Looks like this is the season for reminiscing the greats of carnatic music. Weeks after the release of a biography on the legendary violinist Lalgudi Jayaraman, here comes a website in memory of D K Pattammal, the titan woman vocalist, whose voice rang out on the airwaves of Madras at the stroke of Indian Independence in 1947.
The website, www.dkpattammal.org, said Pattammal’s grand-daughter, the eminent vocalist Nityasree Mahadevan, has an exhaustive collage of rare recordings, video clippings, photos and news items on her. Speaking at the launch of the website here on Sunday, Nityasree said, “That D K Pattammal was a great singer needs no mention. Widely acknowledged as having paved the way for women musicians, her achievements need to be cast in stone.” She was quick to add that it was the meticulous nature of her grandfather, R Iswaran, to carefully document such items that helped them immensely. Due to this, Nityasree realised that she was on a discovery of her grandmother’s unknown celebrated traits – such as her singing for the Hollywood movie Dr Jekkyl and Mr Hyde, of which she got to know via a news clipping.
While setting off to start the website, Nityasree and her sister, Gayatri Sundararaman had a tough time deciding on what to exclude. “What we have uploaded on the website — designed by a private firm Wisensoft Technologies — hardly comprises three per cent of the content on Pattammal,” she said.
Speaking on the occasion, eminent classical dancer Vyjanayanthi Mala Bali, who was once a student of Pattammal, quoted personal incidents from her life with the musician, adding that humility and simplicity were her hallmark. “She always had a patient ear and would answer my queries in a soft and unassuming manner. Her method of clarifying dark areas in music always had the touch of patience, like that of a mother. I consider myself fortunate to have been her student.”
Noted musician Sriram Parasuram said that Pattammal was solely responsible for popularising the compositions of master musicians such as Papanasam Sivan. “She may have possessed a simple, unassuming appearance, but behind it was a treasure trove of intelligence,” he added.
The website was inaugurated by N Murali, president of the Music Academy.