Remembering M S Viswanathan, monarch of music
So prolific was he that if 100 movies were released a year, almost 95 would have his music
Barely five hours to go for the MSV night at Nishagandhi, the master, M S Viswanathan, strolled in, in his trade mark white dhoti, white shirt and white hanky folded behind the shirt collar. Practice session was on in full swing.
There were regular assistants to help him with his harmonium. I was seated next to him. I had lapped up his music over radio as a boy; those good old songs rendered by P B Srinivas, S Janaki, Yesudas, P Suseela, Jayachandran and the rest.
He was now rehearsing one of his favourite compositions in Malayalam before me, “Kannuneerthulliye”. I couldn’t believe my ears. He was singing the anupallavi (second para of a song). “Vyaasano—kaalidaasano—athu keetso—shellyo—shakespearo”—I couldn’t believe my ears. This was a clear deviation from the original lyrics—it was “athu bhaasano shellyo shakespearo”! Orchestra guys looked at each other in disbelief.
Realising something was amiss M S V turned to me and asked in a loud ringing voice,”Enna prashnam thampee?” I found myself tongue-tied. He queried again, “Sollunka—yenna prachnam”? His eyes were blazing hot. “Saarr—anupallavi lyrics—koncham thappaana paadeettirikanga”, I mumbled. His son and his assistants already there said this was how he used to sing all these years. Nobody corrected him. M S V said, “Cassette kondu vaange". He listened to the cassette, and thumping on my shoulders, said: “Neenga sonnathu correct thaan thampee...”
That was M S V in a flash, would lose temper any moment but the comeback to normalcy always sweet and swift. He would accept his mistakes if somebody pointed it out, and his acceptance was loud and clear! He was the monarch for 25 long years in this highly competitive south Indian music industry. So prolific was he that if 100 movies were released a year, almost 95 would have his music.
His style was unique. He would teach his singer each song, and at every second repeat of the song, he would go on varying and embellishing the tune with additional graces that the singer would have enough to choose from a wide perspective.
M S V was a wild genius. There was no particular school of music he adhered to, whether it be Hindustani, Carnatic classical, western jazz or hip-hop. When he started his career, he teamed up with a violinist of yore, Ramanathan, and the combination was called as Viswanathan Ramamurthi. M S V soon detached himself from Murthi and all his famous movies were born thereafter. Ilayarajah, Johnson, Syam and K J Joy were all instrument players under his apprenticeship in the 60's and 70's!
The best of MSV in Malayalam music came in the early 70's. It was his superb songs that established Jayachandran as a singer par excellence. Similarly, in Tamil, M S V songs made S P Balasubrahmaniam a household name! The loss of M S V hits me hard. Let me go back to those golden days of childhood when I could sit on a high stool, with legs dangling, ears keenly tuned to the most precious possession in our household, an old Murphy radio, kept high and out of reach of kids! If I come back to my present adulthood status, I might break down and weep!
(The author is a playback singer)