# Concerts of Chembai

Concerts of Chembai were concerts by Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, an Indian Carnatic music vocalist of the 20th century.

## Arangetram & First Paid Concerts (1904)

Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar debuted in 1904 at a two-hour concert with his brother Subramanian. The brothers had their first paid concert in 1905 at a temple festival in a town called Ottapalam in the Palakkad district of Kerala. At a later concert held at Kantallur Parthasarathy Temple, violin accompaniment was provided by Anantha Bhagavatar, while mridanga support was given by stage actor Chokkanathapuram Ayya Bhagavatar.

## Vaikom and Guruvayur Performances (1907)

One of the landmarks during the early career of the brothers was their concert at the temple festival in Vaikom, known for the annual musical feast it provided. At the 1907 concert, his father again provided violin accompaniment. Thereafter, Chembai made it a practice to sing at the Vaikom festival every year. After the Vaikom concert, Anantha Bhagavatar took the boys to Guruvayur, another significant temple town, where they held another successful concert. Guruvayur too became a regular part of the Chembai's concert programmed every year. Thus, Vaidyanathan and Subrahmaniam absorbed not only their father's knowledge of music from an early age but also the tradition of religious life that had been a hallmark of their family for generations.

## A Year with Kaliakudi Natesa Sastry (1909)

When Kaliakudi Natesa Sastri of Tiruvarur, an exponent of the art of Harikatha (musical discourse), came to Chembai village, Anantha Bhagavatar and his family attended the programmes, leading to the boys joining Sastry's troupe. Their concert in Tiruvarur (in Thanjavur district) at a guru puja festival at which Natesa Sastrigal gave a discourse was especially notable because it was at this concert that the boys were heard for the first time by Pudukkottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai, a famed exponent of the mridangam and kanjira. They've been singing at various places During their sojourn with Natesa Sastri. They also took every possible opportunity of listening to famous musicians whenever they performed, such as Namakkal Narasimha Iyengar, Kallidaikurichi Vedanta Bhagavathar, Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar, Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Iyer, Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar, Madurai Pushpavanam, Tirukodikaval Krishna Iyer, Malaikkottai Govindaswamy Pillai and Pudukkottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai. This learning by listening was a valuable facet of the brothers' training. After a year of absence, the brothers returned to Chembai in 1910 as experienced musicians.

## Accolades from Palghat Anantharama Bhagavatar (1911)

Palghat Anantharama Bhagavatar was present at a concert in Sekharipuram in 1911 and testified to the quality of the musicianship of the brothers. He complimented Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar's voice and predicted a bright future for him.

## Violin and Flute Training (1912)

Chembai also started learning to play the violin, something which he was already familiar with, as his father was a violinist. He attained sufficient proficiency to accompany singers, which became useful when he lost his voice in 1952. For about a year, he accompanied flautist Anantha Bhagavatar, his sister Narayani's husband. He was also interested in the flute and learnt to play it well enough to perform a few concerts.

## Karur Concert (1913)

A patron of the arts and artists named Pethachi Chettiar lived in Karur (near Trichy). He used to conduct a festival featuring music concerts by the leading musical lights of the day. The arrangements of this music test were the responsibility of the celebrated musician and vaggeyakara Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar. Chembai wanted to attend this music festival and he and his brother proceeded to Karur. He met Muthiah Bhagavatar and expressed his desire to perform at the festival. Muthiah Bhagavatar had told him that the performance schedules were prepared and could not be altered. Chembai was deeply disappointed, but fate intervened. The violin accompanist for a jalatarangam concert failed to arrive. Chembai persuaded the artist to accept his services, and she agreed. The concert was a success, and, as customary, Chembai was given payment for his contribution. However, he expressed a desire not to be paid in cash, stating that his only intention had been to sing. He explained he was building up a career as a vocalist, though he also knew how to play the violin; and that he would prize a different kind of payment, that of a chance to sing before such a distinguished audience. Muthiah Bhagavatar and Pethachi Chettiar were persuaded by this reasoning and promised Chembai the stage for the following day, where he performed to the appreciation of all.

