Damal Krishnaswamy Pattammal, popularly known as DK Pattammal, has been appreciated world over by Carnatic music lovers. She was the first Brahmin vocalist woman to have performed music publicly, both on stage and on air. She was one of the most popular and respected musician to have also sung film songs in many Indian languages.
She along with her contemporaries MS Subulakshmi and ML Vasanthakumari were popularly referred to as the ‘Female trinity of Carnatic Music’. This trio initiated the entry of women into mainstream Carnatic Music.
Pattammal’s Early Life and Background
Pattammal was born on March 28, 1919, in an orthodox Brahmin family in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu. Though named Alamelu, she was fondly called ‘Patta’. Her father, Damal Krishnaswamy Dikshithar, who was fond of music, inspired her to learn Carnatic music. Her mother, Kanthimathi, was a talented singer herself; but she was not permitted to sing even for her friends or relatives, which was in line with the strict orthodox tradition then.
DK Pattammal sang and showed her talent in music at an early age. She received no formal training, but sat through the concerts. On returning home, she noted down all the kritis and key phrases of the ragas she had heard in the concerts.
Pattammal’s Singing Career
When DK Pattammal was eight, she won the first prize for singing Thyagaraja’s ‘Raksha Bettare’ in Bhairavi at a competition conducted by Subramanya Pillai who was popularly known as Naina Pillai. Pattammal admired Pillai who was a veteran in the art of singing ‘Ragam Thalam Pallavi’ and who used to host Thyagaraja festivals in Kancheepuram every year.
At the age of ten, Pattammal gave her first radio performance for Madras Corporation Radio, now known as AIR. And three years later, she gave her first public concert at Madras Rasika Ranjani Sabha in 1932. A year later, Pattammal moved to Chennai to perform in concerts and gave her first performance at the Mahila Samajam - the Egmore Ladies Club. In 1939, DK Pattammal married R. Iswaran, and thereafter quickly rose to stardom where her musical career spanned more than 65 years.
DK was a disciplined musician. As a child she woke up before dawn and practiced for hours. She meticulously planned her concert items many weeks in advance and practiced rigorously. She had a full-throated voice in the low alto/high tenor range. She had outstanding musical qualities with a technical expertise, with adherence to pitch and rhythm, and clear enunciation of lyrics. Her shlokas and viruttams – a poetry or verse sung without rhythmic accompaniment – truly express great emotion.
DK Pattammal’s tutor was her own father. She also learnt from Justice TL Venkatrama Iyer - an authority on Dikshithar’s compositions. She was considered an authority on Muthuswami Dikshitar’s compositions, and she popularized many of Dikshithar’s compositions in her concerts.
DK Pattammal’s Revolutionary Trend
The Brahmins who were ranked as the highest in the caste hierarchy in India in the early 20th century, considered it taboo for a Brahmin woman to perform on stage. DK Pattammal set few revolutionary trends in Carnatic music, and was the first Brahmin woman to have performed this genre of music publicly.
Pattammal was also the first woman to have performed ‘Ragam Thalam Pallavi’ in concerts which actually had a male hold being the most difficult item in Carnatic music. The ‘Ragam Thalam Pallavi’ needed great skill and concentration to handle the rhythmic complexities involved in them.
Her brothers - DK Ranganathan, DK Nagarajan, and DK Jayaraman were later her vocal accompanists where she also sang devotional hymns and songs her father taught her.
‘Pallavi’ Pattammal’s Rendition
DK Pattammal boldly ventured into singing Pallavi and performed complex Pallavis in intricate Talas (rhythmic cycles). She impressed everyone and earned the respect of her male peers, connoisseurs and fellow musicians. Her rendition of ‘Pallavis’ was technically perfect and aesthetically pleasing; and for this reason she came to be known as ‘Pallavi Pattammal’. She set this trend and today many female Carnatic musicians perform the ‘Ragam Thalam Pallavi’ in their concerts.
DK Pattammal’s Songs in Films
DK Pattammal was one of the earliest Carnatic singers to sing in films and was introduced to this medium by Papanasam Sivan. Though she received many offers, she refused to sing romantic songs and only accepted devotional and patriotic songs.
‘Thyaga Bhoomi’ in 1939 was the first film Pattammal sang in. The end scene of the film had a group of freedom fighters marching in a procession and carrying the Indian National Congress party flag with the song ‘Desa Sevai Seyya Vareer’ by Pattammal. The fame of the film and the song led to both being banned by the British government. She also popularized several patriotic compositions of Subramania Bharathiyar.
Pattammal sang in many films and her last song was at the age of 80 for a Tamil film ‘Hey Ram’. Ilaiyaraaja and Kamal Haasan had carted recording equipment to her house to make her sing ‘Vaishnav Janato’ for the film - a favorite of Mahatma Gandhi.
Pattammal’s Disciples
Pattammal’s students were from other countries too, her foremost being her own younger brother D.K. Jayaraman who sang with her in several concerts. Some of her popular students include her daughter-in-law Lalitha Sivakumar, Geetha Rajashekar, her grand-daughter Nithyasree Mahadevan, and Bhavadhaarini Anantaraman.
Death
Pattammal died on July 16, 2009 of natural causes in Chennai. She is survived by her husband, R. Iswaran, and her sons I. Sivakumar and I. Lakshmankumar, and grandchildren.
Awards and titles
D. K. Pattammal received several awards and titles throughout her career and those include: Gana Saraswathi, Sangeetha Sagara Ratna, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Sangeetha Kalanidhi, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan.
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