D. K. Pattammal


Damal Krishnaswamy Pattammal was an Indian Carnatic musician and a playback singer for film songs in Tamil. She along with her contemporaries M. S. Subbulakshmi and M. L. Vasanthakumari are popularly referred to as the female trinity of Carnatic Music. This trio initiated the entry of women into mainstream Carnatic Music. She has been appreciated all over the world by Carnatic music lovers.

Early life and background

Pattammal was born in a Brahmin family in Kancheepuram of Tamil Nadu, India. She was named as Alamelu, but fondly called "Patta" as a child prodigy. Her father, Damal Krishnaswamy Dikshithar, who was deeply interested in music, inspired her to learn Carnatic music. Her mother, Kanthimathi, although a talented singer herself, was not permitted to sing even for friends or relatives in line with strict orthodox tradition. Despite her orthodox background, Pattammal sang and showed considerable music talent at an early age.
She received no formal gurukula training. As a child, Pattammal sat through the concerts, and on returning home, notated the kritis she heard, and key phrases of ragas. Her brothers D. K. Ranganathan, D. K. Nagarajan, and D. K. Jayaraman – later her vocal accompanists, helped her in this task. She also sang simple devotional hymns and songs her father taught her.
Later, she received tuition from an unnamed Telugu-speaking musician, whom she called "Telugu vadyar" or "Telugu teacher". He'd also offered to teach her Telugu and Sanskrit.

Singing career

At age eight, Pattammal won first prize for singing Thyagaraja's "Raksha Bettare" in Bhairavi, at a competition conducted by C Subramanya Pillai, whom Pattammal admired deeply. According to Pattammal, Naina Pillai would host Thyagaraja Utsavams in Kancheepuram every year, and was a veteran in the art of singing Ragam Thanam Pallavi.
; circa early 1940s.
In 1929, at age 10, Pattamal gave her first radio performance for Madras Corporation Radio, and 3 years later, she gave her first public concert at Madras Rasika Ranjani Sabha in 1932. One year later, she moved to Chennai to become a regular performer in concerts and gave her first performance at the Mahila Samajam, and won acclaim. In 1939, Pattammal married R. Iswaran. She quickly rose to stardom, and her musical career spanned more than 65 years.
D. K. Pattammal's knowledge was encyclopaedic; she was considered as an authority on Muthuswami Dikshitar's compositions, and is also known for her renditions of these. She learnt authentic versions of these compositions from Ambi Dikshitar, a descendant of Muthuswami Dikshitar, as well as Justice T. L. Venkatrama Iyer, an authority on Dikshithar's compositions. She popularised several Dikshithar's compositions in her concerts, and also sang Tiruppugazhs and Tevarams that she learnt from Appadurai Achari. Pattammal also learnt many compositions of Papanasam Sivan, directly from the composer himself. She went on to popularise these compositions of Papanasam Sivan, as well as those of Subramania Bharathiyar, both in film and Carnatic music.
Pattammal started a few revolutionary trends in Carnatic music. She was the first Brahmin woman to have performed this genre of music publicly. Brahmins ranked as the highest in the caste hierarchy prevalent in India in the early 20th century, and society considered it taboo for a Brahmin woman to perform on stage.
Pattammal was also the first woman to have performed Ragam Thanam Pallavi in concerts. Ragam Thanam Pallavi, which was classed as a male stronghold, is the most difficult concert item in Carnatic music, as it calls for great skill and a high degree of concentration to handle the rhythmic complexities involved. Pattammal went further to perform very complex Pallavis in intricate talas ; impressing and earning the respect of her male peers, connoisseurs and fellow-musicians. Her singing of pallavis was technically perfect, and aesthetically pleasing. For this reason, she became dubbed "Pallavi Pattammal". She learnt a few pallavis and compositions from Naina Pillai, and several from Vidyala Narasimhalu Naidu, the nephew of Tirupati Narayanaswami Naidu, a prominent composer of javalis. Today, many female Carnatic musicians perform Ragam Thanam Pallavi as the main item in their concerts.

