About Some Carnatic Legends and their Hits:
G. N. Balasubramaniam
G. N. Balasubramaniam (ஜி.என்.பாலசுப்பிரமணியம், January 6, 1910 - 1 May 1965), popularly known as GNB, was a vocalist in the Carnatic tradition.
Early life and background
Balasubramanian was born in Chennai, India. He was the son of G V Narayanaswamy Iyer, who was a keen student of music.
Career
Balasubramaniam could produce fast gamakam laden sangathis with strength and weight and with wide imagination. With such a voice as his, running at so fast a speed through the effects of Brighas, twists and turns would come in quick succession that he became an instant hit with both the lay audience as well as those initiated to the arts and science of carnatic music.
He also composed several krithis and was famous for his fast brikhas and gamakams. He acted in films, including Bhama Vijayam and Sakunthala. In the latter, he appeared as Dushyantha, alongside the vocalist M.S. Subbulakshmi.
Balasubramanian also composed kritis and invented new ragas. He taught a number of students during his active years. Most famous among them are M. L. Vasanthakumari, Radha Jayalakshmi, S. Kalyanaraman and Trichur V. Ramachandran.
Balasubramaniam worked as principal of Sree Swathi Thirunal College of Music, Thiruvananthapuram of the state of Kerala.
He died on 1 May 1965.
Early life and background
Balasubramanian was born in Chennai, India. He was the son of G V Narayanaswamy Iyer, who was a keen student of music.
Career
Balasubramaniam could produce fast gamakam laden sangathis with strength and weight and with wide imagination. With such a voice as his, running at so fast a speed through the effects of Brighas, twists and turns would come in quick succession that he became an instant hit with both the lay audience as well as those initiated to the arts and science of carnatic music.
He also composed several krithis and was famous for his fast brikhas and gamakams. He acted in films, including Bhama Vijayam and Sakunthala. In the latter, he appeared as Dushyantha, alongside the vocalist M.S. Subbulakshmi.
Balasubramanian also composed kritis and invented new ragas. He taught a number of students during his active years. Most famous among them are M. L. Vasanthakumari, Radha Jayalakshmi, S. Kalyanaraman and Trichur V. Ramachandran.
Balasubramaniam worked as principal of Sree Swathi Thirunal College of Music, Thiruvananthapuram of the state of Kerala.
He died on 1 May 1965.
G.N.Balasubramaniam Hit Collections
| 01_vasudevayani_-_kalyani.mp3 |
| 03_sadhinchane_-_arabhi.mp3 |
| 05_himagirithanaye_-_suddha_dhanyasi.mp3 |
| 07_sonnathaiseithida_-_bheempalas.mp3 |
| 09_samarasabhavana_-_abheri.mp3 |
| 02_ananda_natesa_-_thodi.mp3 |
| 04_samajavaragamana_-_hindolam.mp3 |
| 06_radha_sametha_krishna_-_misra_yaman.mp3 |
| 08_jayathi_jayathi_-_kamas.mp3 |
| 10_dhikku_theriyathakattil_-_ragamalika.mp3 |
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Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar
Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar (செம்பை வைத்தியநாத பாகவதர்) was an Indian Carnati music singer from the state of Kerala. Usually known by his village name Chembai, or simply as Bhagavatar, he was born to Anantha Bhagavatar and Parvati Ammal in 1895. Chembai was noted for his powerful voice and majestic style of singing. His first public performance was in 1904, when he was nine. He was a recipient of several titles and honours in his performing career of 70 years (1904-1974). He was known for his encouragement of upcoming musicians, and also for his ability to spot new talent. He was responsible for popularizing compositions like Rakshamam, Pavana Guru, among others. The music critic 'Aeolus' describes him as "the musician who has meant the most to Carnatic Music in the first fifty years of the 20th century" Some of his prominent disciples include Yesudas, T.V.Gopalakrishnan, V.V.Subramaniam, P.Leela, among others.Many memorial music festivals are held in his honour annually since his death in 1974, the most important being the annually celebrated Chembai Sangeetholsavam.
