Music Article -Lalgudi Jayaraman

Lalgudi Jayaraman

Dear Friends,

I would like to dedicate this article to the late Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman (Violinist, composer). He had won the hearts of lakhs of rasikas with his shows and made violin to talk and sing in different ways. He was able to mesmerize the audience by playing at ease two of the toughest ragas in Carnatic music world called as “Devagandhari” and “Neelambari.”

I am happy to share this article which depicts an interesting incident involving my father with the great Carnatic music violinist .Let me allow my father to narrate the incident in his own words as below.

Four decades back, I happened to enjoy an excellent musical evening adorned by Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman, his sister Srimathi Bramanandam and Sri Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman (mridangam) in a marriage reception at Savitha Hall, Coimbatore.The violin duet started at 6 p.m. and next three hours were simply magical.How the three hours went, nobody knew.In between many gave in chits their requests of songs and almost all the requests were played by Sri Jayaraman and his sister.At about 10 p.m. when Sri Jayaraman made an appeal to the audience whether they could end their duet, one physically handicapped middle-aged lady sitting on a wheel chair tried to stand up and made signs to Sri Jayaraman not to stop and continue to play.Sri Jayaraman with an affectionate smile continued their duet for another 40 minutes.After that, Sri Jayaraman looked at the lady who with reluctance nodded an ‘OK’ for playing ‘mangalam’ (the final end piece, normally played in Carnatic concerts).After that, they were invited for dinner and I had an opportunity to serve the food to the music legend and his wonderful musicians for the evening.When I served the food I told him my name and Sri Jayaraman introduced me to his sister and the great mridangam Vidwan Sri Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman.Politely Sri Jayaraman asked me whether he played the song I requested via the chit to my satisfaction.I thank God for providing me an unforgettable opportunity to interact and hear the LIVE play of the music legend Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman.I pray to GOD for his sole to rest in peace.

To my readers, I know by this time you might be curious to know my father’s song request.The song was ‘Naan Oru Vilaiyattu Bommaiya’ by Papanasam Sivan.This wonderful song is based on the raga ‘ navarasa kannada’.