Accolades and honours came to him one after another and the most coveted was the title of Sangita Kalanidhi from the Madras Music Academy. Unfortunately, he did not live long to cherish the recognition he got from the Music Academy. He died within a month after the title was conferred on him.

His concert repertoire included many Tamil songs. He was instrumental in popularizing compositions of many modern composers like Papanasam Sivan, Periasami Tooran, Tanjavur Sankara Iyer, Surajananda, Neela Ramamurthy, Srivatsa and others. He had a large number of rasikas and trained several disciples. His daughter and his disciple, Sukanya gave vocal support to him in many of his concerts. Other prominant disciples include Vijay Siva, Balaji Shankar and violinist, R. K. Shriramkumar. His son, J. Vaidyanathan is a leading mridangist.

Rasikas often felt happy listening to DKJ's concert as he could feel the pulse of the audience and modify his presentation. He was willing to render songs requested by rasikas.

Sangeetha Jyothi

Born on 22nd July 1928, Sri D.K.Jayaraman started singing along with his illustrious sister Sangeetha Kalanidhi Smt D.K.Pattammal from his 7th year. Thus his pradhana guru is Smt. D.K.Pattammal. While imbibing all the great qualities of music for which Smt Pattammal is famous, Sri Jayaraman has blended them to forge a new style of his own. His concerts are noted for their classical purity, devotional fervor and deep bhava.

REPERTOIRE

EXPERIENCE, STATUS & STANDING

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

When the sixth child was born to them on July 22nd, 1928, little did Damal Krishnaswamy Dikshitar and Rajammal guess that this would be the second Sangitha Kalanidhi in the family. Sri D.K.Jayaraman’s very beginnings promised a musical future.

DKJ & DKP

At the age of nine, he sang his first public concert in vocal support to his sister. The two hit it off superbly ; the blend of their voices, their understanding and coordination was so perfect that DKP and DKJ became inseparable as Mary and her lamb. The duo performed at The Music Academy in 1938 where DKJ ‘stole the show’ ; causing Kalki to predict a great future for the boy (how true his words were !). They sang the second inaugural concert at the A.I.R. in 1939 when the wireless was first introduced to Madras. A year later, they cut a disc. The songs ‘Gokulam Yamunai’ and ‘Sri Muruganai’ became instant hits. ‘Desa Sevai Seyya Vareer’ in Thyagaboomi was on everbody’s lips during the pre-independence era.

THE CYCLE VIDWAN

THE MAN & HIS MUSIC

DKJ was a guru to over 400 students. He had trained hundreds of students in traditional carnatic music (Sampradaya Sangitam) and several of his students are holding high positions in the music field including Musical institutions. His relationship with his students had a special flavor. Vijay Siva, one of his old time students and high class performer himself recalls, "Whenever he came to know I was indisposed, he would call up regularly, even personally to inquire about my health. During my concert for The Music Academy in 1984, my phone kept ringing to receive last minute tips from him. I later came to gather that he had a very disturbed sleep the previous night and that such tension had not mounted on him even for his own concert".

DKJ expired the same year he was awarded the prestigious Sangitha Kalanidhi. His death was unexpected and shocking. DKJ had a bagful of plans and projects up his sleeve-but they were never to be.

DKJ dreamt of bringing more and more students to the fore. To analyze works of great composers and tunes. To sing, to perform more and more to the very end. The great musician passed away with the unfulfilled dreams in his eyes.

D.K.J is survived by his wife Jaya, two sons Srivatsan, J. Vaidyanathan and daughter Sukanya. J.Vaidyanathan is a very popular mridangist of the day. The family resides at Alwarpet Madras.

For those who knew DKJ, there was naturally more to him than his music. First of all, he was a man who stood out by his patrician features, invariable gentle smile, and implicit authority. He loved the good things of life, he loved company, and he was one of the most gregarious musicians of his times. He enjoyed himself thoroughly whenever he went abroad, and was childlike in his enjoyment. In conversation, he was full of jokes and stories and aphorisms, and he was very knowledgeable in everything modern though he did not finish college. He didn’t hesitate to speak his mind about other people. And he was an ardent follower of cricket.

Jayaraman was plagued by various health problems for most of his life. There are times when he went in isolation carrying on with some business and undertaking tutorial assignments in nearby Kanchipuram. But, Pattammal kept after him to return to Madras, which he did when he was able control his health problems, thanks to modern drugs. He did not allow any of his ailments to sap his spirit or curb his activities. Healthy he was not, but hearty he was through most of his life.

