Kamakshi Kuppuswamy

daughter of Sri. Andavan Pichai

(Aka Chinni, Chinamma - 1928-2018)

Kamakshi was the younger daughter of Sri Andavan Pichai.  When she was born on February 15, 1928, her mother rejoiced for she had a premonition that this child of hers was going to be divinely, musically inclined.  Not only that, she later told her daughter that her own mother whom she had lost when she was still an infant had come back to her in her form, and hence called her Chinamma (little mother).  Her given name was Kamakshi for Andavan Pichai was a great devotee of Kanchi Kamakshi.

Kamakshi grew up listening to her mother’s devotional songs, her father’s whistling of ragas and daily family gatherings for evening prayers and bhajans.  Before her marriage, she learnt vocal and violin (Carnatic classical) from the City Girl’s Music School under the tutelage of Ramani Venkataraman (Aka Ramani Amma).

She got married to Sri A.R. Kuppuswamy in early 1945 and moved to New Delhi.  Kamakshi was very young, had come to a new place and did not know the language, and was witness to the partition of India.

After partition, their life settled and they welcomed their daughters into their lives.  When the children started attending school, Kamakshi studied in Delhi University Music Department under Prof. V.V. Shadagopan.  She earned the ‘Sangeetha Shironmani’ degree with distinction from the university.  She also learnt some kritis from T.K.Jayarama Iyer.  She taught music to over a hundred students.  In all this, she had the support of her husband, who not only encouraged her but helped her in any way he could. She was an ‘A’ grade artist in All India Radio and Doordarshan of India.

Kamakshi was a devout follower of Lord Muruga like her mother and on every Sashti and Kirtigai, bhajans were held in her house. Many devotees, similarly inclined would come and join the session. She composed music for a lot of Thirupugazhs of Arunagirinathar.

She used to sing for dance (Bharatanatyam) for her daughter Padmini, who learnt dance from Dakshinamurthy of Natyakalalaya.  She also used to sing for Girija Pakrisami’s dance ballets.  Because of her expertise in this field, she went on to sing for Smt Lalitha Sastri, and her students.  Thereafter, she sang for several years for Sonal Mansingh for Bharatanatyam and Odissi performances; and for many other prominent dancers including Bharati Shivaji. She also sang for other Mohini Attam and Kuchipudi dancers. 

Kamakshi also composed music for several dance ballets for her Sambandi (daughter’s Mother-in-law), Padma Bhushan Smt. Kalanidhi Narayanan: Entire set of Jayadev’s Geeta Govindam, Panchali Sabadam and also some padams and varnams. “Nee Manamirangi Vandarulvai”, a varnam in raga Latangi, which she composed with only the first line from one of her mother’s songs as basis, has now become a staple of many a dancer, including Priyadarshini Govind and Sangeetha Isvaran.  

Sujatha Vijayaraghavan explores the nuances of Andavan Pichai’s composition in her documentary (Highlights from a review in The Hindu May 30, 2013)

 The ‘Nee Manamirangi’ pada varnam in Lathangi , adi tala, was compiled from saint-poetess Andavan Pichai’s devotional lyrics and set to tune by her daughter, musician Kamakshi Kuppuswamy.

Kamakshi’s effort in matching swaraksharas lead her to Lathangi, with the pallavi that began with the Nishadam and the charana swaras where the Nishada and Deivatam swaras appear repeatedly to match the lyrics, ‘Nee, pranava porul nee...’ and ‘Veda vidhiyin vidhi..’ This gave the composition a lilting, unique rhythm.

The varnam was a combined effort of four talented women (Sujatha refers to them as ‘housewives’ ), Andavan Pichai and Kamakshi Kuppuswamy, abhinaya-expert Kalanidhi Narayanan, who triggered the creative process and visualised the varnam along with Bharatanatyam teacher Savitri Jagannatha Rao.

