Fw: [4brahmins] Fwd: MUSICAL ANECDOTES ABOUT ARTISTS--PART EIGHT

[V L Vijayaraghavan]

--- On Wed, 17/12/14, 'Ramachandran P.P' pprch...@gmail.com [4brahmins] <4bra...@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

> From: 'Ramachandran P.P' pprch...@gmail.com [4brahmins] <4bra...@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [4brahmins] Fwd: MUSICAL ANECDOTES ABOUT ARTISTS--PART EIGHT
> To: "Pattars Net Samooham" <pat...@yahoogroups.com>, 4bra...@yahoogroups.com, "iyer123" <Iye...@yahoogroups.com>, "venugopalan TP" <giri...@gmail.com>, "tp kunhiraman" <tpkunh...@hotmail.com>
> Date: Wednesday, 17 December, 2014, 7:03 AM
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>                  
>                My good friend Shri. V. Ramachandran
> ,President of Music Triangle, invited the daughter and
> son-in-law of G N B to a Vocal Concert in Kalina and
> introduced me to them. When I told GNB's daughter that I
> had seen her Father act as Dushyanta and M S Amma as
> Shakuntala in the film  "Shakuntalai"  she
> expressed joy.  " Even I have not seen it, Mama. You
> are lucky.", she chirped.
>
>                  
>                               Now read
> on.
> PPR​
>  *************************************************************************************************
>
>                  
>                              CARNATIC
>  MUSICIANS--ANECDOTES--8 
>
>                  
>                              
>  8. SHRI.G. N.
> BALASUBRAMANIAM
>                  
>                                        
>       
>                                        
> G.N.Balasubramaniam  --G N B—affectionately called Mani--
> was the first musician of repute to hail from the city of
> Madras, having lived there from infancy. His father
> G.V.Narayanaswami Iyer hailed from Gudalur and was a school
> teacher. He was appointed as teacher by V.S.Srinivasa
> Sastry, the silver-tongued orator, who was then Headmaster
> of the Hindu High School in Triplicane.                 
>                             
>                              
>  **********************************************
>                                   
> Mani learnt music from Madurai Subramania Iyer and Guruswami
> Bhagavathar. Mani’s father wanted him to become a rich
> lawyer and enrolled him in Presidency College for
> graduation. At the instance of T.S.Sabesa Iyer he was sent
> to the Music College in Chidambaram where he could learn
> music along with his graduation. However this was
> short-lived and Mani returned to Presidency
> College.
>                  
>                              
> ************************************
>                               
>   In 1928 the celebrated musician Musiri Subramania Iyer
> was to perform at the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore but
> could not make it. The organizers plumped for a young
> prodigy to sing in place of the veteran. He prayed to the
> Gods and ascended on  the dais. This was the debut of
> G.N.Balasubramaniam.
>                                
>                    
> ************************************
>                                     
> GNB  believed that an impressive stage presence was as
> vital as the necessary talent. He got rid of his tuft and
> had his hair fashioned in the latest style. On his forehead
> would be the fragrant javvadu pottu and he sprayed
> on himself the choicest perfumes. Diamonds would glitter
> from his ear-studs and also from rings on his fingers. Tall,
> fair and of good build, he was an idol in every sense of the
> word. GNB’s dhoties, made of the finest mull cloth, would
> be worn only four times for concerts after which they would
> be given away. His shirt had to be of the finest white.
> Watches and slippers were another passion. For watches he
> had a running account at Ghani and Son, Mount Road and
> bought a new one every week. GNB’s perfume was a
> mysterious mix. In his eating habits he was Spartan. He
> enjoyed the simplest of food and in very small
> quantities.
>                  
>                                        
>          
> ***********************************
>                                 
> GNB’s wife was his cousin Sundarambal and they had ten
> children. She never attended a single performance of her
> husband and deferred to her mother-in-law in all domestic
> matters and remained in the shadows.
>                  
>                                        
>                        
> *****************************************
>                                  
>              It is said of G.N.B that he had to
> be booked a year in advance and even marriage dates were
> changed to suit his convenience. When G N B took the stage
> the air would crackle with excitement and if Palghat Mani
> Iyer  were to accompany him, the audience could look
> forward to a spectacular display of fireworks, with stars
> and sprays in myriad colours shooting off into the sky in
> quick succession.
>                                     
> ****************************************
>                  
>                                     Some
> of GNB’s favourite pieces were Radha Sameta Krishna, Diku
> Teriyada Kattil, Jayati Jayati, and the ragamalika Vande
> mataram Ambikam Bhagavathim.
>                                  
> ***********************************
>                                          
> During one of GNB's concerts , he noticed a girl
> suddenly rise and leave the hall and he started with the
> song, " Nalla Sagunam Nokki Chelladi",(chose an
> auspicious moment to leave). When someone asked Palghat Mani
> Iyer as to where one should sit at a GNB concert he replied,
> "You have to stand at the main entrance when he
> arrives, for it is not enough to hear him ; it is important
> to see this handsome man as he enters in all his
> majesty". GNB was a "Prince
> Charming".
>                  
>                              
>  ***************************************
>                                
> In 1934 GNB  received his first offer to act in a film. He
> was Narada in Bhama Vijayam with Maharajapuram Krishnamurthy
> as Lord Krishna. The film was a huge success. The film
> included songs of Tyagaraja and Jana Gana Mana. His second
> film Sati Anusuya, where also he was Narada, was a flop. The
> third film Shakuntalai made waves. It was produced by
> Sadasivam—later husband of M.S.GNB  played Dushyanta and
> MS  was Shakuntala. He fell off a horse while shooting the
> film and this left him with a limp for the rest of his life.
> The film was highly successful.
>                  
>                                        
>                    
> ***************************************
>                                      
> In 1942 GNB  became Asthana Viswan at the Travancore Court
> along with artists who were several years his senior. In
> 1958 the Music Academy awarded him the coveted Sangita
> Kalanidhi. Early in 1959 he received the Presidential award
> from the Government of India, Dr.Radhakrishnan, who
> presented this is reported to have said, “ Remember, Mani,
> this is for your father, not for you”.
>                                
>                          
> ***************************************
>                                 
> GNB  wrote articles in English` and Tamil on music theory,
> the Trinity, humorous and satirical pieces and poems. It is
> said that he pointed out a mistake in the Oxford English
> Dictionary which was duly acknowledged.
>  PPR
> 17/12/2014
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> <pprch...@gmail.com>
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[Govindarajan.L.N.]

Musical anecdotes is a good series. Will be happy if presented in a better
format so that reading is made easier. Govindarajan

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