CHENNAI: One half of the ‘Mellisai Mannargal’(Light music Monarchs) — the Viswanathan-Ramamurthyduo — Tiruchirapalli Krishnaswamy Ramamurthy (TKR) was in a class of his own. Veteran singers recall that TKR was so proficient that he could make out which musician in the orchestra had struck a false note or went off key even if there were a hundred of them.
For TKR, grandson of renowned singer-violinist Malaikottai Govindasamy Pillai, music was second nature. From the age of 12,TKR began performing at Carnatic concerts in and around Trichy. TKR’s father Krishnaswamy had played the violin in some film recordings, especially for songs in films such as‘Markandeya’ (1935), ‘Thayumanavar’ (1938) and ‘Anandaasramam’ (1939). When Krishnaswamy would play for vocalist-music director CR Subbaraman at HMV album recordings, TKR would accompany him.
