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{{Short description|Indian singer (1896–1974)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar
| image             = Chembai 1996 stamp of India.jpg
| caption           = Chembai in an Indian Stamp
| birth_name        = Vaidyanatha Iyer
| website           = {{URL|chembai.com}}
| birth_date        = {{Birth date|df=yes|1896|08|28}}
| birth_place       = [[Lokanarkavu]], [[Vatakara]], [[Kerala]], India<ref name="thehindu1">{{cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/history-of-legendary-warriors-of-vadakara/article26794028.ece | title=The warriors of Vadakara - A glimpse of the 16th century history of the legendary heroes of Vadakara through its tangible heritage structures| website=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref><ref name="manorama1">{{cite web |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/travel/travel-news/2018/10/17/go-on-a-thrilling-trip-to-the-martial-arts-heritage.html | title=Go on a thrilling trip to the martial arts heritage of Kadathanad}}</ref>
| death_date        = {{death date and age|df=yes|1974|10|16|1896|9|1}}
| death_place       = [[Ottapalam]], [[Palakkad district|Palakkad]], [[Kerala]], India
| genre             = [[Carnatic Music]]
| occupation        = Singer
| years_active      = 1904–1974
| label             = [[Saregama|His Master's Voice]], Inreco, BMG, Vani Cassettes
}}

'''Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar''' (born '''Vaidyanatha Iyer''', 28 August 1896 – 16 October 1974) was an Indian [[Carnatic music]] singer from [[Kerala]]. He was born in [[Vatakara]], Kerala, and moved to [[Palakkad]] along with his family during his childhood.<ref name="thehindu1"/><ref name="manorama1"/><ref name="cs">L. R. Viswanatha Sarma (1954), ''Chembai Selvam'' (Biography of Chembai), 1954: Amudha Nilayam Ltd.</ref> He is popularly known as ''Chembai'', or sometimes simply as ''Bhagavatar''. Chembai was noted for his powerful voice and majestic style<ref name="sruti">N. Pattabhi Raman and K.S. Krishnamurthi, ''Sruti'', Issue 98, November 1992</ref> of singing. His first public performance was in 1904, when he was nine. A recipient of several titles and honours (including the Madras Music Academy's [[Sangeetha Kalanidhi]] in 1951), he was known for his encouragement of upcoming musicians and ability to spot new talent.<ref name="cs"/> He was responsible for popularising compositions like ''Rakshamam Saranagatam'' and ''Pavana Guru'', among others.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-09-01 |title=Chembai: Artist with a strong voice and a noble heart |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/tracking-indian-communities/chembai-artist-with-a-strong-voice-noble-heart/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129044632/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/tracking-indian-communities/chembai-artist-with-a-strong-voice-noble-heart/ |archive-date=2020-01-29 |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

The music critic 'Aeolus' described him as "the musician who has meant the most to Carnatic Music in the first fifty years of the 20th century."<ref>Aeolus, ''Shankar's Weekly'', 12 December 1963</ref> His prominent disciples include Chembai Narayana Bhagavathar, Mangu Thampuran, Guruvayur Ponnammal, [[T. V. Gopalakrishnan]], V. V. Subramaniam, [[P. Leela]], [[K. G. Jayan]], K. G. Vijayan, [[K. J. Yesudas]], Kudumaru Venkataraman and Babu Parameswaran, among others.<ref name="cmc">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/edu/2006/05/30/stories/2006053000250400.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107123521/http://www.hindu.com/edu/2006/05/30/stories/2006053000250400.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 November 2012 |title=Chembai Memorial Govt. Music College |date=30 May 2006 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=16 October 2009}}</ref> He also mentored many young accompanists, including [[Palghat Mani Iyer]], [[Lalgudi Jayaraman]], [[M. S. Gopalakrishnan]], [[T. N. Krishnan]], [[Palani Subramaniam Pillai]] and [[L. Subramaniam]]. Memorial music festivals have been held in his honour annually since his death in 1974, the most important being the annually celebrated [[Chembai Sangeetholsavam]].

==Early life==
[[Image:Chembai.jpg|thumb|right|290px]]
[[File:Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagvatar.jpg|thumb|]]
Chembai was born to Anantha Bhagavatar and Parvati Ammal on 28 August 1896,<ref>{{Cite web |title=CHEMBAI - MY DISCOVERY OF A LEGEND - NATIONAL AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY(2016) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs9AELxSvfI&t=09m50s|last=Sadanandan |first=Soumya |date=2016-06-30 |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref> into a [[Tamil Brahmin]] family in Perakkool Madom, adjacent to [[Lokanarkavu]],[[Vatakara]] in [[Kozhikode]], on [[Janmashtami]] day.<ref name="manorama1"/> He lived here until he was five years old when the family moved to [[Palakkad]].

