D K Pattammal : A Meastro And Her Timeless Music

"Damal Krishnaswamy Pattammal (DKP) was born on March 19 1919 in Tumbhavana Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu to Rajammal and Krishnaswamy. Her father was a Sanskrit teacher at the time of her birth. Pattammal was the first woman in her community to appear on stage and perform music challenging all the prevailing customs which would not permit women from Brahminical families to perform in public. She further rose to the occasion of the freedom movement voicing the struggle through her powerful music. Pattammal was awarded Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan in the years 1971 and 1999 respectively. Among several other awards she was also the recipient of the Sangeeta Kalanidhi by the Madras Music Academy an award considered the highest accolade in the field of music. Pattammal was considered an authority on kritis of Muthuswamy Dikshithar one of the trinity; the others being Thyagaraja and Shyama Shastri. She held undisputed influence over Carnatic music for over 75 years. Even when she was bound to wheelchair in her twilight years her spirit saw no boundaries of her art of music. This book is the story of Pattammal the making of a modern legend."