Madurai Mani Iyer ( ta, மதுரை மணி ஐயர்; 25 October 1912 – 8 June 1968) was an Indian
Carnatic music
Carnatic music, known as or in the Dravidian languages, South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, an ...
singer, who was famous for his unique style. He was one of the most highly celebrated carnatic vocalists during the first half of the 20th century. He was renowned for his adept skills at singing kalpana swarams, neraval, and raga alapana. His music continues to be highly regarded today.
Early life
Madurai Mani Iyer, whose original name was Subramanian, was born to M. S. Ramaswamy Iyer and Subbulakshmi in
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
on 25 October 1912. His father, a Sub-court Clerk, was the brother of the famous Vidwan Pushpavanam, who was a great classical musician himself.
Mani Iyer's tutelage in music started at the age of nine. His first guru was Sri Rajam Bhagavathar who was Disciple of Ettayapuram Ramachandra Bhagavathar. Through Rajam Bhagavathar, he came in close contact with the great musician and composer, Gayakasikhamani
Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar who founded Shri Thyagaraja Sangeetha Vidyalayam, a music school at Madurai and became an early disciple of the School.
Awards
Iyer's prodigious talents were recognized early in his age as he received various honours from dignitaries of that time. In 1927, a music conference took place at the Congress session in Avadi. In that was arranged a programme on the 72 melaragamalika of
Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer
Vaidyanatha Sivan (1844 - 1893) ( ta, மஹா வைத்யநாத சிவன்) was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music. He was a great exponent of extemporaneous singing. He also composed a ''ragamalika'' (garland of ragas - a s ...
. Mani's father expounded on the theoretical aspect of the composition while Mani sang. Father and son walked away with the awards. The Ganakaladharar in 1944,
Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1959, President's award in 1960, Isai Perarignar in 1962 and many more came his way. He is also known for his English note.
An autodidact
Madurai Mani Iyer was indeed passionate about music but he had other interests too and one of them was the English language. Though a school drop out, Mani Iyer mastered this language and an anecdote goes that he would trudge from his house in Mylapore all the way to the
Connemara Library to pick up books in English. He loved
Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...
and was a fan of
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
. A compulsive listener of both the English and the Tamil news, Mani Iyer was a keen observer of politics too.
References
External links
1
www.maduraimaniaiyer.org2
blog.maduraimaniaiyer.org*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iyer, Madurai Mani
Male Carnatic singers
Carnatic singers
1912 births
1968 deaths
Musicians from Madurai
Sangeetha Kalanidhi recipients
20th-century Indian male classical singers
Singers from Tamil Nadu
Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award