Let your work speak for itself.’ In today’s PR-driven world, this adage may seem misplaced.
But on June 7, its impact was felt. Gathered at Bharat Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram was a hall full of Carnatic music practitioners, aficionados, and experts.
The event marked the inauguration of the centenary celebrations of Vechoor Harihara Subramania Iyer, one of Kerala’s Carnatic doyens, who lived at Valiyasala Agraharam in the capital city.
Vechoor resided for several years in Valiyasala’s tranquil premises, where he taught music to generations of students. Many of them went on to become stalwarts of Carnatic music, such as Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma, Neyyattinkara Vasudevan, Ambika Devi and Vaikom Venugopal. Some shone bright in the world of cinema as well, like K J Yesudas and M G Radhakrishnan.
A few of these students, along with their disciples and families, assembled at Bharat Bhavan — which, incidentally, was once home to Vechoor’s guru, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, before it became the cultural centre.
Among those present was 84-year-old Kumara Kerala Varma, probably his oldest living student. He recalled his guru’s house at Vechoor in Vaikom, Kottayam. The place is now world-renowned for its indigenous breed of dwarf cows but, in Carnatic circles, it’s better known for its homestead of Sasthampattu singers, a lineage of ritual performers during the Mandala season and at Ayyappa shrines.
“I started training under Vechoor sir when I was 12. He was in Tiruvalla then. Later, during school breaks, I would go to his house in Vechoor for two months to deepen my learning. The experience was priceless,” Kerala Varma reminisces.
“Our days would start early with music, and then I would go around and take dips in the ponds nearby. His house was in a Brahmin agraharam, but we were treated like hosts, not guests. There always used to be music in that house.”
Notably, it was Kerala Varma who introduced Vechoor to Kowdiar Palace — where a 14-year-old ‘prince’ awaited lessons from him. But before he could be appointed as tutor, Vechoor had to undergo scrutiny from Amma Maharani, the royal matriarch revered for her refined musical sensibilities. The recommendation came from none other than Semmangudi.
“The lessons were mostly in Amma Maharani’s chamber, under her watchful eye. I remember how I was taught—with him singing a note and me following it,” recalls Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma.
“If I made a mistake, he would make me practise the part nonstop until I got it right. I didn’t take the classes seriously until I was probably in Class 10. That was the time when an internal spark ignited a passion. I found in him not just answers to my musical quest but a friendship, a camaraderie that lasted until he passed away in 1994.”
Rama Varma notes that the eighth day of the Navarathri concerts is based on the Nattakurinji raga, which demands a deep grasp of Carnatic techniques. “Vechoor sir was known for this. His command of technicalities was profound, and he taught with equal rigour,” he recalls.
“What mesmerised me was his patience and peaceful demeanour. Never once did he appear shaken. As a performer, I often feel he wasn’t given his due — he received only three awards, though he was worthy of much more. He never chased recognition, nor did he seek out concerts. I have even seen some of his disciples usurp concerts that were meant for him. But he remained undeterred — focused solely on music and its transmission.”
For popular singer B Arundhati, Vechoor was “a treasure trove of knowledge”. Though not a full-time disciple, she remembers learning several krithis from him.
“I was in college when I went to learn about Swati Thirunal’s ‘Navavidha Bhakthi Krithikal’, which Vechoor sir used to teach at the Swathi Thirunal Sangeetha Sabha. He was a scholarly musician and an exceptional teacher,” she recalls.
“I have attended many of his katcheris. They would be perfect, with no mixing of styles. He learnt under Semmangudi, but was also inspired by GNB (G N Balasubramaniam). From these influences, he evolved his own style — one that stayed true to tradition. He never violated boundaries, but within them, took music to dizzying heights. He was a master at singing and teaching alike. A true karma yogi who never chased fame.”
Vechoor’s family still resides at the modest ‘Vechoor House’ in Valiyasala. His descendants remain connected to music, but do not flaunt the legacy tag.
“I was taught by him when I was very young. He was never partial, and didn’t force me to learn either. I chose to learn from him, and later from Kumara Kerala Varma, his disciple,” says H Ratnaprabha, his granddaughter and a musician based in Chennai.
She too remembers her grandfather as a silent, stoic, and dignified presence who chiselled his art to perfection without ever seeking rewards. “He never sought recognition. His focus was on the art alone. He only taught,” she says.
“There was little remembrance of him outside his disciples until his 25th death anniversary, when a memorial concert was organised. Now, a foundation has been formed that is actively working to preserve his memory for future generations.”
B S Sekhar, treasurer of the Vechoor Harihara Subramania Iyer Foundation, elaborates on the initiative.
“I used to accompany him to concerts as a teenager, though it was towards the latter part of his life. The next generation needs to understand the quality he upheld. We are in the process of collecting his works from various sources. We are also using social media to document his life and art. A book is in the works too,” he says.
His disciples note that even just minutes before his death, ‘Vechoor sir’ was preparing to teach a student — a moment that, in hindsight, encapsulates his life.
It was utter surrender to the art that made his music flawless. That’s why he never had a good or bad day at work. He was blemishless as a musician and a teacher.
This is what they want to convey to the world: that the cultural ethos of our land has been shaped by the emphatic, presence of people like their beloved Vechoor sir. His legacy, they chorus, continues to speak long after he is gone.