S. Rajam, Carnatic music artiste and guru, artist, actor and raconteur who died last weekend at Jan.29 was one of Mylapore’s greatest personalities. A multi-faceted person we may not see for decades.

His home on Nadu Street, the lane that runs east from the window of Rasi Store is a heritage space and behind its facade Rajam created art and music to the edge of his long, colourful life.

If his younger brother, veena maestro S. Balachander was mercurial and enigmatic, Rajam was simple and generous.

There were two aspects of his creative zeal that struck us people who got to know him in the 80s and 90s.

His fantastic paintings and his colourful stories.

Everybody who is soaked in Carnatic music knows that the artist who gave form and life to the three greats of this stream of music by drawing their personalities was Rajam. But his giant artworks related to music, mythology and art were stunning and unique.

He continued to paint from his first floor space on Nadu Street till his health failed him. And when he was energised and you lent him his ears, he had stories to tell.

Great Racounteur

Tales of his schoolboy days at P. S. School (then located on North Mada Street), of taking ‘short cuts’ across the Kapali Temple and looking at devadasi dancer of Mylapore Gowri-ammal immersed in her art in the temple, of the great men and women who came to live on the mada veedhis . . .

To another community, the musicians and artists he was a great guru. For, he was the first sishya of Papanasam Sivan (his dad, Sundram Iyer, a well known lawyer was Sivan’s godfather in the city) and went on to learn from such greats as Ariyakudi.

Hence, if artistes respected the fund of musical knowledge that had passed on to Rajam, they sat at his feet. And came back for more, he being a generous guru.

Handsome, creative and adventurous he chose to act in films and sing in them too and had many fans, mostly women but he said goodbye to cinema after he got married and settled down in life.

He was decorated with the biggest titles in arts - from the Sangeet Natak Akademi, The Music Academy. . . . .

Rajam was a one of a kind personality. And the glow of that persona shone even in the evening of his life.

The family's address - 46, Nadu Street, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004.

<< If you wish to share your anecdotes on Rajam, please email them to us at editor@kutcheribuzz.com >>

TRIBUTE
By Ranjani Srinivasan, Muscat, Oman.

I had the oppurtunity to learn the 72 melakarta kritis of sri Koteswara Iyer from Rajam sir as we used to fondly call him.

The class would begin at 2.00 pm Just when the sun was at its peak Rajam sir 'would come by on his TVS-50 bike just before we reached the class !! He was a dedicated teacher par excellence correcting even the minutest of mistakes. I am one of the few lucky ones to have learnt from him. We will miss him forever.