Mudikondan Venkatrama Iyer
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Born
| 15 October 1897
Mudikondan, Tiruvarur district, Tamilnadu
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Died
| 13 September 1975
(1975-09-13)
(aged 77)
Chennai, Tamilnadu
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Occupation
| vocalist
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Children
| Kamakshi,Mathuram
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Parent(s)
| Chakrapani Iyer, Kamakshi
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Mudikondan Venkatarama Iyer
(Tamil: ???????????? ????????? ????; 15 October 1897 ? 13 September 1975) was a
South Indian
Carnatic music
singer and musicologist. He was also known as
Mudikondan
(sometimes spelt Mudicondan) - the name of his native village.
[1]
Background
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]
Venkatarama Iyer was born in Mudikondan, a small village in the
Nannilam taluk
of
Tiruvarur district
in
Tamil Nadu
,
India
[2]
to parents Chakrapani Iyer and Kamakshi. His father was a singer of
Hindu
religious hymns
while his maternal grandfather Srivanchiyam Swaminatha Iyer rendered
padams
and
javalis
with lilt that earned him the pet name 'talukku' Swaminatha Iyer.
[1]
His uncle Bommalattam Mani Iyer was also a famous musician.
[3]
Education
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Mudikondan's father wanted him to learn English, so he went to college in
Chennai
(then called Madras) after school. However, his father died, which forced him to leave college and return to his village. He then decided to receive formal training in Carnatic music. He furthered his education with help from
Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Iyer
. He learned
tala
and
laya
from a '
Tavil
Vidwan
' known as
Ammachatram
Kandaswami Pillai.
Simizhi Sundaram Iyer
taught him the
bhava
aspect.
[1]
Swaminatha Iyer came from Saint
Tyagaraja
's lineage while Sundaram Iyer was from
Muthuswami Dikshitar
's lineage. This ensured that Mudikondan acquired a very rich repertoire of
Krithis
.
He also spoke many languages, including
Tamil
,
Telugu
,
Sanskrit
, and
English
, had a working knowledge of
Astrology
and
Ayurveda
, and frequently prepared
herbal medicines
at home.
[3]
Music career
[
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]
Mudikondan's inaugural concert took place at
Cuddalore
when he was 17 years old. In 1919, he performed his first concert in
Chennai
under the auspices of the
Mylapore
Sangeetha Sabha.
Mudikondan was an expert in rendering
Ragam Thanam Pallavi
. He had information at his finger tips. When anyone wanted to clear a doubt, he could explain without referring to any book. He would answer the dispute without ambiguity.
[3]
He lived in his native village and taught students there.
The Hindu
newspaper reported that Mudikondan was "a great debater on the nuances of music and he used to explain in a remarkable way even obscure points." From 1935 onward he regularly attended the
Madras Music Academy
's annual conference. He was an expert on both Lakshana and Lakshya aspects of
Carnatic music
. He explained the correct way of rendering
niraval
,
ragam
,
tanam
, and
pallavi
. Dr. V. Raghavan, President of the Music Academy successfully convinced him to move to Chennai. Mudicondan moved to Chennai in 1948 and thereafter took a very active role in the Academy's activities. Around this time he was awarded the coveted
Sangeet Kalanidhi
title in 1949. He was appointed Vice-Principal of the Teachers' College of Music. He became its principal in 1956
[1]
succeeding illustrious predecessors such as
Tiger Varadachariar
,
Appa Iyer
, and
Valadi Krishnaiyer
. He published many articles from time to time. They have been reproduced in the Souvenir Publication of the Chennai Music Academy.
[4]
According to
The Hindu,
his lecture and demonstrations at the annual conferences of the Music Academy were well-attended by scholars, students, and professionals. In 1952 he gave a presentation of a pallavi in Simhanandana
Tala
that made waves (128 aksharas).
[1]
He retired from the Teachers' College of Music in 1972, but continued there as an Honorary Professor.
[1]
His disciple
Vedavalli
was awarded Sangeet Kalanidhi title in 2000. Mudikondan's namesake musicologist T L Venkatarama Iyer, who became a Supreme Court judge, was also awarded Sangeet Kalanidhi in 1944, five years before Mudikondan.
Awards
[
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]
Death
[
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]
After a short illness, Mudicondan died on 13 September 1975 in Chennai. He was 77.
[1]
References
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External links
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]