VYJAYANTIMALA BALI

13.8.1934

Number 13 is lucky for this lady. She was born on 13^th August  1934.  She  performed  her  Bharata­-natyam arangetram on 13^th April 1945 on Tamil New Year’s Day. It was also the date on which she signed

her  first  film  contract.  Thirteen  has  been  favourably associated with landmarks in Vyjayantimala’s life.

“Although  I  was  born  in  1934,  my  elders  entered  it  as 1933  in  my  school  records,  and  so  it  has  come  to  stay,” she tells you as she recalls the past. “I am proud of being  a Tiruvallikeni girl. I was born on Adi Kritikai day in a house opposite the Parthasarathy Swamikoil in Triplicane. I came into this world moving my toes not on my head”, she   chuckles. “You see, I was born with “dancing toes”.

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A Tani By T.K. Murthy

Birthdays & Anniversaries

13.8.1924

Mridangam maestro T.K. Murthy is a short man but he stands tall as a percussionist in  the arena ofCarnatic classicalmusic.Thecontrast washighlighted last yearby musicologistB.V.K. Sastry of Bangalore when hewrote,in the DeccanHerald:

"[Murthy] makes an interesting picture on thestage.Being  short,  he  has sometimes to overstretch his hands to play on themridangam,which gives an impression ofembracingthan playing the instrument. But his nimble fingers execute fascinatingrhythmicideas.His sense ofanticipationis highly impressive. The figures aresprightly,cleancut, setting off a  wide variety of sounds, and converting the whole into a tantalising structure of sound and rhythm. Naturally he has been a popular figure onthe concertstage,desired, welcomedandappreciatedby all musicians of consequence for  nearly halfa century."

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poochi srinivasa iyengar

16.8.1860-1919

Kalpagam Swaminathan

15.8.1922-2011

Kalpagam Swaminathan has been upholding traditional values in Carnatic music for the past five decades.Born in Setalapathi village in Tanjavur  in 1922, she belongs to a family of musicians. Her mother Abhayambal and  grandmother Dharmambal were considered good singers of their times.  Her  mother, who was also well-versed  in playing the veena and the harmonium, was  her  first veena teacher. Other guru-s were A. Anantakrishna  Iyer and T.L.  Venkatarama  Iyer from whom she acquired her enviable repertoire of Dikshitar kriti-s; and Budalur Krishnamurti Sastri, from whom she  learnt several Tyagaraja  kriti-s. In 1947, Kalpagam Swaminathan joined the music faculty of the Kalakshetra's College of Music and Fine Arts where she served for six years.She joined Central College of  Carnatic  Music in Madras  in 1964 as a veena teacher when Musiri Subrahmania Iyer was its Principal. After her retirement, she taught  veena  to students at Kala Peetham in Madras for a few years. Kalpagam Swaminathan has been  a regular  performer on AIR and Doordarshan. The Music Academy in Madras has honoured her  with a special certificate and the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram with  the title of Kalaimamani in recognition of her services  in the field of Carnatic music.

                                                                

Ustad Amir Khan

Ustad Amir Khan (1912-1974)

15.8.1912-1974

The late Ustad Amir Khan was one of the greatest Hindustani classical vocalists of all time, certainly among the most influential figures of the 20th century. His original contributions to vocal music and his mastery of the science and art of Hindustani music made him a musician’s musician, someone both vocalists and instrumentalists hold as a role model to this day. Raised in the Bhendibazaar gharana, he submitted himself to other influences, setting the highest standards of musicianship while integrating them.

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https://srutimag.blogspot.in/2012/06/whos-who-in-indian-classical-music.html

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