Editor’s Note: K. V. Narayanswamy, the great Carnatic vocalist, died on April 1, 2002 at a ripe age of 78. Here are reminiscences by a few of his admirers.

By Prof. Trichy Sankaran
Mrdangam Vidwan
York University, Toronto

The gurukula training has largely been responsible for upholding the purity of classical music. If we look at the masters who had made their names in the music field, it is quite evident that many of them had come out of such gurukula training. It is not the gurukula training alone which shapes one into a better artist, rather it is the individual skills, creative geniusness and the consummate concert experience that takes one to the highest level. KVN was one of those rare groups of classical artists. He made his appearance at a time, and prevalent musical atmosphere of classicism, when great stalwarts such as his own guru Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Chembai Vaidhyanatha Bhagavatar, Musiri Subramania Iyer, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, and the like were at the peak of their profession. Not an easy task. The music surrounding him was quite challenging but at the same time inspiring. He had the good fortune of getting the guidance from two great stalwarts namely Ariyakkudi and Palghat Mani Iyer. Such was his musical background and the atmosphere in which he grew.

The Carnatic music world has lost a great vidwan of kriti rendition, manodharmam and pallavi singing in the demise of Palghat Sri K.V. Narayanaswamy. Hailing from the Ariyakkudi tradition, later molded by Palghat Mani Iyer, KVN created a niche for himself in the field with his extraordinary individuality to the extent of being acknowledged as the KVN bani (style). His individuality over the five decades of his brilliant career in the field shines through the rendition of kritis of contrasting modes and moods, bhava (emotion) in raga alapanas and precision in laya (rhythm). He created unique patterns in svarakalpana, a mark of his own. Among many others, his svarakalpana for “manasuna”, (eduppu ¾ aksharas after samam in mischapu tala) in the karaharapriya raga kriti (Pakkala nilapati with progressively logical svara patterns in precise laya and ending with beautiful manodharma pattern unlike kanakku-korvais may be pointed out. He was an artist of great sense of proportion in everything, whether alapana, niraval, or svara kalpana.

His precision of laya in Pallavi trikalam whether four kalai or two kalai pallavi niraval and svaram have always been remarkable. The merits of his music include bhava, remarkable poise and temporal delineation in niraval.

His music of light genre in the post-Pallavi section of the concert has also been equally charming. One might recall songs such as Varugalamo, Eppo varuvaro, Kanavendamo, Ali veni nan endhucheyyu, Meyporul (kudhambai Siddhar song). Rasikas normally associate Eppo varuvaro with late Madurai Mani Iyer only; nevertheless those who had heard will know that KVN embellished it with his own unique features. If Ariyakkudi was the doyen and the pithamaha of the present day kaccheri paddhati, KVN will be another role model to be remembered for generations.

By Vasumathi Nagarajan
Musician and Teacher

A great music is one that brings the spirit of creativity. It is beautiful, boundless and unites all in its blissful melody. That is how the music of late Sangitha Kalanidhi KVN was.

During my younger days in Delhi, I had the great opportunity of listening to each one of his concerts. They had a tremendous and long-lasting impact on me. There is divinity especially in his rendering the composition of the great trinity, swathi thirunal, Papanasam Sivan to mention a few and needless to say, it would linger over and over again. His sruti alignment, clear rendering of sahityas, crisp kalpana swaras and finally the neraval singing was a great source of inspiration for students of music like me. He had a distinct way of singing neraval. To name a few, the phrases ‘vasavadi sakala’ in Sri Subramanyaya namasthe, Kambhoji raga and ‘Dharanu velayu’ in Dhyaname, Dhanyasi raga etc. The raga, tala and sahitya would compliment each other in his neraval.

His deftness in bringing out the total essence of the raga bhava in a relatively shorter duration is worth mentioning. Name any raga, he would sing with equal ease. The raga would simply flow like a river. His rendering of ragas like kalyani, thodi, saveri, natakuranji, vachaspathi, behag, suddhasaveri, kapi, ranjani etc were of high quality.

KVN evolved a unique and distinctive style of his own. He never deviated from the sampradaya or tradition and yet he would please everyone with his bhava filled music. As a student of Central College of Karnatic music, I recall as to how he would stress the importance of sruthi and sahitya. He would make sure that all the swaras were in perfect unison with the sruti, especially while rendering durita kala sangatis.

In spite of all his accomplishments, he was a very humble and a modest man and ever approachable. He had a great reverence for his guru, the great Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. He was the first to teach music to the students of Wesleyen University, Connecticut. The music world had indeed lost a great musical stalwart. However, he has left behind a great legacy for future generation to emulate and follow.

By Ravi Srinivasan
Student

The passing away of Palghat K. V. Narayanaswamy (“KVN Mama”) on April 1, 2002 came as a shock to all his rasikas and sishyas worldwide. He had a profound influence on all of his sishyas, and was instrumental in instilling in us a keen sense of musical discipline and classicism. Although I formally started learning from him in early 2000, I had been exposed to his school and style for several years before that. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been exposed to his music and musical style and to have been associated with him and his bani.

