M.G.Radhakrishnan Sir - A touching recollection of treasured memories by G.Venugopal.
(In response to the query by Manoj in G.Venugopal community, Orkut.)
Radhakrishnan chettan is memory now. To people like me who had the good luck to have worked with him on many occasion, the memories are thick and encompassing! He was---to mention an oft repeated stale word---Genius--in its true form!! I use it, because there is no other better substitute. People like Perumbavoor Ravindranath, who listened to his classical concerts say---he was simply "brilliance"-- in its true aesthetic sense! Some of the Thaala patterns that he would sing in his manodharmam swaram part, would later be emulated by singers like Seshagopalan. And when he turned to composing light music for Akashavani---he was "the prince of light music"! I still remember vividly standing in front of the microphone, a shy 12 year old, as "Dhruvan"- in Dhruvacharitham- a musical feature of All India Radio. He was tough, strict, yet humorous and full of energy. My first four lines for playback was under his baton...a comedy song from the movie- "Odaruthammaava aalariyaam". In between and later also, I sang some memorable light songs for him at All India Radio. I remember him delaying the composing part of a song to the very end. Then at the nth hour, with one hand on his white Ambassador (414 was the number) and the song script in another hand...he would hum a tune!! A great one. I was fortunate enough to sing a song from the very last movies he composed for---"Pakal". The lyrics was by Girish Puthencherry and the song, "Enthithra vaiky nee sandhye"---.
One thing to be remembered here is that---he used to sing 30 days of the month, pure classical Katcheris---yet when it came to movie/light songs, he touched with a magic feather of Karnatic music on the songs---and out flowed, great soft melodies...which were adorned with the choicest gems of Karnatic Raagas. Listen to the pretentious, superfluous and shallow songs which are termed--great classical pieces---of the late 80's and 90's...and you will know the greatness of M G Radhakrishnan. He used rare ragas like Aahiri, Kunthalavaraali, Kedaaragowla, Naattakkurinchi, Shahaana---yet the songs were all immediately accepted by the average Malayalee and held close to their bosom.
One thing to be remembered here is that---he used to sing 30 days of the month, pure classical Katcheris---yet when it came to movie/light songs, he touched with a magic feather of Karnatic music on the songs---and out flowed, great soft melodies...which were adorned with the choicest gems of Karnatic Raagas. Listen to the pretentious, superfluous and shallow songs which are termed--great classical pieces---of the late 80's and 90's...and you will know the greatness of M G Radhakrishnan. He used rare ragas like Aahiri, Kunthalavaraali, Kedaaragowla, Naattakkurinchi, Shahaana---yet the songs were all immediately accepted by the average Malayalee and held close to their bosom.
There were no gimmicks or easy way outs in the tune or rendering. It was "Aathmeeyasangeetham"--as opposed to "AArbhaadasangeetham"!!
MG Radhakrishnan’s place is next to the all time greats---Devarajan, Baburaj, Raghavan and Dakshinaamoorthy. We did not lose a contemporary musician. We lost a precious link between the contemporaries and the very great and all time bests...
MG Radhakrishnan’s place is next to the all time greats---Devarajan, Baburaj, Raghavan and Dakshinaamoorthy. We did not lose a contemporary musician. We lost a precious link between the contemporaries and the very great and all time bests...
Venugopal.