Early Life
The family's tryst with classical music had spanned about five centuries. Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar's great-grandfather Subbier, had been the recipient of the title "Ghana Chakratanam" from a local Maharaja indicating his mastery of a special style of singing tanam. Chembai's father Anantha Bhagavatar was a vocalist and violinist. Chembai learnt music from his own father, from his third year, in the customary guru-sishya tradition, as a part of overall Vedic learning.
Early Life
The family's tryst with classical music had spanned about five centuries. Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar's great-grandfather Subbier, had been the recipient of the title "Ghana Chakratanam" from a local Maharaja indicating his mastery of a special style of singing tanam. Chembai's father Anantha Bhagavatar was a vocalist and violinist. Chembai learnt music from his own father, from his third year, in the customary guru-sishya tradition, as a part of overall Vedic learning.
Release of Recordings Between 1932 and 1946, Chembai's music was captured on several phonograph discs. Those were the days before the advent of the microphone in concerts and a singer was entirely dependent on the timbre and reach of his voice for a successful concert. Chembai was uniquely blessed in this respect, for his voice which had great depth, was a special attraction.
Lalita Dasar Kritis (1945) Chembai had an old friend called T.G.Krishna Iyer in Tripunithura, who had by this time settled in Madras (now Chennai) and offered a house to Chembai on Palace Road near Santhome, in a locality called 'Lalita Nagar' he had himself developed. He had composed some 155 kritis in Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit under the mudra 'Lalita dasar' and requested Chembai to set them to music and popularise them. Chembai accepted the invitation and 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. The kriti Pavana Guru in the raga Hamsanandi is one that is now famous. 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.
Loss and Regain of Voice In 1952, Chembai was singing in a concert at the temple town of Suchindram. In the middle of the concert, his voice chords snapped and he could not sing thereafter. The concert ended in confusion.
Performing Ability and Style He could do a niraval and swaraprastara from any given point (a view attested by his disciples, which bespoke of mental alertness in a concert. His empathy for his accompanists and disciples was noteworthy and he would go to great lengths to encourage them.
Chembai's music had a direct appeal to his listeners. According to Mr. B.V.K.Sastri, musicologist, "The deep solid tone seeming to illuminate such model figure in his singing and the joy of the pure nada when he held on to single notes are something not easily forgotten."
Disciples He was above caste and communal prejudices ruling the roost in contemporary music world, especially in his relation with his disciples, allowing any aspiring and talented youngster to learn from him. His disciples and others who consider him their guru, include noted musicians like L. Subramaniam, Guruvayur Dorai, M.S.Gopalakrishnan, T.N.Krishnan, Palghat Mani Iyer, Palani Subramaniam Pillai, P.Leela, Coimbatore Mani Bhagavatar, Trivandrum Mani Bhagavatar, Poomulli Manakkal Raman Namboodiripad, O.M.Vasudevan, Njeralath Rama Pothuval, T.V.Gopalakrishnan, V.V.Subramanian, L. Shankar, V.V.Ravi, K. J. Yesudas among others
Lalita Dasar Kritis (1945) Chembai had an old friend called T.G.Krishna Iyer in Tripunithura, who had by this time settled in Madras (now Chennai) and offered a house to Chembai on Palace Road near Santhome, in a locality called 'Lalita Nagar' he had himself developed. He had composed some 155 kritis in Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit under the mudra 'Lalita dasar' and requested Chembai to set them to music and popularise them. Chembai accepted the invitation and 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. The kriti Pavana Guru in the raga Hamsanandi is one that is now famous. 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.
Loss and Regain of Voice In 1952, Chembai was singing in a concert at the temple town of Suchindram. In the middle of the concert, his voice chords snapped and he could not sing thereafter. The concert ended in confusion.
