!!! IMPORTANT – Read this first !!!
I first heard the name “MDR” during my childhood days. During that period, I had a chance to interact with few music fans who were crazy about MDR. At that time, I had no interest in Carnatic music, but their discussions – on his unique “style” of music and how he was different from others – captured my attention.
I started listening to Carnatic music much later – it started with audio cassettes of stalwarts like SSI, MSS, Maharajapuram Santhanam etc. My first chance to attend a live concert came few years later. I was lucky to start my live concert experience with SSI! Soon, I also started listening to the “new generation” singers of that time, like Sanjay, TMK, Sudha Raghunathan, Nithyasree etc and some (relatively) “old timers” like M Balamuralikrishna, T N Seshagopalan etc.
It was after few years of hearing this “regular” carnatic music that I had my first exposure to MDR’s music. It was a “vAtApi gaNapatim“, in which he just tossed around the lyrics in his own inimitable style. At that time, his style felt “funny” to me and I was thinking “How can someone sing like this?”. Nevertheless, this generated an interest in me to hear more of MDR, not necessarily because of my immediate appreciation of his music, but more due to my curiosity to check how he is going to “treat” other krutis. But, as I heard more and more, my attitude toward his music started changing slowly and I started to appreciate the nuances of his music. His voice, the slow pace of renditions, the way he used and enhanced sAhitya, the quirks during the performances (like long pauses or impromptu interactions) etc. started to make sense.
[PS: MMI and Madurai Somu were two other musicians, whose renditions also started appearing more and more in my playlists during this time!]
Repeated hearing of MDR’s performances started triggering some interesting thoughts about his approach to music and I started looking at his music with a fresh attitude. This site is the compilation of some of those thoughts and is my tribute to the “Musician of musicians” who took me from the “crowded beaches” to the “deep waters” of music and helped me to appreciate music from a different perspective.
Dedicated to MDR on his birthday…
[ This website was released on 20th May 2020, on his date of birth, as my tribute to the maestro! ]
Congratulations for the Wonderful layout. Very neat.
I am likewise a devotee of Smt.MS, Smt.DKP and Smt.ncvasanthakokilam.
sites.google.com/site/homage2mssubbulakshmi
sites.google.com/site/dkpattammalsongs
sites.google.com/site/ncvasanthakokilam
I am very happy to say that these sites are very popular and appear in the very first page of google search with the site names.
I strive to give the lyrics, meaning, ragam and composer information, and the most important…the audio clip.
Here are my suggestions.
1) Are the audio clips downloadable? they should be.
2) Back in 1960, we friends used to collect MDR clips. For a vocalist, voice means a lot. The best period was 1936 to 1966.
3) Would it not be unique service if we group Sri.MDR renditions under each one of the Trinity?
My feeling is that great many krutis of Thyagaraja Swami have not been rendered by leading musicians. It will be a special service to arrange the songs according to the creator of the kRUTHIS. We need not give lyrics and meaning of the songs of the Trinity. but we can just give the URL of Sri.Govindan’s blog/site .
Hi RSR,
Thanks a lot for your appreciation and kind words.
1. The audio clip can be downloaded from the download control on the right side of the player now (All the clips used here were taken either from https://www.sangeethapriya.org/homepage.php or https://shankarkrish.wordpress.com/musical-musings/m-d-ramanathan/, so, can be downloaded from there as well).
2. “Back in 1960, we friends used to collect MDR clips” – Do share it through your website, it would be wonderful to listen to MDR during his golden times! Thanks!
3. Current pages are based on MDR’s unique handling of the krutis/music. I agree that it would be interesting to do what you suggested and may warrant a different website itself (similar to what you are maintaining). Hopefully, will get to it at some point of time.
I just discovered this wonderful website and it is heartwarming to see such rich tributes being paid to the legend. I am an ardent Bhakta of MDR- his persona, his music and his general attitude towards life is something I think about everyday and strive to be. His music and persona is so powerful that it has deeply impacted and enamored someone born 2 generations later and will continue to do so for generations to come.
Prior to visiting this website, I thought I knew all there was to know about the Mahavidwan for I obsessively listen to MDR to the point where all other musicians seem trite, stale and shallow in comparison. His control and mastery over laya, sahitya and shruthi is unparalleled. My guru always used to say that no musician can have shruthi, tala and bhakti all at the same time, except MDR.
A cursory glance over this website made me realise that I have missed many subtleties and nuances that you have meticulously sniffed out and presented in a neat and convenient manner for all to enjoy!
I do have some suggestions, that if makes sense, can be considered:
1. A separate section for Viruttams can be added. MDR’s viruttams are always a delight to listen to with his erudite renditions of sanskrit shlokas, laden with perfect enunciation, emotion and gait. His personal favorite, from my observations was the Shivaanandalahari ( a poetic text by Adi Shankaracharya on Shiva consisting of 100 shlokas). I have listened to MDR rendering close to 6-7 shlokas from the Shivaanandalahari in various recordings. I am sure there are even more out there which can be compiled and presented in the website. I personally always thought MDR matched the mood of the shloka with the raga he selected.
Another favorite of MDR was the Narayaneeyam and Krishnakarnamrutham. Not as frequent as the Shivaanandalahari (gauging from only recordings) there are close to 4-5 shlokas from the Narayaneeyam rendered in various concerts that I have listened to. Just as Madurai Mani Iyer used to always incorporate a Navagraha Kriti in his concerts for respite from his illnesses, maybe this was MDR’s way of trying to appease Krishna and beget a child? (pure speculation).
2. There are 2 grandiose renderings of Jagadaanandakaaraka, each unique in their own aspect. One is with Palghat Mani Iyer in the mridangam, where it is a pacy rendition with a very unique usage of ‘dha’ ( like in Chalanata), not normally used in Nata. My guess is it is MDR’s clever way to bring a new angle to the raga and also incorporate a Swaraakshara ( it coincides with Jaga’dhaa’nandakaraka). The other recording is the elephant gait, an extremely sublime rendition where MDR takes his own sweet time in exploring the charana swarams, preceded by an otherwordly raga alapana. Half an hour of sweet nectar! I think these can be added to the Pancharatna section of this page.
3. A separate section of the website can be dedicated to the master’s compositions. Recording of MDR rendering his own compositions as well as other musicians rendering them can be made available. A list of the 300 odd compositions of MDR, along with notations, if possible would be a great addition to this site.
4. A photo gallery can also be set up.
Hi Arunachalam P,
Thank you for the kind words. As you mentioned, MDR’s music is divine and needs to be celebrated.
On the suggestions:
1. Interesting idea, would see how to handle that. Already they are mentioned in https://musicofmdr.com/music-or-lyrics/. If you already have the links to some interesting recordings of sLOkas/viruttams (or have the files, if they are not available online), please share it with “admin@musicofmdr.com”, will see how to add that. Thanks!
2. Can you please share the links to “admin@musicofmdr.com”? Would love to add them to the relevant page.
3. Yes, agree that this is another possible extension. Let us see how this can be handled. Again, would need help from rasikas like you to make this better.
4. Don’t want to duplicate efforts here. If someone is already maintaining this, can easily add links from the “Misc Memories” page.
Only now I chanced this wonderful link. Gratis efforts. As super senior citizen bless u for ur efforts.
With wishes,
Thanjavooran