Honouring a Master Musician

Old is Gold.....

Paravoor Govindan Devarajan (Malayalam: പറവൂര്‍ ഗോവിന്ദന്‍ ദേവരാജന്‍), popularly known as G. Devarajan or Devarajan master, was a noted Malayalam music composer, died on March 14, 2006 in Chennai, at the age of 79.

He has scored music for more than three hundred Malayalam films, many dramas, twenty Tamil and four Kannada movies. Many of his compositions remain ever green classics in Malayalam. Besides, his music in the Tamil film 'Annai Velankanni' has received many accolades. Devarajan received Kerala Government's Best Music Director award for five times, among other honours.

Song Year Film Lyrics
Pulari Thoomanju Thulliyil 1989 Ulsavapittennu Kavalam
Nin tumbu kettiyitta 1980 Shalini Ente Kootukari MD Rajendran
Anjana Sreedhara 1980 Chakara Traditional
Ammathan Maaril - Nivedyam -
Ilavannoor Madathile 1978 Kadathanattu Makkam P Bhaskaran
Akkare Akkare Allo Ayillyam Kaavu 1978 Kadathanattu Makkam P Bhaskaran
Vembanattu Kayalinnu Chanjaattam 1977 Randu Lokam Yusef Ali Kachery
Innenikku Pottukuthaan 1977 Guruvayoor Kesavan P Bhaskaran
Chakkikkothoru Chankaran - Acharam Ammini Osaram Omana -
Markazhiyil Mallika Poothaal 1976 Ponni P Bhaskaran

His early life :-

Devarajan's FamiliyBorn at Paravur, near Kollam in Kerala, Devarajan rendered his first classical concert at the age of 18. He was soon attracted to the Communist movement and decided to dedicate his creative energy for popular music. He joined the once famous drama troupe of Kerala, the Kerala People's Arts Club (KPAC). The work that brought him to limelight was the drama song titled Ponnarivaal ambiliye kanneriyunnoole. KPAC and its members had a distinctive leaning towards the communist ideology, and their dramas did play a role in spreading the ideology among the Keralite masses. Through his compositions, Devarajan could cast an indelible imprint in the Malayali theatre arena, especially after the famous KPAC drama Ningalenne Communistaakki written by Thoppil Bhasi in 1952.
Musical Career:-

The first movie for which he composed music was Kaalam Maarunnu (1955). He teamed up with poet-lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma in Chathurangam in 1959. His third movie - and the second with Vayalar - Bharya (1962) became a huge hit and made them a popular combination. His captivating music earned him pride of place among those who had relentlessly strived to earn a dignified status for film songs. His combination with Vayalar produced the golden era of Malayalam film music. Devarajan is remembered by legendary singers in Malayalam like K. J. Yesudas and Jayachandran as their Godfather. In fact, it was the magical compositions by him that brought laurels to the main singers of that age.

Devarajan was the one who used maximum number of raaga's in Malayalam film music. His music embraced different styles with the Carnatic and Hindusthani melody lines meeting folk idioms and western harmony. Despite being an atheist, he composed brilliant devotional songs like Guruvayoor ambalanadayil,Chethi mandaram thulasi ,Nithya vishudhayam kanya mariyame etc. which are considered as classics in that genre. Also, he is particularly noted for his remarkable ability to blend the words of the lyrics with the mood of the situation, in his film song compositions. His compositions like Sanghupushpam, Sanyasini, Sanghamam, Chandrakalabham to name a few, surely come in the best and most popular songs in the Malayalam film music till now. Most of his hit songs were written by Vayalar Ramavarma and the combination of Vayalar-Devarajan was synonymous with beautiful songs. The Vayalar-Devarajan combine proved the most successful team till the death of Vayalar in the mid 1970s. Hundreds of songs contributed by the team are still part of Malayalis' nostalgia. Apart from Vayalar, he has also given tunes to the lyrics by other eminent poets and song writers like O. N. V. Kurup, P. Bhaskaran etc.

The name Devarajan master is remembered by Malayalam music lovers all over the world as the composer of deva raagas - divine melodies.A complete work of Devarajan master Degageethikal composed by himself has released and the book is published by Authentic books.
Devarajan master died of a heart attack at his residence in Chennai on March 14, 2006 at the age of 78. He was cremated with state honours in Paravur.