There are four other beautiful varnams in the ragas Kalyani, Sankarabharanam, Vachaspati and Ramapriya composed especially for her granddaughter Preeti Vinayak (www.natyam.com).  The lyrics, chittaswarams and swara patterns for all these varnams and pada-varnams are entirely composed by Kamakshi Kuppuswamy.  These have been choreographed beautifully by Preeti Vinayak for her students.  Kamakshi also put music for many other padams, kritis and bhajans.  She also composed several short shlokas on Devi and rendered them in appropriate ragas.

After years of teaching and singing for dancers she moved back to Chennai.  There, with the blessings of her mother, Sri Andavan Pichai, she started the Andavan Pichai Bhajan Mandali and taught her songs to a loyal group of singers well-versed in Carnatic Music.  The melody and appropriate ragas chosen by Kamakshi Kuppuswamy, keeping the mood of the song in mind, have made these songs memorable.  She brought out a set of her songs every year for over 3 decades.  While her mother did compose tunes for many of her kritis, more than 80% of the songs have been composed by Kamakshi Kuppuswamy.  All she sought to do was to bring out the beauty and essence of her mother’s songs.  She took painstaking effort to bring out the songs, so that many may sing them for generations to come.

All these songs and many more are being continuously brought out by Kamakshi’s daughter Meera Prakash in the form of CDs and on You Tube, which were sung by the Mandali members in various venues.  Many of the members have been there from the inception of the Mandali like: Bharati, Raji, Jayanti, Uma, Indra, Nirmala, Meena, and Sumati. Others who were with the Mandali for over 25 year, but have attained Mukti include: Selvam Subramanmiam, Sasikala Shankar, Manorama, Smt. Janaki Rajagopalan and Smt. Vaidehi on the harmonium, Sri Y.G. Sundar on the tabla.  Indeed the Mandali would not have succeeded without the support and time devoted by all the Mandali members.

The Mandali has performed at the Thirupadi Devasthanam, Tirutani Devasthanam, Ramanashram, Sivananda Ashram - Rishikesh, Janakaranjani Sabha – Kumbhakonam, Karthik Fine Arts, Mylapore Fine Arts, Nungambakam Cultural Academy, Indian Fine Arts, Music Academi and temples all over south India. 

Kamakshi has received accolades from many Sabhas and from listeners all over the world for her compositions.  Even at age 85, she had an unmatched tonal quality and clarity.  This is simply due to the fact that she was a woman of few words and truly immersed in her art.  She was humble and self-effacing. When she sang her Virutams (slow and delineated rendition of a verse), it was natural to close your eyes and simply absorb her melodious voice, nuances and the emotions coming from the depths of her being.  While all her compositions are unique, two of her compositions: Ayiram Koti Namaskaram Saigiren and Kanda Kanda Kanda yendru take the listener to a sur-real plane.   Likewise her rendering of bhajans like ‘Hara Hara Hara Mahadeva’, Bhandugano and He Jag Trata take one closer to the Divine.  Her rendition of Kamala Lochana along with her daughter Meera (uploaded on You Tube – Link given below) is melodious and soothing.

If today, people are taking up some of her mother’s songs and singing, it is entirely due to her efforts.  It’s been the ardent hope of Smt. Kamakshi Kuppuswamy and the bhajan mandali members, that young people would take up these songs and propagate them, while maintaining the integrity of the lyrics and the tunes.  This would be their tribute to the great soul, Sri Andavan Pichai.

It is also the ardent hope of Smt. Kamakshi Kuppuswamy’s daughters that whoever sings these songs, not only Andavan Pichai Kritis, but also Kamakshi’s own compositions, pays tribute to not only Sri Andavan Pichai for the lyrics, but also acknowledges Smt. Kamakshi Kuppuswamy as the one who composed the music. 

Links for her songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2UYkfp7HA4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsIj7CpGi3M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZD45ZHxyFQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNXa4Ue7VVM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VfKzwCW_XU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49-zwhbAnSI