Topic started by Narayanan on Wed Sep 29 08:15:12 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

The topic actually Should read "Light Moments in Carnatic Music".
This thread is to share info. about humour in carnatic arena... vidhwans and their light experiences.

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Narayanan (@ 195.224.238.98) on: Thu Mar 2 13:27:15 EST 2000
  
  Once (1960s) in a town near Kanchipuram, Salem Chellam Iyengar was singing in a temple concert. There was a decent crowd and SCI was impressed.
  There was an elderly man sitting int he front row staring at Sri SCI. The vidhwan, to impress this rasika flashed several "birkas" but the rasika would not respond positively. In between krithis, he spoke to the violinist about this and the conversation went like this (you need to know tamil)
  
  SCI to Violinist : "enna ivvalavu birkaa paadinalum avar thalaiye aatta maatengaraaru?"
  Violinist after speking to the organizer, who referred to some temple people and comes back.
  Violinist : "Avar innaiku illai inimel ennaikum thalai aata maattaru" and said that it was a dead body waiting to be carried to the cementry. (People in a caste called Kammaala bury the dead in seating posture - preferably in a chair).
  
  The Vidhwan lost his sruti and did not recover for the rest of the concert.
  
  
  
• From: Sree (@ 134.243.96.152) on: Thu Mar 2 14:55:23 EST 2000
  
  oh-uh, that's so morbid!
  
  
• From: Nadopasaka (@ aeppp43.buffnet.net) on: Thu Mar 2 15:09:28 EST 2000
  
  I have a different take on the 'stiff' in the audience.
  
  A vidwan began a concert and before long most of the people trickled out. He kept going but the exodus did not stop. Finally after a few hours there was only one bloke left. To this guy, the vidwan felt, he owed the fruits of his art and manodharma. After some more ragas, even the Vidwan began to tire. Ultimately he called off the concert.
  
  But he was very curious about his solitary rasika. He went up to to the chap and began to thank him for his patience, patronage and music appreciation.
  
  For which the chap replied 'It is my carpet you were sitting on. I was simply waiting for you to finish before reclaiming it !!'
  
  
• From: M. Ramachandran (@ 149.123.110.57) on: Fri Mar 24 12:12:29 EST 2000
  
  HI
  This is very interesting site. I enjoyed all the jokes and laughed and laughed.
  You need lighter moments like this.
  Now coming to a serious question, I am interested in collecting Mayavaram Rajam and Madurai Somu's songs. If any body has it, I will pay for it.
  Specially I want the song tape or atleast the lyrics for his song-- "Maadu Meykkumm Kanna, inda mandalem ellam penna>"
  Please some body help me
  MR
  
  
• From: Nadopasaka (@ akppp85.buffnet.net) on: Fri Mar 24 22:00:07 EST 2000
  
  >>> You need lighter moments like this.
  Now coming to a serious question, <<<
  
  Jeez, M. Ramachandran, this thread is for lighter moments not Light music. I hope you get your request taken care of ( if not here, then maybe on one of the several others threads it appears ..! )
  
  I have a real-life anecdote to relate. I will not use any names but it is absolutely true and occurred in the last 15 years. A top ranking artiste was on a Western tour and between concerts/cities was hosted for a night in a private apartment. Now, the artiste knew all the intricate details of new and old raagas/talams and how to switch between bhashaanga swaras with or without the 'ahad' gamakas but was completely unaware of modern, Western toilet facilities. Too shy to ask, or maybe in too much of a hurry, the artiste ended up using the shower tub for ALL, repeat ALL, duties ! Needless to say the apartment was forthwith evacuated !! This incident was a lot more serious for the hapless apartment residents, but gives a mildly humorous insight into the resilience of some old-time ways. I shudder to think what happened on the trans-continental flights.( sorry for any perceived crudity, not intended )
  
  Just goes to show that 'swara gyanam' doesn't necessarily mean you know your backside from a hole in the ground.
  
  
• From: RR (@ proxy.krdl.org.sg) on: Fri May 19 22:57:50
  
  I think this is the right thread to post. :) Don't miss it.
  
  http://www.rediff.co.in/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/TheRediffMusicShop/music_content.d2w/report?fname=1905sub.htm
  
  
• From: vidya (@ 202.9.146.7) on: Sat May 20 05:13:46 EDT 2000
  
  i have heard that maharajapuram vishwanatha iyer
  used to have a great sense of huour.
  anyone knows any anecdotes? - should be interesting.
  