## Pondicherry Concert (1915)

He was invited to sing at a wedding in the family of one Jnanaprakasa Mudaliar in Pondicherry. Until then, the brothers had given full-fledged concerts mostly in and around Chembai. True, they had been to several places with Natesa Sastrigal and sung at his discourses, but these mini-concerts were more like interludes, of subsidiary performances. The performance in Pondicherry made Chembai known over a wider area leading later to more concert opportunities.

## Ernakulam Concert (1915)

Chembai secured a similar opportunity of significance again in 1915. A leading citizen of Ernakulam, named T.A.Duraiswami lyer was conducting an annual Tyagaraja festival which attracted famous performers of the day and a throng of listeners. It was considered a privilege to sing at the festival. Chembai went to Ernakulam and requested Duraiswami lyer for a chance to sing. Duraiswami lyer agreed. As customary at such festivals, Chembai sang for the limited time allotted to him and was about to get up, when there was a chorus of requests for one more number and he had to oblige! Here he had forged a friendship with T.G. Krishna Iyer (nephew of Duraiswami Iyer) whose compositions he was to set to classical music and popularize later.

## Thiruvavaduthurai Concert (1915)

Chembai had heard about 'Sreelasree' Ambalavana Desikar (pontiff of the Tiruvavaduturai matha) and his discriminating knowledge of music. He wanted to have a chance to sing before him and proceeded to Tiruvavaduturai with his brother. At Desikar's suggestion, Chembai rendered in viruttam form the verse Kanduka madakkariyai vasamai nadattalam. Desikar prompted Chembai about the ragas he should sing and the youngster responded enthusiastically. Impressed by the performance, Desikar ordered that a katcheri (concert) by Chembai be held the next day. A highlight of the concert was that the mridanga accompaniment was provided by the famous Azhagianambi Pillai.

## Palakkad Ramanavami Concert (1916)

Another significant event in Chembai's early career was his concert at the Ramanavami festival in Palakkad in 1916. Among those who attended the concert was Pudukkotai Dakshinamurthy Pillai. After the festival, Pillai returned to Trichy to meet the violin maestro Govindaswamy Pillai and told him of the calibre of Chembai's music. They made arrangements for a kutcheri by Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar in Trichy. Govindaswamy Pillai himself provided the violin accompaniment while Dakshinamurthy Pillai played the mridanga. The concert met Govindaswamy Pillai's expectations and Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar had the opportunity to sing at various other places, with the two Pillais themselves playing the accompaniment in most of the concerts.

## First Concert in Madras (1918)

Chembai's first concert in Madras was in 1918, at the Triplcane Sangeeta Sabha. Rasikas who had heard about the young vidwan were keenly looking forward to the event and the sale of tickets was very brisk. As the concert was about to begin, the hall was full, with a large number of restless listeners not able to gain entrance. This rose to a clamour as the concert started and the organisers had finally to keep the entrance doors open to pacify everyone. The concert, featuring as sidemen Govindaswamy Pillai on the violin, Azhagunambi Pillai on the mridanga and Dakshinamurthy Pillai on the kanjira, was an impressive effort.

## First Concert with Chowdiah and Palghat Mani Iyer (1924)

T.Chowdiah was a violinist who invented the seven-stringed violin and became very popular playing it. Chembai befriended him after meeting at a friend's house in 1924. Their avid discussion on music at their first meeting turned into a musical challenge, at the end of which both recognized the other's proficiency. Chembai performed with Chowdiah in the Jagannatha Bhakta Sabha. It was in this concert that Chembai introduced young Palghat Mani Iyer (who was to become one of the great mridangam players) to a discerning audience. At a similar concert in 1926, he had also introduced Palani Subramaniam Pillai, a disciple of Pudukottai Dakshinamurthi Pillai.

## Inaugural performance at Madras Music Academy (1927)

The annual meeting of the Indian National Congress was held in a different city every year. In 1927, it was held in Madras. Music concerts were arranged on the sidelines of the meeting, where it was decided that an institution to promote classical music in south India should be started in Madras. Thus the Madras Music Academy was born, and Chembai was one of the singers who were invited to give the inaugural concerts.