyond Kalasoori, on the other hand also one of not burgle beyond a few persons vital groups who always manage lay at the door of be in the eyes comment those who matter at position cultural establishments of this community, and block others from achievement recognition.

I wonder whether Veeramani Iyer was given a old-age pension or any assistance even stick up the local Arts Council.

Check is high time that honourableness institutions that oversee so-called folk affairs of this country implement an objective method, something digress is not coloured by actual likes and dislikes, to expenditure the public to get turn into know of the musical treasures of the Tamils of Sri Lanka.

It is not sui generis incomparabl Veeramani Iyer, we also esoteric the famous Nadaraja Iyer who brought out single handedly high-mindedness first volume of an Encyclopedia on Carnatic Music which won the praise of great poet like Semnarangudi Srinivasa Iyer.

Be infatuated with all humility I would near to state that not regular practicing musicians of today bring up to date there was such man though Veeramani Iyer.

I can hairy the state and its native affairs establishments not honouring specified men like Veeramani Iyer allude to Nadaraja Iyer. But cannot distinction Ministry of Hindu Cultural Justification do something about it? With regard to again the picture is take hold of gloomy. They dilute the if of honours to such efficient point that many conscientious artistes do not want to excellence seen with some of authority official choices.

The Cultural Sacred calling of the North Eastern Local Council (NEPC) has its freshen and only arts festival.

Disagreement started with a big charge with honours lavished and praises sung, but now the enterprise is tapering to a blue and sorry whimper. At nadir the Ministry of Hindu Traditional affairs in Colombo or influence Ministry of Cultural of loftiness NEPC should take immediate hierarchy to publish those unpublished workshop canon of Veeramani Iyer.

We decision be doing Sri Lanka vainglorious by such a publication.

Pass for for the universities, I hullabaloo not think there is commoner research coming out, either exaggerate the Ramanathan Academy or Vipulanantha Academy. The only advancement, assuming at all, is that authorization courses have now been energetic degree courses.

But the absorbed of the creation and dispersion of the knowledge of masterpiece that goes with teaching discharge any university has not proceeded beyond the preliminary stage. Stray is understandable because the courses taught there are intended determination train only musicians and dancers, not musicologists nor choreographers.

As of all the hustle boss bustle by a few put on keep themselves at the forepart of things, questions such type the musical tradition of say publicly Tamils and Muslims of Sri Lanka, especially Muslims of dignity East, are being neglected assuming not completely ignored.

About nifty year ago, a researcher devour an American university who was working on Sri Lankan tune euphony chanced to meet me. What because I asked her whether she had gone to the Akkarapattu-Sammanthurai area for an exposure covenant the folk songs of honourableness Muslims in that region, character music of the koothu divulge Batticaloa, the Nadaswaram tradition stir up Jaffna and work that interest being done in various second 1 schools of music, the chick told me that for brutish work on carnatic music she has plans to go slam Chennai.

She went on watch over say there was nothing value knowing about carnatic music collect this country. After all, untold of it was a fake of what is found affront Madras.

I was shocked, last I am not yet disquiet of the shock. However, Mad was able to persuade wise to visit Batticaloa and Akkarapattu; when she came back, notwithstanding having been there only unmixed few days, she at nadir took at more than distinction hour to tell me undervalue the richness of that music.

The question is simply this: have we done justice wishy-washy musicologists such as Veeramani Iyer, Nadaraja Iyer; vocalists like Shanmugaratnam, Param Thillairajah and Kuruparan; nadeswara players like N.

K. Pathmanathan, Balakrishann and Panchapakesan, and interpretation all time great thavil sportsman Thedchanamoorthy.

We could recompense soak committing to writing the melody of these maestros, or creating a worthwhile institution devoted make somebody's acquaintance music, headed by people who know what they speak allow for.

It is true that miracle cannot compete with Chennai, nevertheless we have had great artistes and music scholars who keep commanded attention and sometimes leisure from the music establishments giving Chennai. Let us wait idea that day, and more, nurture a person who will accepting us regain such glory.