  
• From: Ramji (@ 205.177.170.127) on: Sat May 20 07:19:14 EDT 2000
  
  I have heard this one about Ariyakudi.
  
  Rasikar: unga thOdi thOdu maathiri azhakaakavum alangaaramaagavum irukku.
  
  Ariyakkudi: kaathula pOttundaa sari.
  
  
• From: suhas (@ 203.197.54.127) on: Sat May 20 09:18:46 EDT 2000
  
  
  This is not about Carnatic and it is a fairly well-known story.It concerns the concerts that Ravi Shankar and Allah Rakha would give abroad in their younger days.
  
  Ravi and allah rakha would just finish tuning their instruments and the audience would give them a standing ovation thinking that they had completed the first piece!!!!
  
  
• From: Nadopasaka (@ afppp26.buffnet.net) on: Sat May 20 09:43:44 EDT 2000
  
  This may not be restricted to the first piece or to foreign locations either.
  
  
• From: Ravi Kiran (@ 210.214.123.199) on: Sat May 20 13:57:50 EDT 2000
  
  no offence to anyone, but these hindustani musicians take the cake when it comes to putting up a show on stage.
  anybody who has organised a hindustani recital would vouch for it.
  one of the young, upcoming artistes told us when were organising a music festival that for his concert, he needed 5' x 5' sheets on stage and around 3 aggarbathis!!
  these guys really get on your nerves sometimes...
  
  
• From: revive (@ netapps2.krdl.org.sg) on: Fri Oct 13 22:27:55
  
  
  
  
• From: Prasad K Sundar (@ ecargje1.nortelnetworks.com) on: Tue Oct 31 14:57:19
  
  Test message Please ignore
  
  
• From: Ravi Kiran (@ 164.164.88.97) on: Wed Nov 1 00:02:21 EST 2000
  
  hi prasad
  
  
• From: M.V.Kamala Ramani,M.A.(Music) (@ ) on: Sun Nov 25 02:09:07
  
  Hey guys,
  This is not regarding a concert. This happened in an interview conducted in a music college for admissions to BA Carnatic Music.
  The student entered the test hall, and he was asked to sing any item of his choice. The student in turn said that he would sing Ragam Tanam Pallavi. The examiner who was a Sangitha Vidwan , was very excited, since a student of RTP calibre is going to join the BA Music section. The student began singing ... Ragam Tanam Pallavi..naaa madilona kadalaadu..and so on.( you should know Telugu to understand this). For your information these were the starting words of a film song in the Hit"Shankarabharanamu", a Telugu Film..in the 1980s.
  From
  Ramani,
  Hyderabad.
  
  
• From: R. Sankar (@ 202.68.143.26) on: Wed Nov 28 04:27:31
  
  I have heard that Ariyakkudi had great sense of Humour and good command on Tamil..
  
  a) some rasika asked the difference between Bhairavi and Anandha Bhairavi.. the reply from Ariyakudi is ' the same difference between karandi and padala Karandi ( which is used to pick up items fallen into well) !!
  
  b) In a marriage hall some one mentioned that Rasam tastes good.. Ariyakudi commented ' ellam sari sari ya potta ga ma ga ma innu irukkum ( see the sa ri ga ma notes in his statement)..
  
  
• From: R. Sankar (@ 202.68.143.26) on: Wed Nov 28 04:51:48
  
  In a concert at Rani Seethai hall at Chennai, Maharajapuram Santhanam was at his Best that evening and around 9.00PM, he asked ' Idhayam Pesukiradhu' Manian who was sitting in the first row ( manian was an ardent lover of Santhanam's Music) ' Enna mangalam padalama' meaning ' Shall I close the Concert with Mangalam'..
  
  Manian replied ' Neenga paadinal evvalavu venumanalum ketkalam' ( meaning If u sing, we can listen without any time limit'..
  
  Santhanam in his suttle humour, replied to manian immediately by singing ' Vilayada Idhu Nerama''..
  
  That was Great Maharajapuram..
  
  
• From: rani (@ sfghstat162-33.ucsf.edu) on: Wed Apr 24 16:43:02
  
  hi everyone,
  
  for more bad jokes and anecdotes, please visit
  
  http://www.geocities.com/promiserani2/jokes.html" target="_top">http://www.geocities.com/promiserani2/jokes.html">http://www.geocities.com/promiserani2/jokes.html - karnATik kaDis
  
  thanks and keep laughing!
  rani
  
  
• From: Ambika Jois (@ host217-36-4-33.in-addr.btopenworld.com) on: Sat Aug 10 09:17:06
  
  This is a really good site, very useful to find almost all the lyrics I need. The jokes that I read that people sent, sent me flinging to the floor and there I am - sprawling on the floor, laughing!
  
