Musical Ecstasy of N.C.Vasanthakokilam

With my due respects and gratitude to SRUTI, I copy below the information published by them for viewrs of this blog: Following are the two articles appeared in a famous magazine Titled SRUTI , in its issue dated Auguse 15 2007:

A GOLDEN VOICE Story by S. RAJAM on N.C. Vasanthakokilam, as told to S. JANAKI: N.C. Vasanthakokilam’s music career was short, but while it lasted, she was one of the topmost women vocalists in Carnatic music. Vasanthakokilam, or NC as she was popularly known, could sing with great felicity. She was gifted with a golden voice which was the envy of many a Carnatic musician. It was a voice with a rich and pleasant timbre, very pliant and malleable (“kambi pol saareeram”) which could accommodate briga-s and fast paced renderings, without any distortions (pisiru) or losing its melodious quality. She was not very healthy, but her voice belied her weak physique. Although she was thin and frail, her voice combined melody with tensile strength. I have heard her sing without a mike. NC was perfect in whatever she sang — intonation, sruti suddham, emotion and clarity of words. The purity of notes in her rendering and her adherence to sruti were remarkable. Her voice could traverse the middle and higher octaves with effortless ease. Her voice rang with vibrancy, a reenkaara, as she crossed the tara shadja and dwelt on the rishabha. It is my impression that M.S. Subbulakshmi took NC’s music as a model. In the Simhendramadhyama kriti 'Unnai allaal verey gati', NC sang a number of sanchara-s above the panchama and in the tara sthayi. Listeners were astounded by her rendition of this Kotiswara Iyer composition. She would often take up niraval on the phrase “Kai mel palan arul deivamey”. The song was a great hit. Thanks to NC, this song gained in popularity and other musicians also started including it in their recitals. NC carried the music lovers along with her on the strength of her simple music and fine voice. Like MS, she too was guided by a Sadasivan. In this case Sachi, as he was better known, supported and assisted her but he was not a patch on the famous Sadasivam. I knew C.K. Sachi because he directed ‘Radha Kalyanam’ the second film in which I acted, for which the music was by Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar. Sachi took NC under his wing but she did not live long and succumbed to tuberculosis. We must be thankful that she has left behind many recordings through which her music lives on.

Following is a copy of the Story by Sulochana Pattabiraman written for the issued dated 15th August 2007 of a house-magazine named SRUTI : Remarkable musical and emotional consciousness Sangeeta vidushi N.C. Vasanthakokilam truly had the voice of a “kokilam” combined with the magical quality of spring. She was a worthy member of a female musical triad — M.S. Subbulakshmi, D.K. Pattammal and N.C. Vasanthakokilam. Although nothing much has come to light about her novitiate and the guru-s who had moulded her inherent talent to performing levels, it cannot be gainsaid that she established a very special equation with the rasikas-s. Her repository was overflowing with compositions of Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Papanasam Sivan, Gopalakrishna Bharati, Subramania Bharati and other greats. Her raga alapana-s were marked with substance and style and studded with euphonious prayoga-s that immediately targeted one’s heart. Her kriti renderings had remarkable musical and emotional consciousness that lifted the ambience to an elevated plane. D.K. Pattammal had the reputation of being a laya virtuoso and a past master in the rendering of intricate nadai pallavi-s. Once this writer heard Vasanthakokilam at a chamber concert rendering the inimitable Bhairavi varnam of Adiyappaiyer, set to Ata tala. The ease and fluency with which she negotiated the composition in various nadai-s left an everlasting imprint in the minds of the handful of rasika-s assembled. Among the rasika-s was the inimitable Alathur Venkatesa Iyer. Even he, the uncompromising great, gave a nod of approval after the rendering of the Viriboni varnam. On another occasion, when she presented a concert at the Srinivasa Gandhi Nilayam, her delineation of Kambhoji in the three octaves held the audience captive. Sarasadala nayana in Khamas, Mayetvamyahi in Tarangini, Sundari nannindarilo in Begada and the piece de resistance Tanthai taai irundal in Shanmukhapriya, were some of the sparkling gems in her vast repertoire. It is a pity that she crossed the great divide before her song could be adequately sung.

'kalaivANi aruL purivAi' by NCV

This is a wonderful rendition of the song "kalaivANi aruL purivAi" by N.C.Vasanthakokilam in Raga DHANYASI for the film "Gangavathar". Lyrics were by PAPANASAM SIVAN !

ncv- kalaivaani arul purivai -raga dhanyasi mp4 download

N C VASANTHAKOKILAM's "indha varam tharuvai"

”இந்த வரம் தருவாய்”

வஸந்த கோகிலத்தின் இனிய குரலில் இன்னுமோர் பாடல் இதோ!
Thanks to VINTAGEAUDIO54 who uploaded this song in You Tube !

YouTube - N C Vasanthakokilam, Yen Palli Kondeerayya

YouTube - N C Vasanthakokilam, Yen Palli Kondeerayya

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வசந்த காலக் குயிலிசை - அது வசந்தகோகிலத்தின் இசை !

N C VASANTHAKOKILAM (Nagappattinam Chandrashekar Vasanthakokilam), a name that the music lovers of earlier generation would still remember! Not to forget that she was a contemporary of our great veteran singer M S SUBBULAKSHMI! Though N C V was in the field for a short period her contributions to the music world is commendable. Some of her famous songs were "Yen Palli Kondeerayya" in Mohanam, "Thandhai Thai Irundhal" in Shanmugapriya, etc. The fact that she lived for only a short period is a loss for the music world! This page is just a humble outcome of my love for music and a small tribute to the veteran artist, for all the wonderful renderings of her!

Down you may find and enjoy a video of a song from an old tamil film titled "Krishna Vijayam", sung by the great artist N.C.VASANTHAKOKILAM !




Next, you may enjoy some of the songs of NCV for which the links are given below:


Lyrics of one of her famous song "Thanthai thai irundhal" is quoted below:

Artist: Vasanthakokilam N C
Ragam: Shanmukha Priya
Thalam: Aadi
Composer: Ponnaiah Pillai
Album: Milestones


raagam: shhanmugapriyaa


56 shanmugapriyaa mela
Aa: S R2 G2 M2 P D1 N2 S
Av: S N2 D1 P M2 G2 R2 S

taaLam: aadi
Composer: Ponniah PiLLai
Language: Tamil

Pallavi :
tandai tAi irundAl ulagattil umakkinda tAzhvellAm varumO ayyA (petra)
(tandai)

Anupallavi:

anda migunda shrI ambala vANarE arumaiyuDamnE petru perumaiyuDan vaLartta
(tandai)

CharaNam:

kallAl oruvan aDikka uDal shilirkka kAlin sheruppAl oru vEDan vandE udaikka
villAl oruvan aDikka (gANDhibhamenum) kUshAmal oruvan kai kODAlyAl veTTa
kUTTattil oruvan pittA pEyA ena tiTTa vIshi madurai mAran pirambAl aDikka
anda vELai yArai ninaindIrO ayyA
(tandai)