M.K. Thyagaraja Bagavadhar

[Oldposts]

Sathya Keerthi:
As per your request I am providing some interesting info on MKTB.

PART I

MKT and G.Ramanathan are the products of stage drama popularly called special dramas later. In those days the drama actors had to act as well as sing without the assistance of PA system. They had to sing loud, and in high pitch so as to reach the last person in the hall. This is how TRMahalingam, MKTB and a few others trained thier voices. G.Ramanathan was a harmoniuam artiste in the dramas where MKTB acted. MKTB was more popular for his songs rather than acting. From there MKTB got involved in Special Dramas.

The guru of MKTB was Alathoor Sahodararkal who were called "Isai MethaikaL". MKTB's first film was Pavalakkodi.MKTB was acting in several dramas, including Chintamani. Later when Chintamani was made into a film he acted in it. The MDs are Alathoor SahodararkaL.Chintamani was shown by Mathurai Murugan Talkies. The film generated so much collection that after the run of the film was over, a new cinema Theater was built with the collection and it was clled "Chintamani Talkies".

CRAZE AND TREND

The moment MKTB's songs picked up momentum, there was a craze for his songs, and MDs were tempted (and forced) to compose songs in the style of MKTB.

1.In Chintamani there is a song called "Rathey Unakku Kobam Agathadee" TMS used that as a pallavi for his song in "Krishna Vijayam". Until Thookku Thooki TMS followed MKTB.Annam itta veetiley in Manthiri Kumari, Kulir Thamarai poigai and Kulingidum poovilellaam in Valayapathy are of this nature. The craze for MKTB songs never died in soul of TMS. When Akilan's novel Vaazhvu Engey was produced in the name of "Kulamakal Rathai" TMS requested KVM to give him a chance to sing in the style of MKTB. The Chintamani song "Rathey Unakku kobam agathedee" was appropriately sung by TMS in Kulamakal Rathai as the heroine's name was Ratha. There is another song of MKTB called "Siva perumaan kirubai Vendum" In a thanippaadal TMS sang this song as "mangalamaai vazha veNdum, vERenna veNDum"

2.In the old Ambikapathy (MKTB)there is a song called "Chandrasooriyar pOngathi mARinum veezhinum nmakkenna". When the new Ambikapathy(Sivaji) was produced, G Ramanathan wanted to make the new Ambikapathy popular among the fans of the old Ambikapathy. So he used the above tune for the new Ambikapathy as follows:

"Maasila nilavE nam
kAthalai magizhvOdu
manilam koNdAduthe"

3. In the old Ambikapathy there is a song called
"pajanai seivAi manamey"
In the new Ambikapathy G.Ramanathan used that old song's style as follows:

Sinthanai sei manamey

4. "Sivaperumaan kirubai veNDum" is the song sung by MKTB. In the film Sarangathara G Ramanathan used the same style to compose a song as follows:

Innum enna Vendum-TMS

5. "Deena karuna karaney Nadaraja neelakaNdane" is the song of MKTB. In the film Madurai Veeran, G.Ramanathan used the same tune as follows:

Echi pizhaikkum thozhilE sarithAna
eNNI pArunga aiyya
eNNI pArunga..
nachiyappa sangaili karuppa
poochi kAttum pokkiri suppA
moottai adicha unnaiyE viduvAna
eNNI parnga-TMS/Jikki

A UNIQUE PERSONALITY
The unique personality of MKTB is largely responsible for his boost. He was extremely fair looking, with a unique, and innocent look often described as "kanivAna, parithAba pArvai". Of course his greatest asset was the golden voice that God endowed him.

UNIT WORK
MKTB was highly successful as there was a unit work. (It was a mutual gain anyway)Music was composed mainly by GRamanathan, KVM and later others like C.N.Pandurangan(with GR in Puthu Vazhvu), C R Subbaraman (Rajamukthi)joined in. In fact S.M. Subbiah Naidu composed the song "vAzhvilEy oru nAL" in Haridass.

The other plus point was the contribution of Paabanasam Sivan. He composed lyrics to suit Karnatic Music.

CONTRIBUTION OF MKTB
It is a forgone conclusion that MKTB was a "INAIPPU PAALAM" between the Karnatic Music and the Semi Classic music. At the time when the Tamil cinema was delivering carnatic songs, there were some hardcore Karnatic music lovers who claimed and clamoured that Tamil film songs can never contribute to the development of Karnatic music. One such person was the Sithoor Subramaniam Pillai who is the guru of Madurai Somu. When Haridas was playing, someone forced him to see the film for the excellent songs. Subramaniyam Pillai saw the movie and was very much impressed by the way GR rendered the delicate and difficult Sarukesi raga song Manmatha Leelaiyai veNRAr uNdo in a Janaranjaga way. From the theatre he went straight to the homes of GR and MKTB to express his overwhelming appreciation. Therafter MKTB's songs came to be accepted(openly) as promoting karnatic music.

PART II to be comntinued with more interesting items.
vaNakkam