About
We are a group of amateur Carnatic music and Hindustani bhajan aficionados, eager to pick up musical values thrown around us without fear or favour. This catalogue is a treasure trove of my musical learnings from eminent Gurus that I was fortunately blessed with, which I have shared with my students. Picking up these gems from these two great Gurus that we were blessed with, we never hesitated to make value additions to them by listening to and learning from maestros in all age groups. We truly believe in growing without borders as knowledge has no boundaries.
Pattu Maami
The very name evokes a plethora of emotions in her disciples and mentees like us. When we mention her name, a kaleidoscope of emotions churns within us. What can we say about her divine qualities? How can we elaborate on her unconditional love, Vidya n Sangeetha daana, generosity of hands, mind, and spirit? Where can one find the apt vocabulary to describe her soft smile, gentle demeanour, utmost humility, and generous encouragement of all her students and friends alike? She was a perfect picture of a wonderful teacher and compassionate human being to all blind students for whom she was a scribe. Narasimhan Mama, an erudite scholar, was made for her and with his loving care, encouraged her in all her activities.
Pattu Narasimhan was an elegant and talented lady with linguistic proficiency in King’s English, Sanskrit, and Tamizh literature, knowledge of Carnatic music, and devotional bhajans embellishing the languages. Enveloping all these was her unconditional love for her students and associates, which made us all glued to her. There was no limit to her desire to share with us her takeaways and understanding of all epics like Ramayanam, Bhagavatham, Bhagavad Gita, Narayaneeyam, Nalayira Divya Prabhandam, Devi Mahathmiyam, Mooka Panchashathi you name it we had it, all major spiritual works in these languages and her vast repertoire of classical songs and bhajans in Kannada, Hindi, Tamizh Telugu. Her devotion to Acharyas and Bhagawan combined with her literary proficiency enabled her to take us to an enlightened plane in both.
Usha’s apartment, where Mami lived was the beehive of our musical celebrations like Thyagaraja Aradhana, Purandaradasa Aradhana, and Gurupurnima with her entire neighbourhood in rapt attention apart from Parayanam of the epics on auspicious days suited to each work held in the homes of us, her dear students were conducted by her elegantly. She also tuned Samskshiptha Ramayanam, Godasthuthi. Padadikesa varnanai of Guruvayurappan in Narayaneeyam, etc in ragamalikas which we used to sing in temples along with her with devotion and pride. She was adept in notating the Sahitya of Kruthis to facilitate our learning quickly. Mami was also an informal guide to many Ph.D students in writing their treatises based on our epics on various management subjects to management students and other beautiful traits of characters in each epic, highlighting Navarasas in Ramayana to students of classical dance. For us our daily visits to Mami’s house were treasure hunting of literary, spiritual, and musical masterpieces apart from enjoying her delicious snacks and beverages to ensure that our stomachs too were filled like our hearts.
Mami, the precious years we spent in your endearing company, values on life inculcated by you and pleasant memories associated with them are too vast and unlimited in space to be condensed here. We continue to need your divine blessings all our lives.
Dr. Shyamala
An unparalleled woman of substance and human values, she was and is one of my music teachers who taught me rare Kruthis and Bhajans set in very melodious ragas that were a beautiful blend of Carnatic and Hindustani ragas. It was not only her vast repertoire of around 500-odd compositions, most of which she learned from her mother, but also her simplicity and dedication that attracted many of us living across the shores. Her bhakti and vidwat combined attracted me and many others to learn from her.
Unlike other teachers who would normally teach music according to their chosen order, Dr. Shyamala would ask each day, “What do you want to learn today”? Her teaching style was mesmerizing. Once she started the contours of a song, she would close her eyes and become blissfully lost in the depths of the lyrics and karvais. She would not stop her repetitions of the lines until we caught up with the right notation of the song. This way she used to mesmerize the audience in her mini concerts in temples. Equally adept in singing film songs set in classical tunes and mimicry imitating male and female voices, she would delight her friends’ circles online and offline. She exuded joy and bliss.
Dr. Shyamala also shared with us how, as a Gynecologist, she would soothe the pregnant ladies during their hard labour hours by singing ragas and songs to alleviate their pain, closing with a mellifluous lullaby for the new birthing baby which would transform the entire labour ward into a smooth sanctuary. She used to talk about her mother’s dedication and love for learning classical Bhajans and Kirthanais and how she qualified herself academically as a Carnatic music vidhushi.
It was my great fortune to be associated with her as her student ever since I met her in my brother-in-law’s home in Portland. Always eager to teach, even though she was shuttling between India and USA, she used to remark, “I am only a phone call away”. Humility was her best virtue.
Dr. Shyamala, my salutations and namaskarams to you for the value additions you made to my classical music repertoire.
