Madurai S. Somasundaram, popularly also called Madurai Somu (born S. Paramasivam; 9 February 1919 – 9 December 1989) was a

Carnatic music Carnatic music, known as or in the 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, and Sri Lanka. It is ...

vocalist. He learnt music from Sesha Bhagavatar, Abhirama Sastri and Chittoor Subramanyam Pillai. He started his career by giving a concert in

Tiruchendur Tiruchendur is a municipality located in Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is home to the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, which is one of the Six Abodes of Murugan. Etymology Tiruchendur, a temple town like many towns in the s ...

in 1934. He was awarded the

Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...

by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

in 1976, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1978 and the

Sangeetha Kalasikhamani Sangeetha Kalasikhamani or Sangita Kalasikhamani (Sanskrit: saṅgītakalāśikhāmaṇi) (sangeetha = music, kala = art, sikhamaṇi = A gem of a diadem or crest) is the title awarded yearly to an expert Carnatic music Carnatic music, kno ...

award by The Indian Fine Arts Society in 1983.

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conferred the

Doctor of Law A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL ...

on him Honoris Causa. He was an ardent devotee of

Lord Muruga Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or a ...

and is known to take pauses to chant his nam

Early life

It is interesting how Madurai Somu got his name. Paramasivam was the tenth child of Sachidanandam Pillai and Kamalambal, born on 9 February 1919. Sachidanandam, a Bench Court clerk was the son of Srinivasa Pillai, well-known nagaswara vidwan and the family lived in Swamimalai. Sachidanandam got transferred to Madurai, where they lived on Sembu Kinatru Theru. Paramasivam and his elder brothers were attracted towards the martial arts school run by Muthu Vadyar. They learnt silambam, wrestling, etc. Paramasivam was also drawn by the bhajans sung by Narayana Konar at the temple. He would sit with a sruti box accompanying the singer. His mother wanted him to learn the nagaswaram but Somu was keen on vocal music so much so that he would stand in neck-deep water and do ''sadakam''. Paramasivam was initiated into music under Seithur Sundaresa Bhattar, a disciple of Kancheepuram Naina Pillai. Then followed Thevara singing training under Madurai Latchumana Chettiar, a disciple of M.M. Dandapani Desikar and from Sesham Bhagavathar, Abhirami Sasthriar and Madurai Thiruppugazh Mani. In 1934, Paramasivam rendered some devotional songs in front of the presiding deity Lord Muruga at Thiruchendur. With the blessings of Lord Somasundareswara of Madurai and his own mother Paramasivam became Somasundaram... Somu.

References

External links

All about 'isai perarignar' Madurai SomuAbout Madurai SomuMadurai Somu
Male Carnatic singers Carnatic singers Singers from Chennai 1919 births 1989 deaths Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 20th-century Indian male classical singers {{india-musician-stub