[Sundara Rajan]

Smt Sundaravali w/o Sri Valayapatti Krishnan passed away recently. Here is an article by a well known Carnatoic vidwan  Sriram Parasuram

Tiruppugazh led her away from the mainstream

Sriram Parasuram

A frontline vocalist, T.V. Sundaravalli immersed herself in the propagation of Arunagirinathar’s verses

Sundaravalli receiving a prize from MLV

T.V. Sundaravalli, a doyen in the world of south Indian Classical and devotional music, passed away a couple of weeks ago. A versatile musician, a singer of the finest weave, a committed Tamil scholar, a prolific composer and an ardent teacher, Sundaravalli’s special presence and contribution to the field of music has gone, perhaps, unnoticed and unheralded.

Imbibing the hoary traditions of Carnatic music from giants such as Tiger Varadachariar, Tinniyam Venkatrama Iyer and Needamangalam V.V. Subramaniam, Sundaravalli showed early promise to emerge as a singing star on the horizon. Still in her teens, she was awarded the first prize in the AIR national competitions in both Carnatic and Devotional music categories. Sundaravalli later came under the expert tutelage and guidance of stalwarts such as S. Ramanathan, Prof. S. Rajam and Vidushi Sulochana Pattabhiraman.

Sundaravalli began giving concerts quite early and earned a reputation for herself as a performer. The stalwart Prof. T. R.Subramaniam was all praise for her fine sense of sruti and raga delineation. MLV was so struck by Sundaravalli’s singing that she wished to take her under her wings as a student and protege. It would have been a dream come true for Sundaravalli but prevailing family situations prevented that from materialising. Sundaravalli’s singing style, however, continued to be greatly influenced by the virtuosity and flair of the GNB school, especially that of MLV.

Destiny had a slightly different course, a more important mission, for her. She was to be a “chosen one” to carry the relay baton of Tiruppugazh — which started from Arunagirinathar in the 13th century and through hundreds of saints and poets since — into the 21st century. Unto that glorious cause would her life assume greater meaning.

T.V. Sundaravalli in concert

It is absolutely wondrous to see how the musical/poetic form of the Tiruppugazh managed to “stay in currency” for more than 650 years. How did it survive, even prosper, for such a long period of time weathering the fierce storms of cultural, religious and political upheavals, while many others fell by the wayside and became extinct? In the ever changing worlds and times that we live in what makes Tiruppugazh so “timeless” that it remains relatively unaffected by waves and vagaries of “contemporary” poetic and musical trends? What is it that has led to Tiruppugazh’s ever widening presence in the Tamil communities living in countries such as the U.S., Malaysia, Mauritius, Australia and Canada?

Human agency

There is of course the concept of “Divine Design” (Bhagavath Sankalpa) that is generally put forward when such questions arise. But, we also have to recognise and affirm the important aspect of human “agency” and endeavour that makes it possible for the presence of something as beautiful as the Tiruppugazh to stretch through six/seven centuries (or even more). We do realise that these two — Divine Design and Human Endeavour — are not watertight and exclusive compartments. The former clearly includes and embraces the latter. But it is also critical that we acknowledge and understand the roles that the ambassadors and preservers play.

Tiruppugazh-themed concerts, workshops and lec-dems in schools and forums such as The Music Academy and other sabhas and conferences, setting to tune hundreds of rare and unheard songs, scores of CDs recorded and released, re-composing in newer and “more attractive” ragas… these were some of the modalilties of Sundaravalli’s mission which spanned more than 40 years. At the core of her mission was also “to inculcate the Tiruppugazh culture in the minds of children.” Towards that end the husband-wife team of Sundaravalli and Krishnan started conducting Tiruppugazh competitions under their aegis Murugan Thiruvarut Sangam. Linked to this initiative was the teaching of Tiruppugazh in many schools.

T.V.Sundaravalli 

T.V.Sundaravalli  

 

Sundaravalli was also involved in the pioneering work of adaptation of the Tirupuggazh to Bharatanatyam. Collaborating with reputed dancers such as Chitra Visweshwaran, Sundaravalli was instrumental in evolving full-fledged dance productions based on the Tiruppugazh. Thanks to her efforts the Tiruppugazh has today assimilated itself into classical dance repertoire too.

Sadly neglected

As a society we sometimes fail to recognise and reward the real keepers and harbingers of our great traditions. Today, musical focus is mostly on the performance and the performers. Of course, the biggest material rewards also lie there. That said, are the present structures of patronage and support systems for the classical arts neglecting and thus unwittingly endangering the myriad content fields that form the very fabric of our musical traditions? In the enthusiasm to project performance to reach larger audiences are we forgetting to reward players in these all important content fields? By not doing so, are we rendering this fabric of traditional content and form very fragile and vulnerable for the future?

With Sundaravalli’s passing away the songs of the saint of Arunagiri have lost a key cog in the wheel of time. Of course, her husband and daughter (Bhavya Hari), who have been part of her team would continue the mission with equal zeal and devotion, I’m sure. Today, we celebrate Sundaravalli’s life with the joy and awareness that it is people like her who make the magic of the songs of our saints available and accessible to all of us. People such as her are the links that connect humankind across time and centuries. It is they who render immortal the astoundingly beautiful songs of eras far bygone. So that we can sing them again and again and rejoice.

-

[Ravi Shankar]

Did this appear in any journal?

Regards
Ravishankar
+91 9901599500
bjravi...@gmail.com

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[Sowmini Ramakrishnan]

Very rightly written , even from beginning we used to feel sorry that she never got her deserved  recognition. But those who know her knows her talent.God muruga is with her.

[Ravi Shankar]

I believe she never required any such recognition because she had known her divine mission to the minutest detail and realized that life is just a portrait of that divine master being showcased in motion.

Even the week on which she got admitted to hospital, she had traveled to Tiruchendur and finished Mutrodal of Tiruchendur songs

Apart from few short verbal exchanges interspersed with her gracious glances and Aval Upma, i had not interacted much with her.

However i have found her with Contentment and fulfillment (one of the 6 mumukshu Sampattis).

She was not a winter vine Sangita Vidvan looking for external support but a deva latha (true to her name) ever enthusiastic in spreading the fragrance of her flowers through her studious austerity (Tapa:Svadhyaya)

However we can try to make our lives sublime by recounting her greatness.

Regards
Ravishankar
+91 9901599500
bjravi...@gmail.com

[Vasantha Raghunathan]

Ravi .fully agree with you .நிறைகுடம் தளும்பாது  they say .Ihad the privelege of being with her in the siruvapuri valli kalyanam events and in the group she never shows off her .As you said she beleived in her mission 100 percent and never cared for any other recognition

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