As he celebrates his 50th year in the field of Carnatic music, it is hard to believe that vocalist Karaikudi M S Mani once distinguished himself as a classical violinist. “God closed one door and opened another,” says Mani, the Srirangam-based noted exponent of the Karaikudi-Pudukottai bani or style of Carnatic music who was recently presented with a Lifetime Achievement award by Facebook group Trichy Carnatic Musicians.

Born on September 4, 1945 as the younger son of mridangam player Karaikudi V Muthu Iyer and Subbulakshmi Ammal, Mani grew up with a rich musical legacy.

Muthu Iyer was the disciple of Pudukottai Dakshinamoorthy Pillai, and as such brought his guru’s learning and style to the fore.

As accompanist to the stalwarts of Carnatic music — Tiger Varathachariar, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Chemba Vaidyanathan Bhagvathar, G N Balasubramaniam, and Alathur Brothers among others — Muthu Iyer moved in exalted circles, but also stood apart as a musician in his own right. He is the uncredited composer of hundreds of chitta swaras and rare pallavis that are still in use today.

The family shifted from Karaikudi to Chennai in 1955, when Muthu Iyer was invited to teach mridangam at the Central College of Karnatic Music (now known as Government Music College).

Muthu Iyer was also Mani’s first guru in vocal music. “My father used to have a stammer in his speech, but could sing complicated ragas like Poorna Chandrika in full flow for hours together,” says Mani. “He used to organise informal workshops for other performers at home, where my elder brother VM Ganesan would play the mridangam and I would play the violin, while he offered his own musical inputs.”

For lyrical accuracy, being well-versed in vocal music is an essential skill for any Carnatic musician, says Mani.

Genteel times

It was his father who suggested that Mani should learn the violin, at the age of 15. Starting under the tutleage of Komalavalli Srinivasan, Mani went on to gain advanced training under T N Krishnan. “But my father wanted me to keep the violin-playing as a hobby and try for a regular profession after I did my Pre-University Course (PUC) at the Government Arts College,” laughs Mani.

When a technical course proved to be a flop, it was back to music for Mani.

He earned a diploma in violin from the Central College, convinced that music would show the way ahead.

In 1979, Mani joined All India Radio (AIR) Tiruchi as a staff violinist. Before coming here, he had already accompanied star vocalists like M S Subbulakshmi, M L Vasanthakumari and D K Pattamal. “It was a more genteel time then,” he remembers. “Lead performers would visit musicians at their home to personally request them for concert engagements. Even in his advanced years, legendary composer Papanasam Sivan would come by cycle-rickshaw to ask my father’s permission for my accompaniment,” he adds.

Playing for the greats

As a radio artist, Mani accompanied visiting musicians, down several generations. Among the more memorable examples of his work is a 6-hour accompaniment for Kripananda Variyar’s Skantha Puranam musical discourse.

He also played the violin for Alathur Srinivasa Iyer, B V Raman-Lakshmanan, Pudukottai Krishnamoorthy, R Vedavalli and dilruba exponent Angamaly K Jose.

“I have been part of a violin duo with Nagai Muralidharan, and a quartet — Nagai Muralidharan, myself, Tirupur Mohan, and T K V Ramanujacharyulu. I’ve also had the good fortune of accompanying Mandolin Srinivasan at a wedding concert in Thanjavur when he was just 9 years old,” he says.

Changing track

It came as a shock, therefore, when Mani realised in 1980 that a nerve disorder in his left arm would prevent him from playing his beloved violin forever.

Mani decided to voluntarily retire from AIR in 2000 to concentrate on his vocal music. “Though I was good in clerical tasks like dubbing, I had been employed as a violinist, and if I couldn’t work due to health reasons, I felt I should resign,” he says.

“I stopped playing the instrument at the age of 45, after over three decades. I felt sad at first, but then realised that I could always explore Carnatic music through singing. God simply showed me another route,” he says.

At present, Karaikudi M S Mani sings and trains people in Carnatic vocal music. He also teaches students how to play the violin, through singing. Though his days of playing Stradivarius violins (he had 7 of them) have long gone, even today, the 74-year-old delights in posing with an instrument borrowed from a neighbour.

“There’s no real age for learning to start or stop,” says Mani, whose oldest student is a 70-year-old lady. “I feel very proud when my pupils shine.”

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Honours aplenty

* Papa Venkataramiah Award for violin from The Music Academy, Madras

* Senior Musician Award from the Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer Trust

* Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peeta Asthana Vidwan

* Nadha Choodamani

* Nadha Kala Bhushanam