Music has been elixir of life since time immemorial. Numerous singers and musical instruments had lightened the life of billions. People tend to remember words once they are set to music. Coimbatore had its own share of musicians and dancers those days. Most of them lived in the old town area. Instrumentalists like Raju used to play the nadaswaram at the times of weddings and ceremonial occasions. While some of the musicians added to the flavor of the city, a number of dancers moved over to places like Chennai. The loss of aristocratic patronage was also the reason.
Music has been elixir of life since time immemorial. Numerous singers and musical instruments had lightened the life of billions. People tend to remember words once they are set to music. Coimbatore had its own share of musicians and dancers those days. Most of them lived in the old town area. Instrumentalists like Raju used to play the nadaswaram at the times of weddings and ceremonial occasions. While some of the musicians added to the flavor of the city, a number of dancers moved over to places like Chennai. The loss of aristocratic patronage was also the reason.
Coimbatore Thayi was born as Pazhanikunjaram to Vengammal in 1872. Her mother Vengammal and grandmother Visalakshi had been famous courtesans in the nineteenth century. The family was quick to identify the skills of Thayi and she was put through rigorous training in both - dance and music. Talented Thayi performed her Arangetram at the age of 11 years. She learnt music from a number of good teachers. The Kannada songs were assimilated from Mysore Kempe Gowda. It was a time when social stigmas were attached to Sadhir ( dance ) and therefore she gave it up fully and began to only concentrate on music.
The royalty of the region had lost much of its power and influence by the end of the nineteenth century. This forced the matriarchs of Thayi's family to migrate to the Chennai during the last decade of the nineteenth century. The family settled in George Town and quite a few Devadasis had been living there by then. They shared the locality with popular artists like Veenai Dhanammal and Salem Godavari. The newer centres which controlled the Presidencies had a number of rich and educated patrons. Besides patronage, these talented performers got a wider spectrum to exchange knowledge and oppourtunity.
Let us look at the Devadasi tradition through the words of Sitra K.Srinivasan. The eminent textile scientist and author had written a number of books and essays. His book ' Devadasi ' throws a lot of light on the life and times that existed those days. " As a dancer she was superb; her movements expressed joy, sorrow, jealousy, anger, ecstasy and love. Her beautiful face glowed in the soft light of the oil lamps ; her hands coiled and uncoiled with the subtle movements of a cobra ; but her feet had the precisions and timing of a soldier in parade. Her figure was poetry in motion and her face was a kaleidoscope of expression. She was a Devadasi, a servant of God. Her loyalty was to her art and her devotion to the temple. She was in fact married to God by the vows she had taken. She might offer her body to any man, even enjoy it ; but she could not mortgage her emotions to any human being. That was her tradition and her duty ; her Dharma, " states K.Srinivasan.
Circa 1910, Coimbatore Thayi was approached by The Gramophone Company in order to record songs. The company held the ' Coimbatore Thayi Recording Sessions ' between 29th August and 2 nd Sepetember 1910. Those were times when records were colour coded and it was based on the popularity of the artist. Coimbatore Thayi's records were coded violet and it meant that she was extremely popular. The Gramophone Company had made 60 recordings during the special session with Coimbatore Thayi.
The recordings made Thayi extremely popular and she was recognized through awards and invitations from a number of courts in the South. They included the Royal Courts of Mysore, Travancore and quite a few Zamindaris. Coimbatore felicitated Coimbatore Thayi through a public gathering of prominent citizens in 1914. She was presented a thick gold bracelet encrusted with diamonds and emeralds. Thayi was a successful recording artist and she had done 300 records in her lifetime. Her recording of the famous varnam ' Viribhoni ' is quite popular. This composition of Pacchimiriam Adiyappa of the Thanjavur Court in Ragam Bhairavi had enthralled the listeners.
Coimbatore Thayi had recorded a number of padams and javalis. The recording included a number of Tamil devotional compositions also. She popularized a number of Tamil compositions of the nineteenth century. This included the works of the Divine Saint Ramalinga Swamigal. Maurice Delage ( 1879 - 1961 ), the disciple of Maurice Ravel travelled to India in order to collect some Indian music. He was impressed by the recording of Coimbatore Thayi. This resulted in a meeting with Coimbatore Thayi and he was taken aback by her abilities. Delage composed a few pieces due to this inspiration. The first piece is known as Quartre Poemes Hindous. This four part poem has four cities in undivided India as its focus - Madras, Jaipur, Lahore and Benares. The second work is known as ' Ragamalika ' and it is based on Thayi's rendition of an Arutpa by Swami Ramalinga Adigalar, the mystic of nineteenth century India. Thayi passed away when was about 45 years of age. However her soul rending music has left an indelible mark.
Octogenarian Mohanram recalls, " We had an old 78 rpm record of Coimbatore Thayi at home. My grandma ( Kanakavalli Ammal ) used to tell us that she was a great singer and a forerunner to Shanmugavadivu, the mother of M.S.Subbulakshmi". Incidentally Madabhooshi N.S.R.Kanakavalli Ammal happens to be the wife of the famous N.S.Ramaswamy Iyengar. N.S.R. Road in Sai Baba Colony is named after him.
Recording music was very different those days. The artists had to really strain themselves in order to render the pieces. Facilities were minimal and one had to just be happy with the quality available. Heavenly music emanated from the masters of the past. Many of the great musicians are remembered only occasionally. Coimbatore Thayi is one of those rare musicians whose voice and talent drew the attention of people from far away Europe.
Perhaps the city could do well by initiating an award in honour of Coimbatore Thayi.