For over 25 years M.D.Ramanathan has enthused thousands of music lovers in big cities like Bombay, Delhi and Calcutta and in conferences and festivals by his soul-stirring and evocative music which has become ripe, juicy and full of melodic flavour. It is rooted in Sampradhaya and saturated with bhava. His style is closely modeled on the pattern of "Tiger" Varadachariar, his illustrious Guru, a sishya of Patnam Subramanya Iyer who came in the direct line of Saint Tyagaraja.

M.D.R's wide reputation as a concert musician is the result of assiduous pursuit of high musical values, intensive teaching of the master and unremitting sadhaka. And above all, he enjoys his music in which he is totally involved, making the listeners also share its melodic appeal.

A tradionalist from his tuft to his toe, his music soaked in vilambakala is rich in manodharma. His increasing admirers swear by his style and his rendering of kritis, which they consider as authentic; they take delight even in his eccentricities and mannerisms and occasional comments on the platform. But whatever he does, his music is spell-binding and raga, kriti, neraval,swara and pallavi, have a distinct mark of originality and creativity. He is well versed in Sanskrit, Malayalam, Tamil, English & Telugu and is one of the few who know fully the meaning of the songs they render. His renditions have classical purity and graceful embellishments.

Ideal Disciple

Tiger Varadachariar found in M.D.R, a worthy disciple when he became head of the Siromani course of the Madras University, conducted at Kalakshetra. When Tiger was nearing his end, he called Ramanathan to his side and asked him to sing "Entharanithana" in Harikambhojhi. Overcome with grief, he rendered the kriti with rare fervour. The guru drew him closer and holding his trembling hands said: "Remember the plan. Do not at any cost deviate from it." And a few minutes later, the veteran passed away. The guru had found an ideal disciple and a sense of fulfillment in the evening of his life.

When Ramanathan was introduced to the music lovers of Madras, at a function arranged at Kalakshetra in 1949, presided over by the late T.R.Venkatarama Sastri, Tiger who spoke was overwhelmed and said for some years he had imparted musical training to Ramanathan who had imbibed his music diligently and prayed that the rasikas should bring him up and keep the torch of their music tradition ever burning. With abiding reverence to his guru and feeling his immense impact, Ramanathan has striven hard to mould his music and also his personality after his master. A deeper study of his music will convince the knowledgeable that he had not merely inherited the mannerisms of Tiger, but the essentials of his art in great measure. And through the years he had steadfastly perfected it and has become a leading representative of the Tiger school of music.

Musical Lineage

Born in 1923, Ramanathan hails from a musical family in Manjapara, in the Palghat district of Kerala. His father Devesa Bhagavathar and his uncle, Krishna Bhagavathar were good musicians and know how to play the violin and the veena. So, from his early years he evinced a keen desire in music apart from his studies. He learnt his early lessons in music from his father.

In his academic life at the Victoria College, Palghat, he pursued music ignoring sports and other social activities. Impelled by an overpowering urge to study music and pursue it as a vacation, he came to Kalakshetra after graduation to join the "Sangita Siromani" course in 1944 and came out with flying colors. Here, he also came under the influence of Tiger's brother, Veenai Krishnamachariar, Budalur Krishnamurthi Sastrigal and Mysore Vasudevachariar. Recalling this occasion M.D.R said:" I had the privilege of meeting Tiger Varadachariar first when I went for an interview to join the Sangita Siromani course in Madras. There, when I came face to face with him, I instinctively felt that I was in the presence of a very great man. Apart from his music, I felt magnetically attracted towards him and in him I found my ideal conception og great master musicians." At Kalakshetra, Tiger Varadachariar and Rukmini Devi, bestowed on him singular affection and gave him encouragement, recognizing his talent and his zeal for learning. Among those who had the benefit of Tiger's coaching at this time were D.Pasupathi, S.R.Janakiraman, and Smt. Mani Krishnaswami. After some specialization in the higher aspects of music, M.D.R was absorbed into the staff of Kalakshetra and still continues his work as a teacher.

Style & Technique

Years of dedicated service to his guru, Tiger Varadachariar, have left an indelible mark in the music of M.D.R. His style of singing reminds you of the venerable Tiger, particularly in the thanam. The mode of raga alapana and neraval is something unique and distintictive from the accustomed stuff we get on the platform. The raga is delineated in the amplitude, in three stages with repetitions of characteristic sancharas and the thanam is a neatly structured attempt with deep and reasonant phrases.

The compositions which he renders are those of classical masters and he never succumbs to popular taste. For, he firmly believes that while a classical art like music could never be made popular, it could acquire a large following and improve and elevate the taste of the listeners. In the enjoyment of classical music, only a few are aware of the finer points and subtle shades and get aesthetic pleasure and intellectual grasp. His pallavis are always those handled by masters like "Eranasami" in Kambhodhi, "Karimoralida" in Saveri,"Taraka Bramha Swaroopini" in Kalyani, "Neelathamanlukonti" in Todi and "Parimala Rangapathe" in Kambhodhi. Whatever he renders, it is cast in peculiarly original mould and ladled out with limpid clarity and melodic beauty.

Composer of Merit

Like his master Tiger, M.D.R shines also as a composer and his 300 compositions in Sanskrit, Telugu and Malayalam cover a wide range, like varnas, kritis and thillanas. Some of them sparkle with elegant chittaswarams like the kriti in raga Janaranjani. His thillana in Kathanakuthuhulam, a favorite raga of his Guru's guru and Ranjani, have a charming gait saturated with ragabhava. They incorporate his ankitam "Varadadasa". He is of the view that though gurukulavasa has gone out of vogue in the present set-up, a via media should be established between traditional training and technique and the needs of the class room teaching and prescribed curricula. That way, Kalakshetra under the direction of Smt. Rukmini Devi has blazed a new trail, to bring about a harmony between the apparently irreconcilable two: tradition and the needs of the time.

Titles and Honors

M.D.R has contributed over 50 articles to the Press and has given demonstrations elucidating subtle points in Carnatic Music and compositions of masters. He secured the Kerala Sangeetha Natak Academy Award in 1964. Kalakshetra honored him a Ponnadai during the Art Festival in 1970. As a token of personal recognition and affection Smt. Rukmini Devi presented the Diamond ring of "Tiger" to him in 1971. The Government of India conferred the title of "Padma Shri" on him in 1974; he secured the National award from the Delhi Sangita Natak Academy in 1975. Sri Sankaracharya of Sringeri Peetam honored him with a golden lace shawl on the eve of his concert at Sringeri. God grant him grater gusto.