It was a fitting tribute to Jayaraman’s attitude to life and his interest in the world around him that his family decided, immediately after he passed away and in response to a suggestion made by a social worker, to gift his eyes. Jayaraman himself had shown interest in the idea and discussed it with his family, but had not signed a pledge. Although quite philosophical about life and death, he had likely thought there was still time to execute a pledge of donation. In the event, the family anyhow did the right thing.

Thanks to Jayaraman, thousands could enjoy wholesome music. Thanks to him, scores of persons interested in learning music could do so - and that too from a master. Thanks to him, again, two previously blind people now have vision. His was indeed a life of fulfillment.

For anyone entering the portals of the DKJ school, it is a royal path to chaste music and a successful music career. His music is no bed of roses but still he enjoys the discipleship of over two hundred and fifty with each one claiming to be beneficiaries of personal tutelage under him.

Sri DKJ is one teacher who can boast of building a new and broader way of teaching in an atmosphere of profound warmth and comfort.

His day begins quite early with the storming of disciples ranging from school children to retired folk and ends late in the evening leaving just enough time for dinner. Sitting with him a full day, one can observe the various techniques he employs to cater to different degrees of talent. It is like going through an university education without any form of stress or strain. Despite being a leading performing musician, with an inimitable powerful way of singing, he has never made an attempt to curb the individual imagination of the students. He limits his guidelines to the extent the student falls in line with the tenets and then starts throwing challenges to enable self-introspection and self-improvement. One remarkable feature is that he never restricts his disciples from listening to other veterans.

The rasikas have seen the most magnanimous part of Sri DKJ as a guru when he attends the concerts of his disciples. Attendance, not just for attendance’ sake but to critically analyse the performance. He has always considered such analysis a part of the training. And on the stage, when singing along with him, he gives them a free hand to voice their talents, intercepting frequently with words of encouragement and appreciation. On several occasions, he has come out of his way to muffle the disciples from the onslaught of painful criticisms.

A recent musical novelty conducted by him showed the music world his strength as an effective guru. He was joined by twenty five of his disciples in presenting the Kamalamba Navavarnam of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar with perfect synchronization. This rocked the cultural circles and raised doubts if any other musician in this nation could even dream of attempting such a work. He didn’t stop with that. He dragged the team to the studios and had a series of cassettes recorded for commercial release with the mention ‘DKJ with disciples’. An enviable achievement on record !

Today, each disciple prays for the welfare of the DKJs. The Music Academy has done well to take the credit of honoring Sri DKJ this year. They are not only honoring a great musician, but a good rasika, an excellent teacher and above all a fine gentleman.

Sri DK Jayaraman had clear views on music and musicology. Here are a selection of his views.

On the Marketing aspect of Concert Music

On the Role of the Accompanists

I never impose any conditions regarding who should be my sidemen, or on the artists themselves - on how they should play or what they should do. I concentrate on my music and let them take care of themselves. At the same time when the violinist or the mridangist does something good, I applaud him openly, happily. Some vidwans keep quiet - in fact switch off mentally - when the violinist or the mridangist player is playing thani. I am not like that.

On Jugalbandis

On Carnatic Music Vs. Hindustani Music

The other point is of course the kind of money the Hindustani musician gets, compared to what we get. With that level of compensation he can afford to restrict the number of performances, nurture his voice with special care. Carnatic musicians get nowhere near those figures and so can't dream of those conveniences that the Hindustani vocalist can enjoy and afford. I'm not saying you give us the same rates as they receive - or at least the leading singers receive. All I ask is at least think of four or five thousand rupees. With some enhancement like this, the Carnatic musician can also be relieved of his financial insecurity and take better care of his voice. I must of course agree that the shraddha (diligence), the concentration of the average Hindustani musician is decidedly better than those of the typical Carnatic musician. We lack discipline - both in regard to our voices and in our approach to music. This has been the case as long as I have known and seen, mind you. I wouldn't agree with the point sometimes made that Carnatic music doesn't require a good voice. You wouldn't want to listen to an intricate item, if the voice is bad, would you? It's like saying a dancer should be laya-perfect but need not be good-looking or have a good figure. Would you look at her if she isn't good-looking? Voice is, similarly, as important to Carnatic Music as knowledge is.