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Manjapara Devesa Bhagavathar Ramanathan (20 May 1923 – 27 April 1984) was a Carnatic music composer and vocalist who created a distinctive style of singing rich in Bhava and Laya. He was considered for the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi award in 1983. However, the award for that year was given to Sripada Pinakapani.
Biography
editManjapara Devesa Bhagavathar Ramanathan was born in Manjapra, Palakkad District, Madras Province (now Kerala), India on 20 May 1923, as the son of Devesa Bhagavathar and Seethalakshmi Ammal. His father Devesa Bhagavathar was a music teacher by profession. Ramanathan did his schooling in ASMMHSS Alathur in Palakkad and graduated with a BSc degree in Physics from Victoria College, Palakkad. On completion of his studies, he traveled to Madras along with his father to improve his musical talents.
During the same time, Rukmini Devi Arundale initiated a new course on Sangeeta Siromani at Kalakshetra. Ramanathan auditioned for the course and was the only student to be selected for the first batch commencing in 1944. Soon, he emerged as Tiger Varadachariar's favorite and was his closest disciple when the latter died in 1950.
After his graduation, Ramanathan continued as an assistant to his guru and later became Professor of Music at Kalakshetra. He also served as the Principal of the College of Fine Arts at Kalakshetra.
Music career
editRenderings
editRamanathan was known for his unique style of singing. In addition to having an extremely deep, booming voice, he rendered songs at an extremely slow pace, thereby allowing ample time for the listener to catch every phrase of a composition and gauge its meaning. He also sang with adequate bhava or expression. Ramanathan has sung in most Carnatic music ragas such as Sahana, Sri, Anandabhairavi, Reethigowla and Yadukula Kambhoji. Other favorite ragas of his include Kedaram, Kambhoji and Hamsadhwani. As he himself once admitted, his Vilambita Kaala Gaanam renderings during Kathakali dances had influenced his music and style of singing. Though Ramanathan is identified with his "trademark" slow pace of singing, he did include a few relatively brisk renderings in his concerts off and on.
His style of rendering was very different from the rather brisk style of rendering that had become quite popular then. Due to this, he also received a fair share of criticism from some music critics. During the rendering of krithis, he sometimes made alterations and embellishments to the lyrics. One highlight that his rasikas would always remember is starting the krithi from the anupallavi and then going to the pallavi.
Compositions
editRamanathan composed more than 300 songs in carnatic music in Tamil, Telugu and Sanskrit. He used the word Varadadasa as his mudra, in respect for Tiger Varadachariar, his teacher. Some of his famous compositions are:
| Krithi | Ragam | Talam | Language |
| Anaimakhkattanai | Manirangu | Misra Chapu | Tamil |
| Aparadhamulellanu | Gowrimanohari | Adi | Telugu |
| Bhaja Bhaja Manuja | Behag | Adi | Sanskrit |
| Bharatesanute | Arabhi | Misra Chapu | Sanskrit |
| Brindavanaloka | Kalyani | Adi | Telugu |
| Brochudaku Samayaide | Begada | Rupaka | Telugu |
| Dandapani | Ramapriya | Rupaka | Telugu |
| Dari Neevale | Begada | Rupaka | Telugu |
| Dharmavati | Dharmavati | Rupaka | Telugu |
| Durgadevi | Sri | Adi | Sanskrit |
| Emdukichapalamu | Purvikalyani | Adi | Telugu |
| Ennakutram cheideno | Huseni | Adi | Tamil |
| Gajavadana | Hamsadhvani | Rupaka | Sanskrit |
| Gurucharanam | Kannada | Adi | Sanskrit |
| Guruvaram Bhaja Manasa | Dhanyasi | Rupakam | Sanskrit |
| Hariyum Haranam | Atana | Rupakam | Tamil |
| Janani Natajana paalini | Sankarabharanam | Roopakam | Sanskrit |
| Sagara shayana vibho | Bagesri | Adi | Telugu |
| Thillana | Kāpi | Misra Chaapu | Sanskrit |
| Tyagaraja Gurum | Kedaram | Rupakam | Sanskrit |
| Velavane unakku | Sahana | Adi | Tamil |
| Vighnaraja nannu | Shreeranjani | Adi? | Telugu |
Awards
editFor his contributions to music, Ramanathan was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1974 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1975. He received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in 1966.[1] The Indian Fine Arts Society bestowed upon him the title of 'Sangeetha Kalasigamani' in 1976. He also served as a member of the Madras Music Academy's Experts Committee. He was also considered for the Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi award in the 1983–84 season though he did not get the award.
Death
editRamanathan died after a long illness on 27 April 1984 at the age of 61.
Legacy
editRamanathan's legacy has been kept alive through his albums and private recordings. M.D. Ramanathan, A Unique Octave in Music by Madhu Vasudevan, which was released in 2003, is a fitting tribute to the legend.
References
edit- ^ "Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award: Classical Music". Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- Unsung Genius Hindu May 2008
- A brief biography at carnaticcorner.com
- A tribute to M.D.Ramanathan at carnatica.net
- The divine music of M.D.Ramanathan at the Wayback Machine (archived 27 October 2009)
- The Hindu: 20 years after M.D.Ramanathan, A tribute to M.D.Ramanathan[usurped]
- Kuppuswamy, Gowri and Hariharan, M. (1981), Index of Songs in South Indian Music, B. R. Publishing Corporation, Delhi.
- Rajagopalan, N. (1991), A Garland, Bharitiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay.
- M.D.ramanathan songs MP3 download
- Clips of M.D.Ramanathan