Kumbakonam Rajamanickam Pillai

Kumbakonam Rajamanickam Pillai (Tamil: கும்பகோணம் ராஜமாணிக்கம் பிள்ளை), 5 August 1898 - 1970 was a Carnatic music violinist of Tamil Nadu, Southern India.

Kumbakonam Rajamanickam Pillai
Born5 August 1898
Alangudi, Tamilnadu
Died1970 (aged 72)
Occupationviloinist

Bringing up

He was born in the small village of Alangudi[N 1] near Needamangalam located on the route going from Thanjavur to Tiruvarur. His mother Kamalathammal was keen that he should develop his musical talents.

He commenced his training first as a vocalist under Nadaswaram maestro Kandaswamy Pillai. Later on, he underwent further training from Tiruvisanallur Pallavi Narayanaswamy Iyer and then from Pandanallur Chinnaswamy Pillai. As an instrumentalist he trained in violin for four years under Tirukodikaval Ramaswamy Iyer who was a disciple of violin maestro Tirukodikaval Krishna Iyer. His teachers opined that his music talents were more suited to be a violinist than to be a singer. So, he devoted full concentration as a violinist.[1]

As a violinist

He concentrated on classical Carnatic music. Most of the time he performed as an accompanist to Carnatic singers rather than giving solo concerts. He accompanied top singers of his time.[2]

Honours and awards

Honours
  • He was honoured in the Royal Courts of Ramanathapuram, Kochchin, Ettayapuram, Trivandrum and Mysore.[2]
  • He was appointed Asthana Vidhwan in the Courts at Trivancore in 1940 and at Ettayapuram in 1942.[2]
  • Trivandrum Chiththirai Thirunal Maharaja honoured Rajamanickam Pillai and presented an elephant to him.[3]

Awards

Students

M. M. Dandapani Desikar and Mayavaram V. R. Govindaraja Pillai are two of his disciples who became famous.[2] Cine actor Thyagu is his grandson.[7]

Notes
  1. There is another Alangudi that is a State Assembly constituency in Pudukottai district

References
  1. Carnatic Instrumentalists
  2. The journey of music
  3. Cinema Express article (in Tamil)
  4. Recipients of Sangita Kalanidhi Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Sageet Natak Akademi awardees Archived 2016-03-31 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Isai Perarignar Award Recipients
  7. News item Archived 2014-03-10 at the Wayback Machine (in Tamil)
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