Kamala Thiagarajan

Sri Thiagarajan is a great man.
He has become a part of my self!
I hardly know him.
I am yet to see him physically.
But, we converse frequently!

He is a musical soul!
The collection of his music is mind boggling!
He readily shared it with me and the world!

More than that he shared his thoughts with me.
This made me humbler than ever.
The art of defying age is his strength.
Muisc is his companion at the evening of his life.
I have benefitted a lot musically and mentally because of him.
Sri Thiagarajan's love for his departed wife is an example to learn from.
Late Smt Kamala Thiagarajan was a good Veena artist.
I can vouch, they were a loving couple.
Sri Thiagarajan is as passionate about music as he is about his musician wife.

Here is a write up about her.

Kamala Thiagarajan


Born on 9.12.1922 in Palamarneri,Tanjore district, she was the great grand daughter of Nemam Natesa Bhagavathar, a disciple of Tyagaraja. She had her first lessons in music from her mother, Lakshmi who was a disciple of Wallajapet Venkataramana Bagavathar and in veena from Veerayya followed then from Devakottai Narayana Iyengar. She had the privilege to attend the veena recitals of Veena Dhanammal in Linghi Chetti street, George town. She became a student of Sesha Iyengar, along with V.V.Satagopan. She had the guidance of masters of music of her time, including Maharajapuram Viswanatha iyer, Kunnakkudi Venkatarama iyer, GNB, and MSS. Later in life she learnt music from Madurai Mani Iyer for over a year. In Calcutta she came under A. T. Kanan for over a couple of years in Hindustani music .

She took a diploma in Indian music from the University of Madras under Vidwan Ponnaiya Pillai.

She was a casual artist on veena and broadcast programmes from 1934 from the corporation of Madras and then the All India radio. for over 6 decades when she quit as an A grade artist. She gave concerts in Chennai including some under the auspices of Ial Isai Sangam of Tamilnadu in 1967and in Calcutta including Tansen Sangeet Sammelan.

She was a resident of Mylapore for over 60 years and she lived along with her sister Dr. Miss R. Ambujam in 39/53/68 Alamelumangapuram, Mylapore. On the demise of Dr. Ambujam in 2005, she shifted to Appu st Second lane for a short time and finally moved to a senior citizens home in SSM Residency in Perungalattur, a suburb of chennai.

Kamala Thiagarajan (85) expired at 5.30 pm on 11.10.08 in SSM Residency, in Perungalattur a suburb of chennai.


She leaves behind her husband R. Thiagarajan (ex GSI) and T. Viswanathan, ex Chevron, USA.


R,Thiagarajan can be contacted over telephone no 2279 2355 or e mail thiagu1919@yahoo.co.in

Here is the link to her website where you can find some recordings of her concerts.
 
http://www.kamalaveena.com/
 
More of her recordings at
 
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=10f3f26dc390f40895af63b7d44918aab9b2cfe22b0f0385
 
Some more concerts are also available on http://www.sangeethapriya.org/ in featured concerts section.

Concerts are also avaialable at the following address.

http://www.esnips.com/web/KamalaThiagarajansVeena
 
Let us enjoy good music.