The family's connection with classical music spans five centuries. Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar's father, Anantha Bhagavatar, was a violinist and singer from Chembai, near Palakkad, to whom a local Maharaja awarded the title "Ghana Chakratanam", indicating his mastery of a special closed-mouth style of singing [[tanam]].<ref name="sruti" /> At age 3, Chembai began to learn [[Carnatic music]] from his father<ref name="cs" /> in the customary [[guru]]-[[sishya]] tradition, and also began violin and flute training in 1912. Chembai is also one of 12 names of Sirkazhi, the birthplace of Saint Gnanasambandar 7th century CE in [[Tamil Nadu]].

==Singing career==

{{main| Concerts of Chembai}}

Some of the noteworthy early events that helped shape Chembai's career include his ''arangetram'' (debut concert) in [[Ottapalam]] in 1904, performances at [[Vaikom]] and [[Guruvayur]] in 1907, his year with [[Kaliakudi Natesa Sastry]] (1909) and the accolades he received from [[Palghat Anantharama Bhagavatar]] (1911). Between 1913 and 1927, he performed at many different music festivals and sabhas, notably including the [[Madras Music Academy]] and the often forgotten Jagannatha Bhakta Sabha. 
In 1952 Chembai lost his voice and couldn’t chant the name of his favourite deity, Guruvayurappan. He prayed fervently and apparently his prayers were answered when a stranger gave treatment to his voice for 18 days in Poomallianmana in Kerala at the residence of Nilakantan Namboodripad. He came around and was able to sing with increased vigour. Since then, he donated the majority of his earnings to Guruvayoor temple.

===Release of recordings===
Chembai has many [[phonograph]] recordings to his credit, recorded from 1932 to 1946. Those were the days before the advent of the concert [[microphone]], and a singer was entirely dependent on the timbre and reach of his voice for a successful concert. Chembai had a voice of great depth.<ref name="sruti"/> Further, the perception that Chembai's repertoire of songs was limited is highly incorrect. The number of different compositions he recorded is in the hundreds (let alone the total number he performed in concerts and on radio during his career).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://chembai.com/chembairecordings.html |title=''Chembai - Recordings'' |access-date=16 February 2019 |archive-date=15 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915001324/http://chembai.com/chembairecordings.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Lalita Dasar Kritis (1945)===
Chembai's old friend, T. G. Krishna Iyer, from [[Tripunithura]], had settled in [[Madras]] (now [[Chennai]]) and offered a house to Chembai on Palace Road near [[Santhome]]. He had composed some 155 [[kriti (music)|kriti]]s in [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Malayalam language|Malayalam]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[Sanskrit]] under the [[mudra (music)|mudra]] 'Lalita dasar' and requested Chembai to popularise them. Chembai set the kritis to classical music and got them published under the name ''Lalita Dasar Keertanaigal''. He made it a practice to sing these kritis in most of his concerts. He also released a record containing selected kritis from Lalita Dasar's kritis like Evariki Telusunamma ([[Dhanyasi]]), Ennil Kaninda ([[Sankarabharanam (raga)|Shankarabharanam]]), Pavana Guru ([[Hamsanandi]]), Varijadala Lochani ([[Arabhi]]), among others.<ref name="cs" />

===Performing ability and style===
Chembai had a vigorous, strong, vibrant, ringing and resonant voice. He would sing in a clear, open-throated style that requires high levels of physical and mental endurance to pull off, yet, he did so in a seemingly effortless manner. He had a wonderful sense of accurate kala pramana (time measure). He could do a [[niraval]] and swaraprastara from any given point, which bespoke of mental alertness in a concert.<ref name="taal">{{cite web |url=http://taal.20m.com/chembai.html |title=Chembai Vaidyanath Bhagavathar |publisher=Taal.20m.com |date=16 October 1974 |access-date=16 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531154509/http://taal.20m.com/chembai.html |archive-date=31 May 2010}}</ref> His empathy for his accompanists and disciples was noteworthy and he would go to great lengths to encourage them.<ref name="taal" /> Chembai has given his full emotion in the kriti ''Ksheera Saagara''depicting the mind of [[Tyagaraja]] in the phrase''Tarakanama''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Thekekara |first=Shaji Antony |date=2020 |title=International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research |url=https://www.researchpublish.com/upload/book/paperpdf-1589981797.pdf |journal=Prominence of Chembai Vaidyanathan in Carnatic Music and on Music Festivals (2020-2021) |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=219 |via=Research Publish Journals}}</ref>