I had approached KVN mama for further training after several years of prior training in Indian and Western classical music, violin and later vocal. I had learnt from Sri H. V. Srivatsan for several years while residing in California, and after relocating to Chennai for professional reasons, felt that I should take advantage of my temporary stay in Chennai to progress further musically.

Although I had exposure to the KVN school for many years before moving to Chennai, there was still an initial apprehension in approaching such a great master and playing violin or singing before him. Padma Mami, KVN mama and the other sishyas who were always present in their Mandaveli home were always encouraging, however. This intimate, supporting atmosphere became extremely conducive to musical progress and to a deeper understanding of KVN’s style.

Mentioned repeatedly to me was something very well known to all followers of KVN: the absolute importance of sruti alignment and fidelity- both for plain notes and gamakas. In fact, I was once told something very simple: if one wanted to impress and satisfy KVN mama, all one had to do was play or sing a piece with absolutely perfect sruti alignment - nothing more.

KVN mama and Padma mami were persevering and encouraging in all their sishyas’ musical pursuits. One incident I recall was visiting their house one evening in September 2000. Padma mami said I could wait in the puja room for KVN mama. I was thinking of singing the Bhairavi varnam Viriboni, and with the door closed (and the assumption that no one was listening) proceeded to experiment with Bhairavi ragam. Shortly after, KVN mama came into the room, commented appreciatively on my singing and proceeded (to my delight) to spend the next half-hour delineating Bhairavi. He often allowed his students to start and would then proceed to both correct any incorrect renditions and provide guidance in further elaborating a raga.

KVN mama and Padma mami were keen on their sishyas’ continuous improvement and on having them perform when they were ready. KVN mama would himself attend occasionally and would always be keen on hearing recordings of his sishyas’ performances. Most of us found that extremely encouraging and motivating. I personally developed a level of self-confidence with both violin accompaniment and vocal singing that I did not have before.

One of my more memorable experiences with KVN mama included travelling with him, his family and other sishyas to Thiruvaiyaru in August 2000. Thiruvaiyaru is a very peaceful village, and visiting the Tyagaraja samadhi at this time was a highly gratifying and pleasant experience. Our singing at the temple there was meant only for the renowned saint of Thiruvaiyaru, and all of us gave our full vigour and energy to please the saint.

Another memorable experience was attending KVN mama’s last public performance - at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in February 2002. The occasion was the release of his biography and its presentation to the President. Although not in the best of health at the time, KVN mama, supported by his wife, did not wish to disappoint the President and his audience in Delhi. He gave a short and precise rendition of Nada Tanumanisham and Pahi Parvatha.

Music lovers everywhere will sorely miss KVN mama. For his sishyas, the loss is even deeper in that our primary musical mentor is no more. He was a storehouse of knowledge, and simply conversing with him and spending time with him often turned into an invaluable learning experience. We all know there was so much more within him that he could have shared with us. It now remains our collective responsibility to maintain his musical legacy, discipline and ideals in the years to come.

By Sudha Chandrasekhar
A Rasika

The world of Carnatic music lost a rare and valuable gem on April 1, 2002 when Shri KV Narayanaswamy (popularly known as KVN) passed away. He was 78. Permit me to travel back in time to one lazy hot late summer evening in 1985 in Madras. At the time, I was just developing a taste for Carnatic music. A knowledgeable friend suggested I should attend KVN’s concert. I scoffed at the idea, having never heard of KVN before, and being quite convinced he would be an old bore. Oh! The arrogance and ignorance of youth! My persistent friend persuaded me to attend the concert. KVN was singing at Sastri Hall. To those familiar with Madras, it is a small unassuming venue where some of the best “off season” concerts were held. I alighted at the Luz bus stop, stopped for a few moments at the Ganapathi temple in the corner, and reluctantly walked across to Sastri Hall. The summer air was redolent with the smell of jasmine flowers and ripe mangoes. The hall was filled with a smattering of elderly men lustily chewing “vethalai pakku” and greeting each other with jovial “enna voi” comments. On the stage was KVN in his impeccable white jubba and veshti, tuning the tambura. After a brief introduction, he started the concert. With the opening notes of his Ata tala varnam in Ritigowlai, he won me over completely and instantaneously.

After that first concert, there was no looking back for me, as an ardent KVN fan. I attended his performances whenever I could and he never disappointed his fans. Every performance was of the highest quality because of his unswerving devotion to the purity of the art form. In any given song, he was able to translate the various emotions of the composer-be it the bhakta’s grief, longing, bliss, questioning, anger, or spirituality-into a medium that the rasika could identify with. Why is KVN so famous for his rendition of Gopalakrishna Bharathi’s “Varuga-laamo Aiyya?” Because he could musically paint a picture of a diffident Nandanar standing at the Shiva temple, yearning for the Lord’s grace. Nandanar grieved his ill fortune that he was born in a low caste and denied access to the Lord’s inner sanctum. When KVN sings that song, he brings out the hidden emotions of yearning that each of us holds in ourselves. And we long for that inner grace because we are so painfully aware of the inadequacies of our human existence. Reportedly, both KVN and the accompanying violinist had tears streaming down their eyes when he sang this song during the last music season. One of the tributes said it should be renamed "Urugalaamo Aiyya.".

