Unknown Kathakali Musician

The 1940s, when Namboodiri ladies were confined to the interiors of their houses, an eight year old girl of Desamangalam Mana Vishnudatta, was showing exceptional talent in music. In spite of the prevailing orthodoxy, her farsighted father Desamangalam Narayanan Nambudiripad, entrusted Venkitakrishna Bhagavathar, the doyen of Kathakali Music, to teach Kathakali padams to Vishnudatta. Venkitakrishna Bhagavathar came to Desamangalam Mana to teach Vishnudatta. She was initiated to music by teaching a few basic lessons in Carnatic Music. Vishnudatta’s adherence to sruthi was immaculate and she was able to reproduce Bhagavathar’s style exactly. Bhagavathar was surprised to hear her singing all the padams in a uninhibited manner. The hallmark of her singing was a crystal clear voice and exact pronunciation. Vishnudatta got married at a tender age of 15. Her husband was Dr K M N Nambudiripad, of Kanjoor Mana, who was a psychiatrist in Palakkad. Soon she took up the household chores, but was still singing in social/family gatherings. In 1981, Vishnudatta was invited to the birth centenary celebrations of Venkitakrishna Bhagavathar, held at Mundaya, near Shoranur. She appeared before an audience for the first time as a performer. She was singing on stage for the first time, that too accompanied by violin and mridangam. She sang “Ajitha Hare Jaya,” “Marimaan Kanni,” and “Kalayaami Sumathe” with consummate ease, as if she was a seasoned professional performer!! The audience were awestruck and the thundering applause was evident of her prowess. Later in 1996, she performed at Sreekrishanapuram. These were the only public performances of Vishnudatta. Vishnudatta died in January 2008 after a brief illness. That marked the end of the unique Venkitakrishna Bhagavathar’s style of Kathakali Music. Unfortunately, there are no audio or video footages of the performances of Vishnudatta. Even now, in the times of women empowerment, there are only a few women who are professional Kathakali musicians. There was a Kathakali troupe in Tripunithura, where the actors and musicians were women. There are many women, who have learned Kathakali Music, but still remain unknown. As the old saying goes. “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard are sweeter.”