Chakra Tanam
Encyclopedia
Chakra Tanam is one of the styles of tanam
singing in Carnatic Classical Music
tradition. It owes its name to the circular or cyclic approach adopted by the performer.
Tanam singing itself is regarded as a dying art today with musicians not having the patience or the aptitude to take up such scholarly rigorous pursuits.
Subba Iyer of Chembai village (in Palakkad District
), who lived in the early 19th Century and was a contemporary of the Carnatic Music Trinity
and Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, was such a famed exponent of Chakra Tanam that he came to be popularly called Chakratanam Subba Iyer.
Chakra Tanam is an almost extinct style of Tanam singing, its last major exponent being Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar
, the great-grandson of Chakratanam Subbaiyer.
Tanam
Taanam is one of the methods of raga improvisation in Carnatic Classical Music tradition, suited mainly for vocal music and veena....
singing in Carnatic Classical Music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
tradition. It owes its name to the circular or cyclic approach adopted by the performer.
Tanam singing itself is regarded as a dying art today with musicians not having the patience or the aptitude to take up such scholarly rigorous pursuits.
Subba Iyer of Chembai village (in Palakkad District
Palakkad district
Palakkad District is one of the 14 districts of the Indian state of Kerala. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The...
), who lived in the early 19th Century and was a contemporary of the Carnatic Music Trinity
Trinity of Carnatic music
The outstanding group of composer-musicians of Carnatic music which included Tyāgarāja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri, are commonly referred to as the Trinity of Carnatic music....
and Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, was such a famed exponent of Chakra Tanam that he came to be popularly called Chakratanam Subba Iyer.
Chakra Tanam is an almost extinct style of Tanam singing, its last major exponent being Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar
Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar
Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar was a Carnatic music singer from Palakkad . Known by his village name Chembai, or simply as Bhagavatar, he was born to Anantha Bhagavatar and Parvati Ammal in 1896, at Kottayi near Palakkad on Janmashtami day, with Bharani star in the month of Chingam...
, the great-grandson of Chakratanam Subbaiyer.