KVN’s music was characterized by sowkhyam, shantham, shruthi suddam, and intense bhava or urukkum. I am not sure that there is a word in the English language that brings out the exact nature of sowkhyam or urukkum. But listen to him sing “O Jagadamba” and you will know instantly what I mean. It is a feeling of enormous inner peace, and a sense of leisurely exploration and oneness with the Divine.

As I drove to work on April 2, I listened to his live concert recording of January 1, 2002 at the Asthika Samajam. Cars and trucks whizzed past me on the freeway. But I was immersed in a different world. My car was filled with the sound of KVN’s rather frail voice singing “Varugalaamo Aiyya,” probably the last time he ever sung that song in a public concert. I felt my heart squeeze with grief and tears came to my eyes. In my mind’s eye, I could see KVN enjoying Lord Shiva’s blissful Anadatandavam in His divine abode, just as Nandanar yearned for in his song. Could anyone deserve it more?

By Ramani Ramakrishnan
A Rasika

I have not formally met that great musician, Palghat K. V. Narayanaswamy, fondly referred to as KVN. I have been waiting for an opportunity to interview him and personally write about him in Kalã. But that was not to be - one of those not-meant-to-be assignations. I feel a void now, for KVN died on 1 April 2002, at a ripe age of 78. Of course, he will live among us through his music. Let me at least honour KVN by adding some of my thoughts on the man, as he appealed to me via his musical contributions.

He has been a great disciple. As Adi Sankara, the quintessential Vedantin, describes in his Vivekachudamani (the Crest Jewel of Discrimination), even a great teacher must deserve his student and KVN has made Ariyakudi (his teacher) proud. KVN has been a great musician, a great teacher in his own right, and of course a stickler for musical tradition.

Obviously, I have been to a number of his concerts! My admiration is justifiably based on my observations gathered from his concerts. Let me highlight KVN, the man and musician, by describing just two of his concerts, the 1983 Tansen Music Festival concert in Chicago and the 1993 Toronto concert.

The Chicago concert, by the mature 60-year-old KVN, was a mixture of gambiram (power+vigour) and tenderness. Let me explain through three of the items presented in that concert - Tyagaraja yoga vaibhavam, bhavam, vam, m in ragam Anandabhairavi by Dikshitar, Pakkala Nilabadi in ragam Karaharapriya by Tyagaraja and the crowd pleaser, Krishna ni begane bharo, in ragam Yamunakalyani by Vyasaraya. The brilliance of KVN, a definite role model for other artistes, shone through these three songs. First and foremost, KVN implicitly understood the dictum of the three composers. In the Anandabhairavi kriti, KVN’s enunciation of each syllable brought out not only the beauty of the ragam itself , but also the intellectual prowess of the composer Dikshitar. The devotional fervour of Tyagaraja was palpably evident in the Karaharapriya kriti. With soft and tender nuances and melodious overdrive, KVN wrought the bakhti aspect to the full. KVN was well aware that the Yamunakalyani song was a welcome component for a relaxed rapport with the audience. But KVN added a musician’s flavour by presenting a short ragam alaapana and niraval segment to Krishna ni beghane and the enjoyment of that warhorse was that much more elevated.

The 1993 Toronto concert by the 70-year-old KVN was a clarion call to realize one’s own moksha. The song selections of that concert bring joyous tears to my eyes, even today. He began his concert with two Andal Thiruppavai songs (Oongi Olaghu and Aazhi Mazhaikanna) set to music by his illustrious teacher. His large piece (including alaapana, kriti, niraval and swarakalpanas) was Piravaa Varam tarum Pirandalum unadiyai maravaa varam tarum (Let me not be born again, but if I am born again, let me not forget your lotus feet) in ragam Latangi by Papanasam Sivan. His RTP (Ragam Tanam Pallavi) was a four-ragam masterpiece, Kalyani Sankarabarananai Azhai Todi Vaadi Darabariku, made famous by his guru. He of course concluded his concert with a song tuned by his guru. As an ardent reader of Adi Sankara’s works, this concert showed me the true meaning of that wonderful song Tatah kim Tatah kim (What more does one want if one has the blessings of one’s guru?) by Sankara. By 1993 KVN had reached the pinnacle of his musical career by winning great accolades such as the Sangeetha Kalanidhi. But, I knew then in 1993, that KVN had embarked on his final journey, through his intense desire to merge with the One.

Now, nine years later, he has left this mortal world behind. It is amazing how great artistes leave indelible marks on us with just a sprinkling of their oeuvre, to remain immortal in our minds.

Trichy Sankaran, performer, teacher, composer and a professor at York University, has accompanied KVN on the mridangam.

Vasumathi Nagarajan, a Sangeetha Vidwan, is a music teacher in Toronto.

Ravi Srinivasan works for an IT outsourcing firm in New York and Chennai.

Sudha Chandrasekhar, a pediatrician, learned Carnatic music in Chennai for 8 years. She lives in Arizona.