Performing Ability and Style He could do a niraval and swaraprastara from any given point (a view attested by his disciples, which bespoke of mental alertness in a concert. His empathy for his accompanists and disciples was noteworthy and he would go to great lengths to encourage them.
Chembai's music had a direct appeal to his listeners. According to Mr. B.V.K.Sastri, musicologist, "The deep solid tone seeming to illuminate such model figure in his singing and the joy of the pure nada when he held on to single notes are something not easily forgotten."
Disciples He was above caste and communal prejudices ruling the roost in contemporary music world, especially in his relation with his disciples, allowing any aspiring and talented youngster to learn from him. His disciples and others who consider him their guru, include noted musicians like L. Subramaniam, Guruvayur Dorai, M.S.Gopalakrishnan, T.N.Krishnan, Palghat Mani Iyer, Palani Subramaniam Pillai, P.Leela, Coimbatore Mani Bhagavatar, Trivandrum Mani Bhagavatar, Poomulli Manakkal Raman Namboodiripad, O.M.Vasudevan, Njeralath Rama Pothuval, T.V.Gopalakrishnan, V.V.Subramanian, L. Shankar, V.V.Ravi, K. J. Yesudas among others
Madurai Mani Iyer
At the tender age of nine, Mani Iyer had started his musical journey. Born on October 25 in 1912 in Madurai as only son to an erudite veteran in classical music, Ramaswamy Iyer, he had three sisters. His mother too was knowledgeable in classical music. Small wonder he imbibed an interest in music at an early age.
Music was soaked in the family. A cousin brother was well-known musician of the times Madurai Sri Pushpavanam Iyer. Madurai Mani Iyer received his early training in music through a ‘gurukula vasam’ under Sri Rajam Baghavathar, reportedly an expert in singing swaras. He learnt under Sri Rajam Baghavathar for two years. His father also taught him the discipline of the art and its niceties. Later, Madurai Mani Iyer studied under the tutelage of the famous Muthiah Baghavathar, who had begun a teaching institute called “Thyagaraja Vidyalayam” in Madurai.
The traditional moorings in music and his own deep abiding devotion to the art found encouragement from elders and Madurai Mani Iyer gave his first concert at the age of 12 in the year 1924 in Sivaganga district during a ‘kumba abishegam’ at a place called Alvak Kottai. It was a big success and more concerts came his way on a regular basis.
Madurai Mani Iyer’s music is characterized by his uncanny ability to sing ‘aduku swaras’ (inspired consecutive additions of notes in the kalpana swara phase, which embellish the raga or kriti) and weave magical patterns in the ‘swara-prasthara’ stage of the concert. Invariably he wove such a magic with his swaras that the audience swayed to his music enjoying it thoroughly.
He had the ability to easily scale the octaves while singing. His “shruti sense” was perfect and he took special care to preserve this aspect of his music all through his life so that listeners got the full benefit of the ‘bhava sangeetham’ in his music in perfect alignment with the tonic note.
He was also a master of laya and bhava. So his music was rich in content and feelings. He had an original approach to presentation of the raga or kriti or swaras which came to be accepted by listening public and he was in great popularity and in great demand from all sabhas and for special occasions like a temple festival or marriage ceremony among the rich and famous.
He was conferred the title “Gana Kaladara” in 1943 in the temple town Tanjore.
He was well-informed and reading newspapers regularly was a passion. He provided rich fare in music for many years showing imagination and dared to present many new ragas and compositions. In time they became popular and his brand of music was loved by thousands of admirers.
Music was soaked in the family. A cousin brother was well-known musician of the times Madurai Sri Pushpavanam Iyer. Madurai Mani Iyer received his early training in music through a ‘gurukula vasam’ under Sri Rajam Baghavathar, reportedly an expert in singing swaras. He learnt under Sri Rajam Baghavathar for two years. His father also taught him the discipline of the art and its niceties. Later, Madurai Mani Iyer studied under the tutelage of the famous Muthiah Baghavathar, who had begun a teaching institute called “Thyagaraja Vidyalayam” in Madurai.
