Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi

Indian Carnatic music composer

Oothukkaadu Venkata Kavi (c. 1700 1765) or Oottukkaadu Venkata Subramanyar was one of the pioneering composers in Indian classical Carnatic music. He lived in South India in the present day state of Tamil Nadu. Also known by the name Oothukkaadu Venkatasubramaniya Iyer, he composed hundreds of compositions in Sanskrit and Tamil of which over 500 are available. These were handed down from generation to generation by the descendants of the composer's brother's family. Venkata Kavi's compositions reveal that he was a complete master of the science and art of music in all senses of the term – melody, rhythm, and lyrics. He was fluent in Sanskrit and Tamil. Renowned for his rare depth, scholarship and sublime appeal, he was proficient in a variety of musical forms such as the kriti, tillana and kaavadicchindu. He used taalas and themes that many other Carnatic composers had or have not. His compositions are a blend of a high degree of scholarship on a variety of subjects and inspired expression. During a lecture demonstration on the composer by Needamangalam Krishnamurthy Bhaagavatar in December 1955, The Music Academy Madras Experts' Committee noted that "Venkata Kavi's compositions filled a gap between Purandara Dasa (1484 1564) and the Carnatic Music Trinity of Tyaagaraaja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri, who lived around 1760s 1840s." While he has rightfully been acknowledged as one of the greatest composers on Krishna, Venkata Kavi composed hundreds of pieces on other deities too. Several pieces also reveal his humility, reverence for the great personalities before his times, and the high state of bliss that he probably experienced almost ceaselessly. His works scarcely contain autobiographical notes but show that he had reached great spiritual and philosophical heights. Deeper studies have dispelled myths about some of his compositions such as, for example, "Alaipaayude kannaa" (raaga: Kaanada) being autobiographical. They have also shown that this and numerous other pieces on Krishna in lilting Tamil were parts of an opera based on the Bhaagavatam. His works also reveal the proximity and deep devotion that he felt towards Krishna.

Venkata Kavi, named Venkata Subramanian, was born in Mannaargudi town in Thiruvarur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu (about 200 miles from Chennai) as the eldest of five children to the Tamil Smaartha couple of Subbu Kutti Iyer and Venkammaa, according to the family records in the possession of the descendants of his brother Raamachandra Vaathoola's family. Though his ancestors had resided in various villages in South India around the temple town of Mannaargudi, Venkata Kavi moved to Oothukkadu village (referred to as "Dhenushvasapuram" in Sanskrit), near Kumbhakonam. One of his nephews, Kattu Krishna Iyer was a musician in the royal court of the Thanjavur Maraatha King Prataapa Simha Bhonsale in the later part of the 18th century. Venkata Kavi composed hundreds of songs in praise of the Kaalinga Nartana Krishna of Oottukkadu, also referred to as "Then Gokulam" (literally, "Southern Gokulam") and several other shrines over the course of his life. According to family sources, Venkata Kavi was passionate about music but could not find a Guru of his choice in that area, which prompted his mother to suggest that he appeal to the God Krishnaa himself, in the Kaalinga Narthana Temple in Oothukkaadu. He is believed to have received initiation from the Lord himself, as asserted in one of his Tamil compositions, Guru paadaaravindam komalamu in the raga Abhogi, he declares: "I have never studied the scriptures or yoga nor pretended to have done so. I received the fortune of knowledge in the benevolent glance of my guru."

The greatest evidence of his musical pedigree is his compositions. There are several references to good musical approach, practices and even technical terms of ornamentation like saahatam and pratyaahatam. Venkata Kavi believed that music had to be blended with spirituality (bhakti) in order to shine. His philosophy, bhakti yoga sangeeta margame paramapavanam aagume ("Devotion though music is the sole path to salvation") is also resonated by Tyagaraja (1767 1847) sangeeta gnanamu bhakti vinaa sanmaargamu galade. Consult this Wiki glossary for some of the Carnatic music terms.

Venkata Kavi had a vast knowledge of music and musical nuances. He used a wide variety of raagas ranging from the well known such as Todi, Kalyani, Kharaharapriya, Sahana, through minor ones like Kannadagowla, Jayantashri, Maalavi, Umaabharanam and a few that are seldom used today such as Balahamsa and Rasamanjari. In some instances, his works are the first or only ones to be available in a given raaga such as Sri Shivanayike in Lalitagandharvam and Paadasevanam in Deeparam. His approach to even common raagas like Sahaana, Pharas, Naadanaamakriya, and Aarabhi are distinctive and refreshing. His vision of the raaga and melody as a whole is considerable and can be seen in the number of different styles in which he composed various krtis in the same raaga. For instance, his krtis in Madhyamavathi – Shankari Sri Raajaraajeshwari, Sundara nandakumaaraa and Aadaadu ashangaadu vaa Kannaa bring out different facets of this beautiful raga. He also employed attractive swaraaksharas – a technique where the lyrics match the solfa notes of the tunes. He has also incorporated raaga mudra (mentioning the names of raagas of the compositions) in several krtis. Examples: Shuddha Saveri, Navarasakannada.

Venkata Kavi ventured into scarcely attempted talas like Khanda Dhruvam (17 units per cycle), Sankeerna Madhyamam (20 units per cycle) and Mishra Atam (18 units per cycle). He effortlessly employed complex eduppus (take off or landing points of various sections of a composition) without affecting the flow of the music or the lyrics. He could change the gati (gait) with ease, He was probably the only composer to have not only handled chaturashra (4/4) time signatures but also tishram (3/4 or 6/4) as well as khandam (5/4 or 5/8) etc. in his compositions; for example: Neerada sama (Jayantashree), Natavara taruni (Kannadagowla), Vitasama vara (Vasantaa), and Urugaada manam (Todi).

Venkata Kavi had deep scholarship in Sanskrit and Tamil. His fluency in Sanskrit rivalled that of his command of Tamil, a commentary not only on his erudition but also a pointer to his immense vocabulary words such as kalamba (arrow), charatha (wandering), shileemukha (bee) are just a few examples out of hundreds seen in his works, which are especially unique in Carnatic literature. He had the ability of use common words in uncommon contexts.

His poetic ability to create unique scenarios or give singular twists to even common stories is seen in hundreds of songs such as Taye yashoda in raga Todi, where the gopikas are complaining to Yashoda about her son Lord Krishna. This song has eight charanams (stanzas) and each one describes the pranks of Krishna very humorously. Not so well known is the reply by Krishna to every one of these charges in another piece, Illai illai in Mohanam, also with eight charanams. This quality sets him apart even in his general compositions such as Chindittavar nenjil iruppadu (Nattai).

Venkata Kavi has composed krtis of similar structure that form sets (or groups). The most notable ones are his Kamakshi Navavaranam and Saptaratna compositions (especially the Anjaneya Saptaratna). He has also composed several shlokas such as Madhava panchakam, Nrsimha panchakam, Ranganatha Panchakam and so on.

Venkata Kavi composed at least 14 15 pieces extolling the greatness of his Guru, Krishna. A few of them suggest that he may also have had another human guru, at least for spiritual purposes. According to sources from that area, this guru was Bhaskara Raya, the acclaimed authority of Devi worship of his times. This is further augmented by the immense scholarship seen in Venkata Kavi's Kamakshi Navavarana krtis dealing with the intricate details of avarana pooja (Srividya worship).

Venkata Kavi's works have been automatic choices for hundreds of dancers for the scope they offer for visual interpretation, dance specific jatis (syllables), dramatic appeal and creative content. Leading dancers of Bharatanatyam, Kuchippudi, Kathak and Odissi such as Dr Vyjayantimala Bali, Kamala Lakshman, Pt Birju Maharaj, Saswati Sen, Dr Padma Subrahmanyam, Dr Vempatti Chinna Satyam, Chitra Vishweshwaran, Sanchita Bhattacharyaa and others have choreographed the poet's works over decades. However, there are innumerable compositions such as Nalladella enru sholladi (Shankarabharanam), Bhuvana moha (Dhanyasi), Neela malar (Vasanta), Ettanai kettalum (Bhairavi) and operas such as Pranavopadesham which are yet to be explored in the dance field.

Venkata Kavi's works have been extensively cited in Harikatha (musical discourses) by leading exponents such as Shri Krishna Premi, Guru Haridass Giri, Shri Muraleedhara Swami and others. Needamangalam Krishnamurthy Bhagavatar (descendant of the poet's brother's family) was known for his gripping renditions of the composer's unique works like Kalinga Nartana Natangam and Krishna Padaadi Keshaanta varnanam. Several of Venkata Kavi's compositions are part of Bhagavata Bhajana Sampradaya (devotional music) repertoire as well. Shlokas (devotional poetry) such as Madhava Panchakam, Ranganatha Panchakam, Nrsimha Panchakam and Shiva Tandava strotram are eminently suited for daily household worship as well as for concert rendition. Some of them, for example his Kalinga Nartana Natangam (Tillana style piece) have also been rendered in Bhagavata Mela Operas. In recent times, several of Venkata Kavi's compositions such as Udajagopa (Umabharanam) have been arranged & presented by various Western Classical Orchestras in various parts of the world.