The Carnatic music community in Palakkad celebrated three legends on Saturday by organizing different functions. When mridangam maestro Palghat Mani Iyer was celebrated on his 111th birth anniversary, two of his friends and contemporary vocalists were celebrated on their birth centenary.
It turned out to be a solemn function as 20 of Mani Iyer’s disciples gathered at Viswanathaswamy Temple, Kalpathy, and offered both floral and musical tributes to mridangam guru. They performed for two hours at the Kundambalam of the temple.
Mani Iyer’s eldest son and well-known mridangam artiste T.R. Rajamani guided the performers. “We are resuming this annual tribute to the legend after a few years’ gap. We will be continuing this every year,” said Mr. Rajamani.
Mani Iyer died in 1981, and his legacy was being celebrated every year from 1982. However, the celebrations stopped prior to COVID-19 pandemic.
Even as the 20 mridangam artistes offered their tributes to Mani Iyer at Kalpathy, the Palghat Fine Arts Society conducted an audio-visual show simultaneously at Tharekkad in celebration of the birth centenary of legendary vocalists M.D. Ramanathan and K.V. Narayanaswamy.
“All the three of them were legends in their own way. They performed together across the country and enthralled large sections of audiences,” said P.N. Subbaraman, Palghat Fine Arts Society secretary.
Bombay Balaji, another leading disciple of Mani Iyer, anchored the audio-visual presentation at Palghat Fine Arts Society Auditorium. Audio and video clippings of the performances, speeches, and discussions of Narayanaswamy and Ramanathan were screened, offering the audience a rare experience. “It was a rare opportunity to the music lovers. It was nostalgic in fact,” said Mr. Subbaraman.
Some of the lighter moments from the musicians’ public life were also included in the audio-visual presentation.
The Palghat Fine Arts Society had held a programme last month too offering a tribute to the Carnatic vocal geniuses in their birth centenary year. Four top Carnatic artistes, including Saketharaman and Prince Rama Varma, had performed in memory of Ramanathan and Narayanaswamy. Mr. Rajamani was also felicitated at the function.