The traditional moorings in music and his own deep abiding devotion to the art found encouragement from elders and Madurai Mani Iyer gave his first concert at the age of 12 in the year 1924 in Sivaganga district during a ‘kumba abishegam’ at a place called Alvak Kottai. It was a big success and more concerts came his way on a regular basis.
Madurai Mani Iyer’s music is characterized by his uncanny ability to sing ‘aduku swaras’ (inspired consecutive additions of notes in the kalpana swara phase, which embellish the raga or kriti) and weave magical patterns in the ‘swara-prasthara’ stage of the concert. Invariably he wove such a magic with his swaras that the audience swayed to his music enjoying it thoroughly.
He had the ability to easily scale the octaves while singing. His “shruti sense” was perfect and he took special care to preserve this aspect of his music all through his life so that listeners got the full benefit of the ‘bhava sangeetham’ in his music in perfect alignment with the tonic note.
He was also a master of laya and bhava. So his music was rich in content and feelings. He had an original approach to presentation of the raga or kriti or swaras which came to be accepted by listening public and he was in great popularity and in great demand from all sabhas and for special occasions like a temple festival or marriage ceremony among the rich and famous.
He was conferred the title “Gana Kaladara” in 1943 in the temple town Tanjore.
He was well-informed and reading newspapers regularly was a passion. He provided rich fare in music for many years showing imagination and dared to present many new ragas and compositions. In time they became popular and his brand of music was loved by thousands of admirers.
Dr.Balamuralikrishna
Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna (born July 6, 1930) is a legendary Carnatic Music vocalist and musician. He has also composed a number of classical songs.
Early life and background Balamuralikrishna was born Sankaraguptam, Andhra Pradesh. His father was a well known musician and could play the flute, violin and the veena and his mother was an excellent veena player.
Musunuri Suryanarayana Murty Bhagavatar, a distinguished Harikatha performer, gave the prefix 'Bala' to the young Muralikrishna. This title has stuck to him ever since. Balamuralikrishna was a child prodigy and started performing vocal concerts from the age of five. Balamuralikrishna thus began his musical career at a very young age. He soon mastered a variety of instruments. He can play the violin, viola, khanjira, veena, mridangam and other instruments.
He has been awarded the All India Radio's "Top Grade" for seven different performance areas and is also the only musician ever to win National Awards in India for classical music, music direction and film playback singing.He has acted in very few movies.
Not merely content with his fame as a concert vocalist, very soon Balamurali proved his immense versatility by playing the Kanjira, Mridangam, Viola and Violin.
Performing career Balamurali Krishna started his career when he was barely 14 years old, he composed Raganga-Ravali, a detailed work on the 72 Melakarta scheme. He mastered all the 72 melakarta ragas by the age 16 and had composed kritis in all of them by then.
Poet composer and musicologist, Balamurali krishna has restored the trinity's composition to their original whole. he represents a new era in Carnatic music. Like the galaxy of giants preceding him, he has helped in the preservation of the musical heritage in his own way.
Concerts
Balamurali Krishna has been invited to give concerts in many countries, including USA, Canada, UK, Italy, France, Russia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Middle East.
While his native tongue is Telugu, he sings not only in Telugu but also in many languages including Kannada, Sanskrit and Tamil.
Top Hindustani musicians have collaborated with him in "jugalbandhis" (duets): including Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Kishori Amonkar, among others.
He appeared as featured soloist with an award-winning British choir, performing the "Gitanjali Suite" with words from Rabindranath Tagore's Nobel Prize-winning poetry and music by Dr. Joel, the noted UK-based Goan composer. His clear diction in several languages prompted an invitation to record Tagore's entire Rabindra Sangeet compositions in Bengali, preserving them for posterity. He has sung in French, and even ventured into jazz fusion, collaborating with the top Carnatic percussion teacher, Sri T.H. Subash Chandran, in a concert for Malaysian royalty.
