A long musical innings

T. Rukmini, who will be felicitated for completing 65 years as a musician, talks to Renuka Suryanarayan about the joy of performing and teaching.

November 24, 2016 04:38 pm | Updated December 03, 2016 05:20 pm IST

 T. Rukmini with her students.

T. Rukmini with her students.

S he was in her teens when she made her debut at Town Hall, Bangalore, accompanying none other than maestro ‘Flute’ Mali.

After that performance, she never looked back. The girl is the well-known violinist and vocalist T. Rukmini, whose musical voyage began 65 years ago. “I still remember that day. He (Mali) played a ragam tanam pallavi in Ranjani,” recalls the veteran.

“Pointing out towards me, he told the audience ‘she will reach great heights and will be on a par with male artists’.”

Expectedly, she became a front-line accompanist and performer at a time when female accompanists were a rarity.

How does she feel when she looks back? “It’s been such a long journey. And I want to continue performing.”

Though she has to her credit many accolades and awards, Rukmini is delighted about the latest honour. The Chennai Fine Arts will confer upon her the Gottuvadyam Narayana Iyengar Award during the December Music Festival.

On November 27, her students are organising a felicitation function.

Her training began under R.R. Kesavamoorthy. She also learnt from maestros Lalgudi G. Jayaraman and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer.

She remembers how Lalgudi sir was once teaching her a tillana in Rageshri and urged her to keep playing the anupallavi since he was enjoying listening to it.

Besides performing for stalwarts such as Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Veena Balachander, M.D. Ramanathan and Maharajapuram Santhanam, she has also accompanied the leading female-trio of the time, M.S. Subbulakshmi, M.L. Vasanthakumari, and D.K. Pattammal. “I grew up listening to their kutcheris on the radio and was inspired by compositions such as ‘Vanathin Meedhu’, ‘Sami mayura giri’, and ‘Manasa guruguha’.”

Rukmini has also presented vocal concerts, including the prestigious Sangeet Sammelan kutcheris. A concert that’s etched in her memory is the one she performed at Udupi for a festival dedicated to Saint Purandaradasa. “Ï set to tune several of his compositions for this concert,” she says. She has also set to tune Andal’s Tiruppavai and Subramania Bharati’s songs among others.

Among her international concert tours, she vividly remembers a tour of the U.S., where she accompanied Flute Mali.

“To a houseful audience, I played raga Desh in the ragamalika section of the pallavi, which was much appreciated by the flautist and the audience,” she discloses with delight. She also enjoyed presenting lec-dems at various places abroad, particularly in Edinburgh and Penang. She remembers with pleasure singing for Vyjayanthimala’s performances in Paris, among other places.

She has also given vocal support at the Bharatanatyam performances of Padmalochana Nagarajan.

Among the many honours that came her way are Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Sangita Kala Acharya Award from The Music Academy.

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