T. L. Venkatarama Iyer (25 November 1893 - 2 January 1971) was a Judge of the Supreme Court of India, a Carnatic musician and a musicologist. [1]
T. L. Venkatarama Iyer hails from Harikesanallur, Tirunelveli district, Tamilnadu. He born in a family with a tradition in music and research. His father, M. Lakshmanasuri was a Sanskrit scholar and was instrumental in bringing up his son to the level he achieved later in life. Venkatarama Iyer was a close relative of Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar (a recipient of Sangeet Kalanidhi award in 1930), and was a disciple of Ambi Dikshitar (a grand-nephew of Muthuswami Dikshitar). [2]
T. L. Venkatarama Iyer graduated from Madras Christian law College in 1916. After doing apprenticeship under Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, he started practicing in the Madras High Court from 1917. He became a Judge of the Madras High Court in 1951 and continued to serve till November 1953. Thereafter he served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India from 1954 up to 1958. During his tenure as Supreme Court Judge, he was also part of the constitutional bench. In 1958, T. L. Venkatarama Iyer held the office of the Chairman of the Second Law Commission of India till 1961.
He was an authority on Muthuswami Dikshitar's compositions. He had trained musicians like Vidya Shankar, D. K. Pattammal, Kalpagam Swaminathan, S. Srinivasa Rao and Kannamma Sharma. In April, 1928, an Experts Committee consisting of some of the leading musicians and scholars was appointed by the Madras Music Academy. The committee was to advise the Music Academy on all technical matters including music education on correct and modern lines. T. L. Venkatarama Iyer was one of its members. [2] He succeeded K V Krishnaswami Iyer, upon the latter's death in 1965, and served as the 3rd president of the Madras Music Academy until his death in 1971. [3]
He taught several disciples, prominent among them being Sangeeta Kalanidhis D.K.Pattammal and B Rajam Iyer. His disciples include Sandhyavandanam Srinivasa Rao, Vidya Shankar and B Krishnamurthy.
He published the life of Muthuswami Dikshitar as a book entitled The Life of Muthuswami Dikshitar. [2]
Damal Krishnaswamy Pattammal, popularly known as D. K. Pattammal or DKP, was an Indian Carnatic musician and a playback singer for film songs in Tamil. Pattammal, along with her contemporaries M. S. Subbulakshmi and M. L. Vasanthakumari, are popularly referred to as the female trinity of Carnatic Music. This trio initiated the entry of women into mainstream Carnatic Music. She has been appreciated all over the world by Carnatic music lovers.
Semmangudi Radhakrishna Srinivasa Iyer was an Indian Carnatic vocalist. He was the youngest recipient of the Sangeetha Kalanidhi awarded by the Music Academy in 1947, a distinction he holds to this day as of 2023, probably the only musician to receive that honour before reaching 40. He had received many other awards as well, including Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India, Rajyasevanirata title from Travancore's erstwhile ruling family, Sangeet Natak Academy award (1953), Isai Perarignar from Government of Tamil Nadu and Kalidas Samman from Government of Madhya Pradesh. He was affectionately addressed as "Semmangudi Maama" by his disciples. He was also considered the "Pitamaha" or the grand sire of modern Carnatic Music. He was conferred with an honorary doctorate by University of Kerala in 1979.
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Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar, commonly known as Muthiah Bhagavatar, is one of Carnatic classical music's famous twentieth-century composers. He also created about 20 ragas.
Palghat Kollengode Viswanathan Narayanaswamy, often referred to as K. V. Narayanaswamy was an Indian musician, widely considered to be among the finest Carnatic music vocalists of the 20th century. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1986. He was described as the "Perfect Knight" of Carnatic music, a phrase from Geoffrey Chaucer, by V. K. Narayana Menon, art critic of India and recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship.
Subbarama Dikshitar (1839–1906) was a Carnatic music composer. He was the grandson, and also the adopted son, of Baluswami Dikshitar, a brother of Muthuswami Dikshitar. He was an accomplished composer in his own right, but is more famous for his Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini, a book detailing the works of Muthuswami Dikshitar and a reference on many other Carnatic musical concepts.
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Damal Krishnaswamy Jayaraman, the renowned brother of D. K. Pattammal, was a professional Carnatic music singer. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1990.
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T. K. Govindarao was the first Malayali film musician and a Carnatic musician.
Suguna Varadachari is a Carnatic vocalist and Carnatic music teacher from Tamil Nadu, India. She is also a Veena artist. She received several awards including Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Sangita Kala Acharya Award by Madras Music Academy.