He has recently become increasingly interested in music therapy, and now performs only occasionally. He gave its authorization to S. Ram Bharati to found "Academy of Performing Arts and Research" in Switzerland and is also working on music therapy. He established the 'MBK Trust' with the objective of developing art and culture and for carrying out extensive research into Music Therapy. A dance and music school, 'Vipanchee' is a part of this Trust and is run by his managing trustee Kalaimamani Saraswati.
Early life and background Balamuralikrishna was born Sankaraguptam, Andhra Pradesh. His father was a well known musician and could play the flute, violin and the veena and his mother was an excellent veena player.
Musunuri Suryanarayana Murty Bhagavatar, a distinguished Harikatha performer, gave the prefix 'Bala' to the young Muralikrishna. This title has stuck to him ever since. Balamuralikrishna was a child prodigy and started performing vocal concerts from the age of five. Balamuralikrishna thus began his musical career at a very young age. He soon mastered a variety of instruments. He can play the violin, viola, khanjira, veena, mridangam and other instruments.
He has been awarded the All India Radio's "Top Grade" for seven different performance areas and is also the only musician ever to win National Awards in India for classical music, music direction and film playback singing.He has acted in very few movies.
Not merely content with his fame as a concert vocalist, very soon Balamurali proved his immense versatility by playing the Kanjira, Mridangam, Viola and Violin.
Performing career Balamurali Krishna started his career when he was barely 14 years old, he composed Raganga-Ravali, a detailed work on the 72 Melakarta scheme. He mastered all the 72 melakarta ragas by the age 16 and had composed kritis in all of them by then.
Poet composer and musicologist, Balamurali krishna has restored the trinity's composition to their original whole. he represents a new era in Carnatic music. Like the galaxy of giants preceding him, he has helped in the preservation of the musical heritage in his own way.
Concerts
Balamurali Krishna has been invited to give concerts in many countries, including USA, Canada, UK, Italy, France, Russia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Middle East.
While his native tongue is Telugu, he sings not only in Telugu but also in many languages including Kannada, Sanskrit and Tamil.
Top Hindustani musicians have collaborated with him in "jugalbandhis" (duets): including Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Kishori Amonkar, among others.
He appeared as featured soloist with an award-winning British choir, performing the "Gitanjali Suite" with words from Rabindranath Tagore's Nobel Prize-winning poetry and music by Dr. Joel, the noted UK-based Goan composer. His clear diction in several languages prompted an invitation to record Tagore's entire Rabindra Sangeet compositions in Bengali, preserving them for posterity. He has sung in French, and even ventured into jazz fusion, collaborating with the top Carnatic percussion teacher, Sri T.H. Subash Chandran, in a concert for Malaysian royalty.
He has recently become increasingly interested in music therapy, and now performs only occasionally. He gave its authorization to S. Ram Bharati to found "Academy of Performing Arts and Research" in Switzerland and is also working on music therapy. He established the 'MBK Trust' with the objective of developing art and culture and for carrying out extensive research into Music Therapy. A dance and music school, 'Vipanchee' is a part of this Trust and is run by his managing trustee Kalaimamani Saraswati.
Lalgudi Jayarama Iyer
Sri Lalgudi Jayarama Iyer (லால்குடி ஜயராம ஐயர்)(born September 17th, 1930, India) is a well-known Carnatic violinist, vocalist and composer.
Early life and background
Born in the lineage of an illustrious disciple of the great saint musician Thyagaraja, Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman inherited the essence of Carnatic music from his versatile father late V R Gopala Iyer who trained him meticulously.
Career
At the early age of 12 he started his musical career as an accompanying violinist.
Being endowed with rich imagination, quick grasp and an ability to adapt easily to the individual styles of the leading maestros in Carnatic music while accompanying them in their concerts , he reached the forefront in rapid strides. The rich concert experience he thus gained, coupled with sheer hard work and perseverance and the strong urge to give original expression to the musical ideas surging in him, he emerged as a solo violinist of rare brilliance.