  They are so funny, that has actually brought such an impression to me, saying this is the first place and time I have known music jokes . . .
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Ambika Jois (@ host217-36-4-33.in-addr.btopenworld.com) on: Sat Aug 10 09:19:33
  
  This is a really good site. It is indeed the most useful site I have been to, so far, that has nearly all the lyrics I want, and also, all the fun I am having, at reading these hilarious jokes, sent in by real good and brainy people, who have a sense of humour relating to music!
  
  
• From: s.VISWANATHAN (@ ) on: Mon Sep 30 17:21:12
  
  JOKES SITE IS MORE ENTERTAINING.MOST OF THE JOKES ARE HILARIOUS.HEREWITH IAM SENDING A JOKE.A VIDWAN WENT TO A WEDDING CONCERT IN CHETTINAD.,ALONG WITH ACCOMPANISTS.THEY HAVE LLOTTED AROOMFOR THEM TO STAY.THE ORGANISER CAME AND ASKED THE VIDWAN WHETHER IS COMFORTABLE.HE SAW SOME THING WAS COVERED IN THE CORNER AND ASKED THE VIDWAN "AVARU ENGHA POTHIKITTU PADUTHIRUKARU?VIDWAN REPLIED ATHU THAMBURA SIR,
  EVERY BODY LAUGHED ABOUT THE JOKE .
  
  
• From: supa (@ adsl-63-205-66-217.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net) on: Fri Jul 18 20:13:44
  
  here is a real life anecdote of maharajapuram vishwanatha iyer. he was travelling in atrain along with his sishyas. he was getting old and needed help for walking towards the toilet on the train. when he wanted to go for a piss in the night and called out, no sishya responded as theyw were all asleep. in the morning, viswanatha iyer said "oNNukku pogaNumdAnnu katharEn. oru paya vAyai therakka mAttengarAn".
  
  
• From: Balakrishnan (@ adsl-64-175-241-30.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net) on: Thu Jul 31 15:40:57 EDT 2003
  
  I think the following will be appropriate to share with you all in this thread for lighter side of music. During the music gala last December at Chennai, Neyveli Santhanagopalan gave a program 'Sangeetham Rasippom Varungal' (tips for music appreciation) at Parthasarathy Sabha. This was an open house interaction with rasikas. Neyveli had decorated the podium with his NRI disciples. After formal introduction of each one of them, he narrated several anectodes of vidwans of yesteryears. Some rasikas also shared their personal experiences with senior vidwans. It was fun to watch Arusuvai Natarajan interrupting this dialogue by serving a steaming 'Davara' of coffee to Neyveli on stage. Neyveli brought the roof down by mimicking the Niraval and Swaraprastharam of a few carnatic music stalwarts. Neyveli also played Mridangam accompaniment to a song rendition on request from one of his disciples. The whole session was filled with fun and puns depicting the lighter side of Carnatic music & musicians. BTW, for a moment I thought, why shouldn't Neyveli take up 'Vikatam' to fill the vacuum left by Thiruvisanalloor?
  
  
• From: k.kandasamy (@ pjc-72-98.tm.net.my) on: Fri Jul 16 11:27:28
  
  i enjoyed mostof the jokes.Let's have more of Maharajapuram Sthnm and Balamurali's anectodes thanks
  
  
• From: k.kandasamy (@ pjc-72-98.tm.net.my) on: Fri Jul 16 11:27:37
  
  i enjoyed mostof the jokes.Let's have more of Maharajapuram Sthnm and Balamurali's anectodes thanks
  
  
• From: Balakrishnan (@ adsl-67-112-202-176.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net) on: Wed Jan 12 20:58:27
  
  About 50 yrs earlier, Ariyakudi's shasti abdha poorthy function was celebrated on a grand scale with weeklong non-stop concerts in Sangeetha Mahal inside thanjavur palace. The entire festival was organised by leading advocates [Raghavachari, Krishnamachari, Ganesa iyer , Jagatrakshakan etc. to name few] of thanjavur. All eminent musicians of yester years participated by offering their musical abilities. In one such concert Palladam Sanjeeva Rao at the end of his concert requested Iyengar to excuse him for not giving him any currency gifts as he was not rich enough. He said he would instead present him with a note and proceeded to play the sankarabaranam note. Everybody enjoyed this gesture when Ariyakudi came near the podium to accept the offer. This remains green in my memory.
  
  
  
  
  

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