(Photo courtesy: Sruti Magazine-Issue 174)
July 16th 2009- I was in a TV recording, when I got the news that the legend had passed away that afternoon. Soon after the recording got over,I rushed to her residence at Kotturpuram and was fortunate to have got a glimpse of this great musician, as the hearse started departing towards the crematorium.
What a great musician she was. A stamp of tradition.
A simple, affectionate soul. I had visited her on a couple of occasions and each time I entered her house, that smile of hers would embrace and welcome us instantly.
Nithyasree and I are of almost the same age, so whenever I used to visit DKP Amma, she used to beam at me and say "Vaa maa, neeyum nithya maadhiri enakku oru pEthi dhAn"(Come inside, like Nithya, you are also like my grand daughter.)
Once, I had the fortune of receiving the talent promotion concert prize from DKP Amma at Krishna Gana Sabha. These are memories that I shall always cherish.
I have been a big fan of all the three "contemporary women-greats"- MS, MLV and DKP. It is a great pity that none of them are with us any more.Each one of them had dedicated themselves totally to music and we,as musicians, are always indebted to them for their priceless contributions and the paths that they have shown us.
5 comments:
That was a nice post Mrs.Gayathri!
DKP Amma was someone whom I always loved the most! She was such a wonderful musician!
May her soul rest in peace!
Another legend leaves us..haven't listened to much of either of the three women greats. But of the three, DKP is the one I personally admire very much. Heard about the demise of Gangubai Hangal too - once happened to read an interview of hers in The Hindu and literally had tears at her dedication!
I have listened to many songs of smt.MLV and smt.MS and not much of smt.DKP, but I have great regard for smt.DKP. Her demise is a loss for carnatic music. There was a full-fledged article on her in economic times and I was humbled to know how many odds she had faced to be in this field and yet she was a simple,humble woman. she has really set high standards for the future generations to follow.
That was a really nice post... Smt. D K Pattammal was really great. Of course her music was great, but her pronunciation of Sanskrit was exemplary (like Smt. MSS). I listen to her Shyamala Dandakam quite often. People like MLV, MSS and DKP will always be immortalised by their music!! Long live DKP!
Karthik,
Very true..Smt.DKP's sanskrit pronunciation was impeccable, just like Smt.MSS's and also MLV Amma's pronunciation of Kannada in her renderings of dAsar padams. Shows the efforts gone into achieving perfection in whatever they did.
My humble pranams to all the three Vidushis.
Gayathri
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