Awards:-
Devarajan won the Kerala State Film Awards thrice, for the best Music Director:
1960
Thriveni (1970)
Yamanam (1991)
He also won J. C. Daniel Award for Lifetime Achievement.
About JC Daniel Award

J. C. Daniel was the first film-maker from Kerala, India. He produced, directed, wrote, photographed, edited and acted in the first film made in Kerala, named Vigathakumaran. He also established the first film studio in Kerala, named The Travancore National Pictures. He is considered as the father of Malayalam cinema. The Government of Kerala instituted the J. C. Daniel Award as a part of the Kerala State Film Awards, to honour lifetime achievements in Malayalam cinema.

The awards are instituted by the J.C. Foundation, which was founded in memory of J.C. Daniel by his family and friends. The awards are given away annually for achievements in Malayalam film-making. An award is also given for the best novel.

In Media :- In Chief Minister Achuthanandan's words :

In Hindu "G. Devarajan, who has completed 50 years in the Malayalam film industry, goes down memory lane"
THE NOTED music director G. Devarajan is getting ready to charm Malayalis with the magic of his soulful music yet again. He plans to set to music some of the slokas of Sree Narayana Guru.
"The Guru is a great spiritual leader whom I admire. He has had a profound influence on my life," Devarajan says.
During the last 50 years, Devarajan scored the music for 353 films and innumerable plays.

Dream Duo
He worked with ONV Kurup to compose the music for `Kaalam Marunnu' in 1955. It was a film that altered the course of Malayalam film music as it brought together two creative minds who transformed Malayalam film music with the golden touch of their genius.
The songs of `Kaalam Marunnu' were recorded in three days at Merryland Studio in Thiruvananthapuram. "A tabalist Palaniswamy arranged the orchestra. K.S. George, KPAC Sulochana, Kamukara Purushothaman, Lalitha Thampi and Santha P. Nair rendered the songs. The songs were all popular," he recalls.
In an introspective mood, the musician says: "Be it in life or my career, I have always been uncompromising. You may call me arrogant and impudent. That does not affect me. I hold fast to my values and that has inspired me to lead the life I wanted. I don't go by what others think of me," he asserts.
The man who demystified Carnatic music and introduced its melody and reach to the common man does not mince words.
"I have never pleaded for a chance. Those who had faith in me came to me. Austerity is the hallmark of my life and music. There are many who have not given me my remuneration. A producer for whom I composed the songs in 31 films, never gave me anything at all. But the industry reveres him as a guru and is now getting ready to pay obeisance to him," he says.
His first recording session in Chennai was in 1951. To cash in on the popularity of the drama songs of KPAC, HMV decided to bring out discs and all the songs were recorded at their studio in Chennai. "The studio room was very small. They did not have a dedicated orchestra and used to call the artistes for each recording session.
The duration of the HMV discs was 2.55 minutes and I had to record an abridged version of `Ponnarival ambiliyil... ' to include it in the disc. While recording these songs I remember Soundrarajan, P. Leela and other singers waiting for their turn in the studio. After recording the film songs at the studios, the singers used to rush to the HMV studio and record it again for the disc," he remembers.
Devarajan recollects that the first song he composed was the one written by his childhood friend M.K. Raghavan Pillai. He had composed the music for many other poems, including those written by G. Kumara Pillai.

Books:-

Devageethikal

Every creative endeavour has an interesting story. The secret behind the ingenious creations of the late veteran music director G. Devarajan and his association with accomplished poets such as Vayalar Rama Varma, O.N.V. Kurup, P. Bhaskaran figure in the book, ‘Devageethikal,’ compiled by the composer himself.
The compilation released by Prof. Kurup here recently sheds light on his musical journey spanning four decades. Lucidity is the hall-mark of the creations.
When a musician with a passion for poetry works with poets yearning for melody, they succeed in striking a unique chord.
While elucidating his approach to music, Devarajan makes a clear distinction between a poet and a lyricist. A song should soar on the wings of poetry. A lyricist should essentially be a poet too. The songs should be pristine poetic creations embellished with imageries, simile and alliterations.
The soulful strains of melody composed by the musician complement the lyrics. A poet like O.N.V. visualised the charm of the universe in a glistening drop of rain.

Self-restraint

He exercised self-restraint while writing songs for the uninitiated audience without relinquishing the magic of his poetry.
The songs written for the plays of the Kerala People’s Arts Club (KPAC), which still continue to be a rage among connoisseurs of music, have been cited as an instance.
Deviating from the system of blindly copying the tunes of Hindi and Tamil film songs, the Devarajan-O.N.V. duo created an indigenous music, composing songs based on Carnatic and folk music.
The same was true with Vayalar who deftly interspersed Sanskrit in his songs which had specific hints for the layman.
Devarajan has cited ‘Palazhi mangaye parinayichu…’ as a case in point. Composing the music without diminishing the poetic beauty of the lyrics was an exacting task. But Devarajan says he took it as a challenge and effortlessly selected tunes for each song.
Devarajan’s logic that he would not pick up a tune that has not struck his mind is proof of his commitment to making each song a novel experience.
While Devarajan, O.N.V. and their compatriots excelled as artistes in their own right, they also made systematic interventions for the cause of the downtrodden.
Around 1,900 songs and the Carnatic compositions, including the details of the ragas, have been included in the anthology.

Ode to a legend

There are many creative geniuses who loathe to be in the limelight. After casting many an indelible imprint through their creative endeavours, such great men refrain from coming to the forefront. The veteran music director, G. Devarajan, who has made invaluable contributions to Carnatic music, theatre and cinema, is one among them. An introvert, he shuns publicity and refuses to confide even in his confidants who are few in number.
The noted poet Perumpuzha Gopalakrishnan took up the onerous task of etching the life and contributions of his friend and benefactor.
"I share a strong emotional bond with Devarajan and my book, `G. Devarajan, Sangeethathinte Rajasilpi' is an ode to our camaraderie. Writing the biography of a person who is alive is not an easy task. The biographer would have to depend solely on the person and cannot afford to go wrong on even minute aspects since it would be questioned. Perhaps this was one of the major challenges I had to overcome once I started working on the book. It took three years to complete the work," he says.
Clear insight
Initially, well-wishers of Devarajan proposed publishing an article about him. On realising that a metaphysical piece would not prove to be relevant, it was decided to bring out a biography that would give a clear insight into the life and contributions of the music director who revolutionised both drama and film music. Convincing Devarajan was not easy.
He instantly turned down the proposal, but ultimately they succeeded in getting his consent.
"I collected all the material that has been published about him, including the song `Ona poove... ' written by O.N.V.Kurup and composed by Devarajan in Janayugam in 1951 with its notation. This was the most precious material of all," he says.
It was a tightrope walk for Perumpuzha. Tackling the composer was more difficult than the collection and compilation of facts. At times he would engage the biographer in long conversations and garner his thoughts and suggestions. Sometimes it would be brief, in fits and starts.
He had extensive sittings with Devarajan at his residence in Chennai. Braving his ill-health, Devarajan would also engage the biographer in protracted discussions. The writer would meticulously take down the notes and discuss it with Devarajan.
Perumpuzha had made elaborate preparations as if he were writing a novel.
Without delving into the specifics of the political milieu of his formative period, the theatre movement and film industry, Perumpuzha was trying to see the world from Devarajan's view.

Focus on the person

"My focus was the personality, demeanour, creative genius, his association with various poets, including O.N.V. Kurup and Vayalar Rama Varma, and also on what differentiates him from his contemporaries.
"Like his life and music, Devarajan's thoughts are pristine and well-marshalled. Precision is his hall-mark. Our discussions were not centred around his drama and film songs alone. The book is a window to his world of music.
"All the melodies and songs he had heard as a child has had a profound influence on Devarajan. The milieu that fostered the proletarian movement in Kerala, influence of Soviet literature, and the class struggles had its influence on Devarajan's music.
"His ingenuity in blending music and poetry, research in Carnatic music, the `Shad kaala pallavis' he has composed and the studies to discover rare `thaalas' have all been covered in the book," says Perumpuzha.
Quite often the biographer was compelled to rewrite the material he had prepared after prolonged discussions and his patience was put to test. Still, he refused to give up and boldly went ahead. Devarajan's unique style of composing, the rare ragas he had used, his special affinity for Mohana raga and also the deft handling of western music have all figured in the biography.
"This book cannot be considered as the final word on Devarajan and his music. This would spark off a debate and many others who know him more intimately would come out with valuable inputs. Devarajan is an ocean of music and this book would help them familiarise themselves with his life and mission," says Sri. Perumpuzha Gopalakrishnan.