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A Tribute to Mahakavi Bharathiyar
Mahakavi Bharathiyar, an inspiration to everyone
In Tamil Nadu’s historical context, Chinnaswami Subramania Bharathi aka Bharathiyar was like an all-rounder, and a mighty good one at that.
Apart from inspiring the youth to fight for the country’s sake, his immemorial poems and songs still hold a lot of allure among current-generation composers and singers. On the Mahakavi’s birth anniversary today, we celebrate the freedom fighter, journalist and poet extraordinaire…
It’s a blessing to be from Bharathiyar’s lineage Niranjan Bharathi, his great-greatgrandson, shares his thoughts…
Mahakavi Bharathiyar has been a great influence for all modern-day writers and poets, including me. As I have his genes, writing poetry was perhaps always in my blood.
He has many facets and I have grown up in awe of them. If many people associate him with his patriotic work, there’s another side to Bharathiyar — the way he sees nature through a scientific angle, in his works titled Vasana Kavithai. One of my favourite works is Chandrikaiyin Kadhai, a short story. I also love reading his prose work.
Growing up in a household filled with Bharathiyar tales, I have heard many interesting moments about his life. Of them, I have two personal favourites. One involves him visiting a zoo and coming face to face with a lion. It is said that he proudly told the lion —“Kaatuku raja nee, paatuku raja naan” (You are the king of the jungle, I’m the king of poetry). There’s another story in which it is said that a poor Bharathiyar, who didn’t have money to pay rent to his landlord, prayed to Parashakthi to extricate him from the predicament. The Goddess, it is said, appeared in the landlord’s dream and instructed him not to take rent from the poet.
It was actually when I was 16 that I started to write poetry. Slowly, it turned into a passion. Even as I read his many works, I fell in love with the Tamil language.
I feel it is a blessing to be from Bharathiyar’s lineage. I turned lyricist for films with the Kannadi Nee Kanjaadai Naan song in Mankatha, and have been working on more films and albums. My dream is to become a full-fledged Tamil film lyricist and contribute to the literary front too.
He is a Vaggeyakkara and not just a poet
Vocalist and composer Giridharan Vellore is an ardent devotee of the Mahakavi. He’s planning to perform Bharathiyar’s poetry with a grand symphony on a concert platform today. TOI in a quick chat with Giridharan…
How much of Bharathiyar’s work hold relevance in today’s context?
He has always been a ‘Dhruva Nakshatram’ in the arena of poetry, music, patriotism and national integration. He was not only a poet but also a musician who has tuned and sung his poetry with good music. In one way, I’d call him a Vaggeyakkara (someone who is a poet and a musician-musicologist) and not just a poet.
Tell us about showcasing his poetry with an orchestra…
I’ve tuned certain songs in the mid-90s itself, when I made a 10-member team of male and female singers croon those compositions as a choir. In 2009, I gave it full shape by adding a few more songs and orchestration that was launched as Chandiran Oliyil. Since then, I have wanted to do this as a live concert with an orchestra and that’s going to happen today.
In the current Carnatic music scenario, where do his compositions fit in?
I feel his songs are not given the importance they deserve in classical music concerts as they’re usually sung at the fag end of concerts as a thukkada. Someday, I would love to do a classical concert only with Bharathiyar songs with raga, neraval and swaraprasthara without spoiling the aesthetics in the poetry.
Your favourite Bharathiyar composition is...
Endhaaiyum Thaayum Magizhindhu Kulaavi, which depicts our country and people who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
Mahakavi Bharathiyar songs by Shobana Ravi
https://open.spotify.com/album/0q4sTGcm56ZgO5gc7U9dqz
Please read more about Maha Kavi Bharathiyar from here
http://www.mahakavibharathiyar.info/...bharathi_1.htm
Source: Times of India
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy rights
Mahakavi Bharathiyar, an inspiration to everyone
In Tamil Nadu’s historical context, Chinnaswami Subramania Bharathi aka Bharathiyar was like an all-rounder, and a mighty good one at that.
Apart from inspiring the youth to fight for the country’s sake, his immemorial poems and songs still hold a lot of allure among current-generation composers and singers. On the Mahakavi’s birth anniversary today, we celebrate the freedom fighter, journalist and poet extraordinaire…
It’s a blessing to be from Bharathiyar’s lineage Niranjan Bharathi, his great-greatgrandson, shares his thoughts…
Mahakavi Bharathiyar has been a great influence for all modern-day writers and poets, including me. As I have his genes, writing poetry was perhaps always in my blood.
He has many facets and I have grown up in awe of them. If many people associate him with his patriotic work, there’s another side to Bharathiyar — the way he sees nature through a scientific angle, in his works titled Vasana Kavithai. One of my favourite works is Chandrikaiyin Kadhai, a short story. I also love reading his prose work.
Growing up in a household filled with Bharathiyar tales, I have heard many interesting moments about his life. Of them, I have two personal favourites. One involves him visiting a zoo and coming face to face with a lion. It is said that he proudly told the lion —“Kaatuku raja nee, paatuku raja naan” (You are the king of the jungle, I’m the king of poetry). There’s another story in which it is said that a poor Bharathiyar, who didn’t have money to pay rent to his landlord, prayed to Parashakthi to extricate him from the predicament. The Goddess, it is said, appeared in the landlord’s dream and instructed him not to take rent from the poet.
It was actually when I was 16 that I started to write poetry. Slowly, it turned into a passion. Even as I read his many works, I fell in love with the Tamil language.
I feel it is a blessing to be from Bharathiyar’s lineage. I turned lyricist for films with the Kannadi Nee Kanjaadai Naan song in Mankatha, and have been working on more films and albums. My dream is to become a full-fledged Tamil film lyricist and contribute to the literary front too.
He is a Vaggeyakkara and not just a poet
Vocalist and composer Giridharan Vellore is an ardent devotee of the Mahakavi. He’s planning to perform Bharathiyar’s poetry with a grand symphony on a concert platform today. TOI in a quick chat with Giridharan…
How much of Bharathiyar’s work hold relevance in today’s context?
He has always been a ‘Dhruva Nakshatram’ in the arena of poetry, music, patriotism and national integration. He was not only a poet but also a musician who has tuned and sung his poetry with good music. In one way, I’d call him a Vaggeyakkara (someone who is a poet and a musician-musicologist) and not just a poet.
Tell us about showcasing his poetry with an orchestra…
I’ve tuned certain songs in the mid-90s itself, when I made a 10-member team of male and female singers croon those compositions as a choir. In 2009, I gave it full shape by adding a few more songs and orchestration that was launched as Chandiran Oliyil. Since then, I have wanted to do this as a live concert with an orchestra and that’s going to happen today.
In the current Carnatic music scenario, where do his compositions fit in?
I feel his songs are not given the importance they deserve in classical music concerts as they’re usually sung at the fag end of concerts as a thukkada. Someday, I would love to do a classical concert only with Bharathiyar songs with raga, neraval and swaraprasthara without spoiling the aesthetics in the poetry.
Your favourite Bharathiyar composition is...
Endhaaiyum Thaayum Magizhindhu Kulaavi, which depicts our country and people who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
Mahakavi Bharathiyar songs by Shobana Ravi
https://open.spotify.com/album/0q4sTGcm56ZgO5gc7U9dqz
Please read more about Maha Kavi Bharathiyar from here
http://www.mahakavibharathiyar.info/...bharathi_1.htm
Source: Times of India
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy rights