T. N. Rajarathnam Pillai

Thirumarugal Natesapillai Rajarathinam Pillai (27 August 1898 – 12 December 1956) or TNR[1] was an Indian Carnatic musician, nadaswaram maestro, vocalist and film actor.[2] He was popularly known as "Nadaswara Chakravarthi" (literally, the Emperor of Nadaswaram)

T. N. Rajarathnam Pillai
Rajarathnam Pillai on a 2010 stamp of India.jpg
Rajarathnam Pillai on a 2010 stamp of India.jpg
Background information
Birth nameBalasubramaniam
Also known asTNR
Born(1898-08-27)27 August 1898
Thiruvaduthurai,
Madras Presidency,
British India
(now Tamil Nadu, India)
Died12 December 1956(1956-12-12) (aged 58)
Madras, Madras State
(now Chennai, Tamil Nadu), India
GenresCarnatic music
OccupationsNadaswaramPerformer
InstrumentsNadaswaram
Years active32

Film career

He featured in the main role as the 16th century Tamil poet Kalamegam.[3] He also appeared briefly as a Nadhaswaram player in the film Thiruneelakantar (1939 film).[4]

Titles, honors and service

Rajarathnam Pillai was a recipient of many titles, none of them official or academic. He was popularly known as Nadaswara Chakravarthi meaning Emperor of Nagaswaram.[5] He is believed to have promoted nadaswaram and tavil players for recognition as musicians in their own right and it is thought that his lead was recognised when the Madras Music Academy conferred the title of Sangeetha Kalanidhi (doctor of music) on fellow nagaswaram exponent Thiruvizhimizhalai Subramania Pillai in 1956. In spite of his fame and following, there is no formal or official account of his life readily available in Tamil or another language.

References
  1. "The Emperor passes". The Hindu. 7 December 2007. Archived from the original on 8 December 2007.
  2. Vijaya Ramaswamy, Jawaharlal Nehru University (2007). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Scarecrow Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-8108-6445-0.
  3. Blast From the Past - Kalamegham 1940, The Hindu 21 September 2007
  4. M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar Filmography
  5. "Reader-friendly approach". The Hindu. 14 January 2007. Archived from the original on 17 January 2007.
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