Films

Pattammaal was one of the earliest Carnatic musicians to sing in films, and was introduced in this medium by Paapanaasam Sivan. Although she received many offers to sing for films, she only accepted those that involved devotional or patriotic songs, and declined offers to sing romantic songs. The first film Pattammaal sang in was Thyaagabhoomi. A scene, towards the end of the film, showed a group of freedom fighters marching in a procession, carrying the Indian National Congress party flag, with "Desa Sevai Seyya Vaareer" being sung by Pattammaal in the background. The song, written by Kalki and tuned by Paapanaasam Sivan, highlighted the Freedom Movement and invited people to join. The fame that the film and the song generated led to both being banned by the British government.
Pattammaal popularised several patriotic compositions of Subramania Bharathiyar. In Naam Iruvar, her renditions of "Vetri Ettu Dhikkum Etta", and "Aaduvome Pallu-p- Paduvome", a remarkably prescient creation celebrating a free India, went on to be big hits. In Raama Raajyam, Pattammaal popularised Subramania Bharathi's "Thoondir Puzhvinai-p-pol", and she made his composition, "Theeradha Vilayattu Pillai", Vedhaala Ulagam a favourite with listeners. Pattammaal's singing, along with the dancing of Baby Kamala in the film, made the latter of these especially memorable. In AVM's Vaazhkkai, where Vyjayanthimala was introduced to film acting, Pattammaal sang the nationalist poet's "Bharatha Samudhaayam Vaazhgave". Pattammaal also had the rare honour of performing at the foundation-laying ceremony of the Bhaarati Memorial at Ettayapuram.
Pattammaal sang in other films including Mahatma Urangaar, Pizhaikkum Vazhi, Laavanya. The last song Pattammaal sang in film was at the age of 80 for the Tamil film, Hey Ram. Ilaiyaraaja and Kamal Haasan carted recording equipment to her home and had her sing "Vaishnav Janato", a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi, for the film.
YearFilmLanguageSongMusicLyrics
1939ThyagabhoomiTamilDesa Sevai Seyya VaareerPaapaanasam SivanKalki R. Krishnamurthy
1946TyaagayyaTamilPurandaradaasa Devara NamaChittor V. NaagaiahPaapanasam Sivan
1947Nam IruvarTamilVettri Ettu DhikkumR. SudharsanamMahaakavi Subramaniya Bhaarathiyar
1947Nam IruvarTamilAaduvome Pallu PaduvomeR. SudharsanamMahakavi Subramaniya Bharathiyar
1947Mahathma UtthangaarTamilKaana Aaval Konden Iru VizhigalalS. V. Venkatraman & T. R. RamanathanPapanasam Sivan
1947Mahathma UtthangaarTamilKunchitha Paadham Ninainthu UrugumS. V. Venkatraman & T. R. RamanathanPapanasam Rajagopala Iyer
1947Miss MaaliniTamilSree Saraswathi NamasthudheS. Rajeswara Rao & Parur S. AnantharamanKothamangalam Subbu
1948Raama RajyamTamilEnakkun Irupadham NinaikkaR. SudharsanamArunachala Kavirayar
1948Vedhala UlagamTamilThoondir PuzhuvinaipolR. SudharsanamMahakavi Subramaniya Bharathiyar
1948Vedhala UlagamTamilTheeradha Vilayattu-p- PillaiR. SudharsanamMahaakavi Subramaniya Bhaarathiyar
1948Pizhaikkum VazhiTamilEngal Naattukku Endha Naadu Eeedu Perinba Gnana VeeduG. AswathamaT. K. Sundara Vaathiyar
1948Pizhaikkum VazhiTamilKottai KattathedaaG. AswathamaT. K. Sundara Vaathiyar
1948Pizhaikkum VazhiTamilMudhalai VaayilG. AswathamaT. K. Sundara Vaathiyar
1949VaazhkkaiTamilBhaaratha Samudhaayam VaazhgaveR. SudharsanamMahaakavi Subramaniya Bhaarathiyar
1950JeevithamTeluguAandhra Yugakka Neevi JayamuraaR. Sudharsanam
1951LavanyaTamilPazham Bhaaratha NannaaduS. V. VenkatramanPapanasam Sivan
1951LavanyaTamilThanga Oru Nizhal IllaiyeS. V. VenkatramanPapanasam Sivan
2000Hey RamTamilVaishnava JanatoIlaiyaraajaKrishnaswamy Iyer

Pattammal was one of the artists in Jana Gana Mana video album composed by A. R. Rahman which was released on 26 January 2000 to mark the 50th year of the Indian Republic. Pattammaal who, at 80, was senior-most among the rest of the other vocal artists in this video album.

Tours

Pattammaal has performed in all major states, sabhaas and venues throughout India, as well as numerous destinations around the world, including the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sri Lankaa and other countries.

Disciples

Pattammal's style of singing attracted many students, foremost among them her younger brother D. K. Jayaraman, who sang with her in several concerts, and who himself received the Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1990. A few of her other popular students include her daughter-in-law Lalitha Sivakumar, Sushila Raman, grand daughter Gayathri SundaraRaman, Geetha Rajashekar, her granddaughter Nithyasree Mahadevan, her great-granddaughter Lavanya Sundararaman, and her Malaysian, Chinese student/adopted grandson Chong Chiu Sen from Malaysia.

Death

Pattammal died of natural causes in Chennai on 16 July 2009 at 1:30 pm. She was survived by I. Sivakumar and I. Lakshmankumar, as well as her grandchildren Rajguru, Gayathri, Nithyasree, and Charan. Her husband, R. Iswaran died on 2 April 2010, aged 95.

Awards and titles

D. K. Pattammal received several awards and titles throughout her career. Most notably these include: