(1998) padma vibushan
[India's second-highest civilian honor]

Sangeetha Kalanidhi
(1970)

GAANA SARASWATHI
(bestowed by tiger varadachar in 1946)

D K Pattammal

(born 2 MARCH 1919)

                                                                        

 

Pattammal was among the first women to find acceptance in what was a strong male bastion - Carnatic vocal performance. In a career spanning seven decades, She mesmerised audiences with her 'from-the-heart' singing and possesses a full-throated voice in the low alto/high tenor range. Her outstanding musical qualities include an overwhelming technical expertise, an uncompromising adherence to pitch and rhythm, and clear enunciation of lyrics. Her performances of slokas and viruthams (poetry or verse sung improvisationally without rhythmic accompaniment) express great emotion. She was the first female to perform the most difficult concert item in Carnatic music, Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi, and her repertoire was impressive. She has also been acclaimed as an involved teacher:

                Pattammal taught her brother and Sangita Kalanidhi, D.K.Jayaraman, whom used to accompany her in the majority of her concerts before he passed away. DKP’s and DKJ’s voices would blend perfectly, and they became a dynamic duo. DKP also taught Lalitha Sivakumar - her daughter-in-law (wife of I.Sivakumar - a mridhangist, and son of D.K.Pattammal). Lalitha vocally supported D.K.Pattammal when D.K.Jayaraman could not. Pattamma also taught her grand-daughter and Lalitha’s own daughter, Smt. Nithyashree Mahadevan, a famous vocalist of today. Other popular vocalists who have trained under DKP include Geetha Rajasekhar and Charumathi Ramachandran.

 

                                                                                                                                  

This page celebrates the Carnatic music of
Padma Vibushan, Sangita Kalanidhi, Gaana Saraswathi,
 Smt. D. K. Pattammal - Vocal

If anyone has other concerts of this doyen, and wouldn’t mind sharing it with other rasikas, please forward them to me so I can upload them on this website. Please forgive me for any mistakes or if the audio quality is poor.

Thank you.

This was a special concert.

Accompanists
Nithyashree Mahadevan - Vocal (support)

 

 

The legendary MSS and DKP, both from the female trinity of Carnatic music, render Dikshithar’s Manirangu “Mamava Pattabhirama” at Musiri’s residence. This was contributed by Raju Asokan.

Picture of D.K. Pattammal & M.S.Subbulakshmi

Accompanists
M.S.Subbulakshmi - Vocal
T.N.Krishnan – Violin
Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman  - Mridhangam

 

This was telecast on All India Radio (AIR). A rasika "Sundaram" contributed this. It is a thematic concert on Syama Sastri krithis.

DKP singing at AIR studios.

Accompanists
Lalitha Sivakumar - Vocal (support)
T. Rukmani – Violin
Palghat Kunjumani- Mridhangam
KS Rangachari - Kanjira

 

This concert was contributed by Raju Asokan.

Accompanists
D.K.Jayaraman - Vocal (support)
T. Veeraraghavan – Violin
Karaikudi R Mani  - Mridhangam

 

This concert was held at Tamil Isai Sangam and was contributed by Raju Asokan.

Accompanists
D.K.Jayaraman - Vocal (support)
T.S.Veeraraghavan – Violin
Palghat Mani Iyre - Mridhangam

 

This was a concert held at Sastri Hall. The rasika Sridhar contributed this during the early stages of the Sangeethapriya website.


DKP and her brother, DKJ.

Accompanists
D.K.Jayaraman - Vocal (support)
T. Veeraraghavan – Violin
Palghat Mani Iyer  - Mridhangam

 

This is an unknown concert.

Accompanists
? - Vocal (support)
? – Violin
?  - Mridhangam

 

This is an unknown concert, distinguished by the RTP in Madhyamavathi.

Accompanists
? - Vocal (support)
? – Violin
?  - Mridhangam

 

This was a concert held in Singapore. This was contributed by a rasika who wishes to remain anonymous. It was organized and tagged by Prasad Vemulapad.
Below is a concert picture at the “Kalarasana” sabha.

On the mridangam, is DKP’s son, I.Sivakumar (left).  On DKP’s left is his wife Lalitha Sivakumar, and on DKP’s right is DKJ’s son (or DKP’s nephew) R.K.Shrikumar on the violin.

Accompanists
Lalitha Sivakumar - Vocal (support)
T. Rukmani? – Violin
I.Sivakumar  - Mridhangam

 

This was held to honor Sri Dikshithar's 200th Anniversary, and telecast on All India Radio (AIR). A rasika "sujsree" contributed this during the early stages of the Sangeethapriya website. It is a thematic concert on Dikshithar krithis.

Accompanists
D. K. Jayaraman - Vocal (support)
Thirupparkadal Veeraraghavan – Violin
Palghat Mani Iyer - Mridhangam

 

 

 

 

For more information about Smt D.K. Pattammal, visit

http://www.tamilnadutourism.org/finearts/musiclegends/DKP.aspx?catid=C4&subcat1id=C4S6&subcat2id=C4S6S2&sm=C4S6S2

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._K._Pattammal

http://www.tamilnation.org/hundredtamils/pattammal.htm