He revolutionised the style of violin playing by inventing a whole new technique that is designed to best suit the needs of Indian Classical Music and establishing a unique style that came to be known as 'Lalgudi Bani'. His flawless and fascinating style, graceful and original, yet not divorced from traditional roots gained him numerous fans. This multi dimensional personality have to his credit composed several 'kritis', 'tillanas' and 'varnams' and dance compositions, which are a scintillating blend of raga, bhava, rhythm and lyrical beauty. The unique feature about Lalgudi is that his music is very expressive. Lalgudi's instrumental genius comes to the fore in the form of lyrical excellence. He brought the most-sought-after vocal style into violin, and his renditions exhibit knowledge of lyrical content of the compositions.
He has been in great demand for accompanying vocalists, and has accompanied such great vocal virtuosos as Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, G. N. Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer, K.V.Narayanaswamy, Maharajapuram Santhanam, D. K. Jayaraman, M.Balamuralikrishna, T. V. Sankaranarayanan, T. N. Seshagopalan and flute maestros like BN Suresh and Dr.N Ramani etc. His accompanying wizardry and lightning quick responses to the various challenges posed by the main artistes remain unsurpassed. His accomplishments are numerous but chief of them is the fact that he was the first to bring international attention to the Carnatic style of violin playing. He also introduced a new concept of musical ensemble with violin, venu (flute) and vina in 1966 and gave several outstanding concerts.
He has given concerts extensively in India as well as abroad. The Government of India sent him to Russia as a member of the Indian Cultural Delegation. At the Edinburgh festival in 1965, Yehudi Menuhin, the renowned violinist, impressed by Lalgudi's technique, presented him with his Italian violin. He has also performed in Singapore, Malaysia, Manila and East European countries. His recordings submitted to the International Music Council, Baghdad, Asian Pacific Music Rostrum and Iraq Broadcasting Agency by AIR New Delhi have been adjudged as the best and accorded the first position out of 77 entries received from the various countries during 1979. He was invited to give concerts at Cologne, Belgium and France. The Government of India chose him to represent India at the Festival of India in USA , London and he gave solo and 'Jugalbandi' concerts in London and also in Germany and Italy that received rave reviews. Sri Lalgudi went on a tour in the year 1984 to Oman, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain that was highly successful. He composed the lyrics and music for the operatic ballet 'Jaya Jaya Devi' which premiered in 1994 at Cleveland, U.S. and was staged in many other cities in United States. In October 1999, Lalgudi performed in UK under the auspices of Shruthi Laya Seva Sangham. The concert was a roaring success. After the concert a Dance Drama 'Pancheswaram', composed by Lalgudi was staged.
Awards The genius has earned several titles like 'Nada Vidya Tilaka' by Music Lovers’ Association of Lalgudi in 1963, 'Padma Shri' by the Government of India in 1972, 'Nada Vidya Rathnakara' by East West Exchange in New York, 'Vadya Sangeetha Kalaratna' by Bharathi Society, New York; 'Sangeetha Choodamani' by Federation of Music Sabhas, Madras in 1971 and in 1972; State Vidwan of Tamil Nadu by the Government of Tamil Nadu and Sangeetha Natak Academy award in 1979 etc. The First Chowdaiah Memorial National-Level award was given to Sri Jayaraman by the Chief Minister of Karnataka. He has also received honorary citizenship of Maryland, U.S. in 1994and the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2001. He has won The National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the film Sringaram in 2006
Personal life Lalgudi Jayaraman is married and his son G.J.R.Krishnan and his daughter Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi follows the footsteps of their great father and are famous in their own right. Renowned veena player Jayanthi Kumaresh is his niece.
Early life and background
Born in the lineage of an illustrious disciple of the great saint musician Thyagaraja, Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman inherited the essence of Carnatic music from his versatile father late V R Gopala Iyer who trained him meticulously.
Career
At the early age of 12 he started his musical career as an accompanying violinist.
