The bond between music and Tamil theatre
The Hindu
The early and mid-20th century saw several interesting associations between the worlds of Carnatic music and Tamil theatre
Trinity, the recent production by The Madras Players, where leading musicians turned actors, represented a confluence that’s rare today, that of classical music and Tamil theatre. However, reading accounts of Tamil theatre in the early and mid-20th century, it’s interesting to find several well-known names from the world of classical music who were closely associated with theatre groups and artistes. Among the earliest connections was that of kanjira exponent Manpoondia Pillai and Sankaradas Swamigal, one of Tamil theatre’s most revered figures. Swamigal became proficient in in Tamil and its grammar and started composing songs and venbas at an early age. He was associated with several boys’ companies, or repertories, of those times. One of his star pupils was ‘Avvai’ T.K. Shanmugam. In a biography of his guru, Shanmugam says that Pillai was awestruck by Swamigal’s command over Tamil and enjoyed his company immensely. He considered Swamigal an adopted son, and the duo would have impromptu jamming sessions, where Pillai played the kanjira to songs composed by Swamigal. Incidentally, Pillai was passionate about Tamil theatre and even ran a drama company for some time in Pudukkottai. It was here that F.G. Natesa Iyer, the famous stage actor and art patron, made his debut, playing the goddess Saraswati.More Related News