Chowdiah

48
Chowdiah bigraphy, stories - Music

Chowdiah : biography

1895 – 19 January 1967

Tirumakudalu Chowdiah () (1895 – 19 January 1967) was a violin maestro from India in the Carnatic classical tradition.

Career

With his devoted practice, Shri. Chowdiah became a very great violinist. The name Chowdiah and the violin were synonymous with each other. With Bidaram Krishnappa’s encouragement, courage and mastery, Shri Chowdiah, earned fame, affection and respect from all his great contemporaries. All musicians desired to have him as their violin accompanist. It is said that the brilliant vocalist Shri G.N. Balasubramanyam would request sabha secretaries, who wanted to arrange his concert, that they should talk to Chowdiah’s first to make sure he is available to accompany on violin. By devoted practice, application, grit and learning, Shri Chowdiah rose to Himalayan heights in the world of Carnatic music.

As a guru Shri. Chowdiah would not sit with his disciples during fixed hours a standard practice in those days. As a guru he taught many of his disciples for about 8–10 years. He would enforce a sense of discipline that required the shishyas wake up early in the morning everyday and practice akara sadhana. His disciples were expected to practice Sarale in six tempos. Only one raga had to be practiced in any given month, for up to 4 hours a day. This kind of practice was the means of developing voice culture and the deep knowledge of swaras (i.e. notes), essential to gain vast vidwath. Disciples had to practice varnams in three tempos and sing them to his satisfaction. This was the discipline that Shri Chowdiah inherited from his guru, Shri Bidaram Krishnappa, and he diligently passed on the same to his disciples.

Chowdiah, had many disciples. The list included the likes of Shri R. K. Venkatarama Sastry (violin), Prof. Mysore V. Ramarathnam (vocal), Shri. Kandevieri Alagiri Swamy (violin), Shri. Palghat C. R. Mani (violin), Shri Chennai V. Sethuramaiah (violin) and others. Later, Ramanujam, Madurai Venugopal, Chinnappa, H. R. Seetharama Shastri and others became disciples of Chowdiah. As a guru Shri Chowdiah was very affectionate towards his disciples. Chowdiah was known for his hospitality and he always hosted many musicians when they visited Mysore.He would house them in a house that was located next to his residence in Mysore. He had cooks and servants dedicated to meeting the needs of his guests. He always took care of his personal chores himself and would get really upset if he found any of his students folding his clothes, etc.

He also introduced his disciples to almost all famous musicians of his times and he insisted that, they learn the many nuances of the art of music from them. On his concert tours, he would always take select disciples and gave them additional opportunities to meet the giants of music, and interact with them. He was in great demand and used to be on concert engagements most of the time. After each concert where he accompanied the great masters, he would sit with his disciples, review the concerts and demonstrate the salient points by singing. Whenever his disciples accompanied him on his concert tours, he would make sure that his students were well taken care of, and would work with sabhas to arrange the concerts of his disciples ahead of main concerts and accompany his disciples on violin. The respect and support he received in Tamil Nadu was amazing. The hotel proprietor’s in many cities and states would invite him and his disciples and host them free of cost. The top officials and leaders of the town would compete with each other to extend him a warm welcome and request him to stay at their homes.

Crowds would swell on the news of Chowdiah arriving in town. Such was Chowdiah’s reputation; he had captured the hearts and minds of both ordinary listeners and knowledgeable artists and connoisseurs of carnatic music.

Legacy

  • Chowdiah Memorial Hall at Bangalore, constructed with the support of the Karnataka state government in his memory in 1980, resembles a violin in shape and structure.
  • Sangeetha Rathna Mysore T. Chowdiah Memorial Award instituted to honour notable musicians.
  • A road in Bangalore is named after him as T. Chowdiah Road.
  • Noted Kannada film actor, former Member of Parliament and former Minister of State in the central government, Ambareesh (originally Amaranath Gowda) is Chowdiah’s grandson.
  • Sangeetha Kalarathna Prof. Mysore Sri V. Ramarathnam, Retd. Principal and Professor of Vocal Music, University of Mysore, India, author and composer is one of Chowdiah’s principal disciples.