S. R. D. Vaidyanathan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
SRD Vaidyanathan
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| Background information | |
| Born | 15 March 1929 |
| Origin | Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Died | 18 November 2013 (aged 84) |
| Genres | Carnatic music |
SRD Vaidyanathan (born March 15, 1929 – died November 18, 2013) was a famous Indian musician. He was known for playing the Nadaswaram, a special wind instrument.
Contents
Growing Up: A Musician's Family
SRD Vaidyanathan was born in a town called Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu, India. He came from a family of well-known musicians from Semponar koil. His grandfather, Ramasamy Pillai, even had his Nadaswaram music recorded by a company called His Master’s Voice. His father, Dakshina Murthy, also made recordings for the Colombia company.
SRD Vaidyanathan learned music from several great teachers. He was taught the Nadaswaram by Thiru Mayavaram Ramiah Pillai. He also learned how to sing from Thiru Vizhundur. A.K. Ganesa Pillai and Madurai Mani Iyer.
His Musical Journey and Career
SRD Vaidyanathan was honored as an "Adheena Vidwan" by several important religious centers, including Dharmapuram Adheenam, Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam, and Thirupanandal Adheenam. This title recognized him as a master musician.
He also worked as a teacher. He was a Reader (a type of professor) for Nadaswaram at Annamalai University in Chidambaram. Later, he retired as a Reader from the Tamil Isai Sangam, Raja Annamalai Mandram, in Chennai.
SRD Vaidyanathan performed in many countries, including Singapore, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. His concerts were often broadcast on All India Radio (AIR) stations. He was considered a top-grade musician and was even a member of AIR's Audio-visual Board. He spent 60 years playing music professionally.
RAKTHI MELAM: A Special Style
One of his unique skills was performing "RAKTHI Melam." This is a very special and difficult musical style that involves complex rhythms. It was a traditional specialty passed down in his family. He performed RAKTHI Melam many times on AIR stations in cities like Chennai, Trichy, and Pondicherry.
Awards and Honors
SRD Vaidyanathan received many important awards and titles throughout his life. Here are some of them:
- 'Nadha Prathibimbam' from Sri.Shunmuganandha Sabha, New Delhi, in 1957.
- 'Kalaimamani' award from the Tamil Nadu Government in 1981, presented by Dr. M. G. Ramachandran.
- 'Rajarathna' award from Muthamil Peravai in 1987, given by Dr. M. Karunanidhi.
- 'Bharath Kalachar' Century Memorial Prize.
- TTK award from the Music Academy, Chennai, in 2004.
- Director K. Subramaniam Birth Centenary award for excellence in 2004.
- 'Kala Rathan' award from Rasika Ranjani Sabha, Mylapore, Chennai, in 2004.
- 'Sangeetha Choodamani' award from Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai, in 2006.
- 'Natha Kalamani' award from T.P.S Trust Naratha Gana Sabha, in 2006.
- 'Sangeet Natak Academy' award (PURASKAR) in 2008. This was given by Srimathi Pratibha Patil, who was the President of India at the time. He received it for his amazing contributions to Carnatic Instrumental music, especially the Nadaswaram.
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, a former President of India, also presented him with an award and recognition in 2008.
- A Gold medal and other honors for his Nadaswaram music in 2008.
- 'Isai Perarunjar' award from the Tamil Isai Sangam in Chennai in 2008.
Special Performances
SRD Vaidyanathan had many memorable performances:
- He performed for President Dr. Radhakrishnan at The Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
- He performed his special RAKTHI Melam for many expert musicians at Raja Annamalai Hall and won a cash prize.
- He gave a demonstration of "Avadhana Pallavi" on Doordarshan Kendra. This was a very complex performance where he used a violin and a drum (Mugansingh) with two different rhythms at the same time.
- In another amazing demonstration, he played the Nadaswaram while using both his hands and feet to keep time (tala). At the same time, he performed Pallavi swaram and Ragamaliga.
- His family has kept the tradition of RAKTHI Melam alive for five generations.
His Passing
SRD Vaidyanathan passed away on November 18, 2013, at the age of 84.