Other stalwarts have admired the strengths of Chembai's singing. For instance, upon witnessing that Chembai was able to sing three major concerts in a single day, [[G. N. Balasubramaniam]] is said to have remarked "These are not ordinary men. These are the [[Asura]]s of the music field.  If I sing one concert, I need to rest the whole of next day".<ref name="reminisces">{{cite web |url=https://www.dropbox.com/s/zz1pp01ju36y94v/musicians_reminisces.pdf | title=A Musician's Reminisces - Prof. Mysore V. Ramarathnam}}</ref> Legendary percussionist [[Pudukkottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai]] would call him "Laya Brahma" for his impeccable grasp of tala and laya.<ref name="reminisces" /> [[K. V. Narayanaswamy]] has also remarked on Chembai's ability to hold notes aligned perfectly to sruti for extended intervals of time.<ref name="kvn">{{cite web |url=http://www.narada.org/interview-with-kvn.html | title=Interview with KVN}}</ref>

===Disciples===
Chembai had many students, including [[K. J. Yesudas]] and many noted musicians like [[T. V. Gopalakrishnan]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2005/09/02/stories/2005090201460200.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060903011341/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2005/09/02/stories/2005090201460200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 September 2006 |title=A maestro's music |date=2 September 2005 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=16 October 2009}}</ref> [[P. Leela]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/11/01/stories/2005110108140400.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613053852/http://www.hindu.com/2005/11/01/stories/2005110108140400.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 June 2007 |title=P. Leela's death mourned |date=1 November 2005 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=16 October 2009}}</ref> and the [[K. G. Jayan|Jaya]]-Vijaya twins,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2005/08/26/stories/2005082601090200.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903185141/http://hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2005/08/26/stories/2005082601090200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 September 2010 |title=In memory of a legendary guru |date=26 August 2005 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=16 October 2009}}</ref> Kudumaru Venkataraman, Paramasivan Bhagavathar and others.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar |url=https://prasarbharati.gov.in/chembai-vaidyanathan-bhagvatar-2/ |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=[[Prasar Bharati]]}}</ref>

==Death==
Chembai died suddenly on 16 October 1974, aged 78, of a cardiac arrest. Shortly before that, he performed his last concert at Poozhikunnu Sri [[Krishna]] temple in [[Ottapalam]] (the venue of his first concert),<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-17 |title=Maestro's tanpura taken to Guruvayur Chembai Music Fest |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/maestros-tanpura-taken-to-guruvayur-chembai-music-fest/article66149895.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230722002247/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/maestros-tanpura-taken-to-guruvayur-chembai-music-fest/article66149895.ece |archive-date=2023-07-22 |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kolappan |first=B. |date=2011-12-20 |title=A rags to riches story |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/a-rags-to-riches-story/article2729798.ece |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20221122130140/https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/a-rags-to-riches-story/article2729798.ece |archive-date=2022-11-22 |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> and concluded the concert with his favourite song "[[Karuna Cheyvan Enthu|Karuna Cheyvan Enthu Thamasam Krishna?]]" (''Why is there so much delay in conferring your mercy, Krishna?'').<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-01 |title=Ottapalam railway station gets a mural makeover |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/ottapalam-rly-stn-gets-a-mural-makeover/articleshow/80617384.cms |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> He was talking to his disciple Olappamanna Vasudevan Namboothiripad when he suddenly collapsed and died. His nephew said he had always spoken about an easy death, and had attained it. He was cremated in his birth village. He was survived by his wife and daughter, both of them who died later. The government music college in [[Palakkad]] was renamed to [[Chembai Memorial Government Music College]] in his memory.

==Awards and titles==
{{main|List of awards and honours received by Chembai}}
[[File:Chembai1.jpg|thumb|Chembai statue in Kerala]]
Chembai received several awards and titles during his career, most notably including:

* "Gayana Gandharva" (a title bestowed by [[Kalki Krishnamurthy]] in 1940)<ref name="cs"/>
* [[Sangeetha Kalanidhi]] (1951; highest accolade in Carnatic music)<ref name="cs"/>
* [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] (1958)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sangeetnatak.com/programmes_recognition&honours_music_carnatic_vocal.html |title=Sangeet Natak Akademi Award |publisher=Sangeetnatak.com |access-date=16 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927131942/http://www.sangeetnatak.com/programmes_recognition%26honours_music_carnatic_vocal.html |archive-date=27 September 2007  }}</ref>
* [[Sangeetha Kalasikhamani]] (1964; by The Fine Arts Society, Chennai)
* [[Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship]] (1972)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.keralaculture.org/classical-music/456|title=Classical Music|publisher=Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala|access-date=24 February 2023}}</ref>
* [[Padma Bhushan]] (1973) – The Padma Bhushan is a national award bestowed by the President of India on select musicians and other eminent people. Chembai was selected to receive the award in 1973 from the then president V. V. Giri.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swathithirunal.in/composeres/chembai.htm|title=Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar}}</ref>
* The Department of Posts, Govt of India released a special issue stamp in Chembai's birth centenary year (1996).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianpost.com/viewstamp.php/Currency/Paisa/Alpha/C/CHEMBAI%20VAIDYANATHA%20BHAGAVATHAR |title=Chembai Stamp Released |publisher=Indianpost.com |date=28 August 1996 |access-date=16 October 2009}}</ref>

==Music festivals==
{{main |Chembai Sangeetholsavam}}
Chembai had been conducting a music festival in his native village from 1924 onwards. This was continued by his family and now by Chembai Sreenivasan and Chembai Suresh (C. A. Subramanian). The concert, called Chembai Ekadasi Music Festival, is held annually in February–March. Chembai also held a music festival on [[Guruvayur Ekadasi]] Day (mid-November) at Guruvayur every year. This festival, now called [[Chembai Sangeetholsavam]] in his honour, is officially conducted by the [[Devaswom#Guruvayur Devaswom Board|Guruvayur Devaswom Board]].<ref name="gd">{{cite web |url=http://www.guruvayurdevaswom.org/chembai.shtml |title=Guruvayur Devaswom |publisher=Guruvayur Devaswom |date=16 October 1974 |access-date=16 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091114112928/http://www.guruvayurdevaswom.org/chembai.shtml |archive-date=14 November 2009  }}</ref>

==Guruvayurappan Chembai Puraskaram==
The Sri Guvayurappan Chembai Puraskaram, awarded by Sree Krishna Temple, [[Guruvayur]], is instituted in Chembai's memory of the late Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. This award, comprising a cash prize of INR 50,001, a gold locket of Sree [[Guruvayurappan]], a citation and ''ponnadai'' (a shawl adorned around the shoulders of a dignitary who is being honored), is usually presented during the annual Chembai Music Festival.

The recipients of the Chembai puraskaram include:
*Saxophonist [[Kadri Gopalnath]] (2013)<ref name="hind13">[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/chembai-puraskaram-for-kadri-gopalnath/article5299149.ece Chembai Puraskaram for Kadri Gopalnath], ''The Hindu'', 31 October 2013.</ref>
*Carnatic musician [[Trichur V. Ramachandran]]<ref name="hind12">[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/chembai-award-for-2012-announced/article3957350.ece Chembai award for 2012 announced], ''The Hindu'', 2 October 2012.</ref>
*Veena maestro A. Ananthapadmanabhan (2011)
*Carnatic musician [[K. G. Jayan]] (2010)
*Carnatic vocalist [[Parassala B. Ponnammal|Parassala Ponnammal]] (2009)
*Mridangam maestro [[Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair]] (2008)
*Carnatic vocalist [[M. Balamuralikrishna]] (2007)
*Violin maestro [[M. S. Gopalakrishnan]] (2006)
*Carnatic musician and mridangam maestro [[T. V. Gopalakrishnan]] (2005)

==See also==
*[[Carnatic music]]
*[[List of Carnatic singers]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Chembai}}
{{sister project links|Chembai}}
*http://chembai.com
*https://web.archive.org/web/20060610105948/http://chembaismruthi.org/
*https://web.archive.org/web/20070104210611/http://www.cmana.org/cmana/articles/gmcm.htm
*{{YouTube|j-8eA7Fl4q4|A movie clip showing Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar performing a concert}} accompanied by [[Chowdiah]] on the violin and [[Palghat Mani Iyer]] on the [[Mridangam]]
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1970–79}}
{{Music of Kerala}}
{{Padma Award winners of Kerala}}
{{Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Winners of Kerala}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chembai}}
[[Category:Chembai| ]]
[[Category:Male Carnatic singers]]
[[Category:Carnatic singers]]
[[Category:Carnatic instrumentalists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Sangeetha Kalanidhi recipients]]
[[Category:1896 births]]
[[Category:1974 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Palakkad district]]
[[Category:Singers from Kerala]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male classical singers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship]]