Being endowed with rich imagination, quick grasp and an ability to adapt easily to the individual styles of the leading maestros in Carnatic music while accompanying them in their concerts , he reached the forefront in rapid strides. The rich concert experience he thus gained, coupled with sheer hard work and perseverance and the strong urge to give original expression to the musical ideas surging in him, he emerged as a solo violinist of rare brilliance.
He revolutionised the style of violin playing by inventing a whole new technique that is designed to best suit the needs of Indian Classical Music and establishing a unique style that came to be known as 'Lalgudi Bani'. His flawless and fascinating style, graceful and original, yet not divorced from traditional roots gained him numerous fans. This multi dimensional personality have to his credit composed several 'kritis', 'tillanas' and 'varnams' and dance compositions, which are a scintillating blend of raga, bhava, rhythm and lyrical beauty. The unique feature about Lalgudi is that his music is very expressive. Lalgudi's instrumental genius comes to the fore in the form of lyrical excellence. He brought the most-sought-after vocal style into violin, and his renditions exhibit knowledge of lyrical content of the compositions.
He has been in great demand for accompanying vocalists, and has accompanied such great vocal virtuosos as Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, G. N. Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer, K.V.Narayanaswamy, Maharajapuram Santhanam, D. K. Jayaraman, M.Balamuralikrishna, T. V. Sankaranarayanan, T. N. Seshagopalan and flute maestros like BN Suresh and Dr.N Ramani etc. His accompanying wizardry and lightning quick responses to the various challenges posed by the main artistes remain unsurpassed. His accomplishments are numerous but chief of them is the fact that he was the first to bring international attention to the Carnatic style of violin playing. He also introduced a new concept of musical ensemble with violin, venu (flute) and vina in 1966 and gave several outstanding concerts.
He has given concerts extensively in India as well as abroad. The Government of India sent him to Russia as a member of the Indian Cultural Delegation. At the Edinburgh festival in 1965, Yehudi Menuhin, the renowned violinist, impressed by Lalgudi's technique, presented him with his Italian violin. He has also performed in Singapore, Malaysia, Manila and East European countries. His recordings submitted to the International Music Council, Baghdad, Asian Pacific Music Rostrum and Iraq Broadcasting Agency by AIR New Delhi have been adjudged as the best and accorded the first position out of 77 entries received from the various countries during 1979. He was invited to give concerts at Cologne, Belgium and France. The Government of India chose him to represent India at the Festival of India in USA , London and he gave solo and 'Jugalbandi' concerts in London and also in Germany and Italy that received rave reviews. Sri Lalgudi went on a tour in the year 1984 to Oman, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain that was highly successful. He composed the lyrics and music for the operatic ballet 'Jaya Jaya Devi' which premiered in 1994 at Cleveland, U.S. and was staged in many other cities in United States. In October 1999, Lalgudi performed in UK under the auspices of Shruthi Laya Seva Sangham. The concert was a roaring success. After the concert a Dance Drama 'Pancheswaram', composed by Lalgudi was staged.
Awards The genius has earned several titles like 'Nada Vidya Tilaka' by Music Lovers’ Association of Lalgudi in 1963, 'Padma Shri' by the Government of India in 1972, 'Nada Vidya Rathnakara' by East West Exchange in New York, 'Vadya Sangeetha Kalaratna' by Bharathi Society, New York; 'Sangeetha Choodamani' by Federation of Music Sabhas, Madras in 1971 and in 1972; State Vidwan of Tamil Nadu by the Government of Tamil Nadu and Sangeetha Natak Academy award in 1979 etc. The First Chowdaiah Memorial National-Level award was given to Sri Jayaraman by the Chief Minister of Karnataka. He has also received honorary citizenship of Maryland, U.S. in 1994and the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2001. He has won The National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the film Sringaram in 2006
Personal life Lalgudi Jayaraman is married and his son G.J.R.Krishnan and his daughter Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi follows the footsteps of their great father and are famous in their own right. Renowned veena player Jayanthi Kumaresh is his niece.