K. C. Kesava Pillai
Encyclopedia
K. C. Kesava Pillai was a composer of Carnatic music
, Poet Laureate of Travancore
and made contributions to Malayalam literature
(Quilon) District of Kerala
in India
in 1868. He had a school education up to the 5th grade and gained a proficiency in music. He watched Kathakali
learnt the basics of Kathakali
literature, costumes and mudra
s. Aged 15, he wrote his first attakadha, but was encouraged to learn Sanskrit
so that he could correct his work himself and was subsequently taught it by Paravoor V. Kesavan Asan. and grammar
by his brother Ennakkattu Rajaraja Varma. Later in his life, in 1896, he had become a teacher in Kollam Malayalam school; within a few years was promoted to the position of Sanskrit Munshi, or the A close associate of Kerala Varma and Rajaraja Varma, K. C. Kesava Pillai died in 1914, aged 46 years. On account of his musical and poetical achievements, he was awarded the title of Sarasa Gayaka Kavimani by Sangeethasahityakovda Kerala Varma Valiya Koyi Thampuran.
, both Kerala musicians.
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...
, Poet Laureate of Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
and made contributions to Malayalam literature
Malayalam literature
The term Malayalam literature refers to Literature written in Malayalam language. Malayalam is the language spoken by around 35 million people, mainly the inhabitants of the state of Kerala and the union territory of Lakshadweep Islands in India. Malayalam is a Dravidian language and thus has close...
Life and Education
K. C. Kesava Pillai was born in Paravur in KollamKollam
Kollam , often anglicized as ', is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram...
(Quilon) District of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1868. He had a school education up to the 5th grade and gained a proficiency in music. He watched Kathakali
Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...
learnt the basics of Kathakali
Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...
literature, costumes and mudra
Mudra
A mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...
s. Aged 15, he wrote his first attakadha, but was encouraged to learn Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
so that he could correct his work himself and was subsequently taught it by Paravoor V. Kesavan Asan. and grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
by his brother Ennakkattu Rajaraja Varma. Later in his life, in 1896, he had become a teacher in Kollam Malayalam school; within a few years was promoted to the position of Sanskrit Munshi, or the A close associate of Kerala Varma and Rajaraja Varma, K. C. Kesava Pillai died in 1914, aged 46 years. On account of his musical and poetical achievements, he was awarded the title of Sarasa Gayaka Kavimani by Sangeethasahityakovda Kerala Varma Valiya Koyi Thampuran.
Work
- Sangeetha manjari and Sthavaratnavali: both contain kritiKriti-Structure:Kritis typically contain three parts#Pallavi. This is the equivalent of a refrain in Western music.#Anupallavi. The second verse, which is sometimes optional....
s and bhajanBhajanA Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
songs - Sangeethamaalika and
- Eswarasthothranga
- Sthavaratnamalika
Attakadha (Gesture Stories)
- Prahlaada Charitham, later renamed, Hiranyasuravadham Written aged 15
- Soorapadmasuravadham
- Sreekrishnavijayam
Poetry
- Asanna Marana Chinta Satakam (Reflections of a Dying Man)although written for a competition, is a touching lyrical monologue with a predominant elegiac tone and anticipates the Khandakavyas or shorter poems of the poets of the renaissance. It has an underground connection with C.S.Subramanian Potti's Oruvilapam (A Lament: 1903), V.C.Balakrishna Panikkar's Oruvilapam (A Lament:1908) and even Kumaran Asan's Oru Veena Poovu (A Fallen Flower:1907) which may be thought of an elegy in disguise.
- '‘Adimalarina’': A ragamalika in four languages: MalayalamMalayalam languageMalayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
, TamilTamil languageTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and SanskritSanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. - Satya Swaroopavibho in ragaRagaA raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
SankarabharanaDheerasankarabharanamDheerashankarābharanam , commonly known as Shankarābharanam, is a rāga in Carnatic music . It is the 29th Melakarta rāga in the 72 melakarta rāga system of Carnatic music.... - Bhajikka Nee Ramane in MohanamMohanamMohanam is a rāgam in Carnatic music . It is an audava rāgam . It is a janya rāgam , as it does not have all the seven swaras .The equivalent of Mohanam in Hindustani music is Bhoop Mohanam is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is an audava rāgam (or...
- Koti Divakara in DhanyasiDhanyasiDhanyasi is a rāgam in Carnatic music . It is a janya rāgam from the 8th melakarta scale Hanumatodi. It is a janya scale, as it does not have all the seven swaras in the ascending scale...
- Nana Jaathikal in Kambhoji
- Vande Maatharam in Sindhubhairavi
- Vande Maatharam in Kuntalavarali
- Kamalanatha in ThodiHanumatodiHanumatodi, more popularly known as Todi, is a rāgam in Carnatic music . It is the 8th melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system. This is sung very often in concerts. It is known to be a difficult rāgam to perform in owing to its complexity in prayoga...
- Sree vasudeva in KāpiKapiThe Kapi was a Spanish automobile manufactured by Automóviles y Autoscooter Kapi in Barcelona from 1950 until 1955. Designed by Captain Federico Saldaña, the first car was a light three-wheeled two door runabout powered by a 125 cc 2 cv single-cylinder two-stroke engine made by Montessa...
- Sreemoolarajavijayam, 1894, submitted to Sree Moolam Thirunal MaharajaMoolam Thirunal of TravancoreMoolam Thirunal Rama Varma was the ruling Maharajah of the Indian state of Travancore between 1885 and 1924, succeeding his uncle Maharajah Visakham Thirunal .-Early life and education:...
. - Aasannamaranachintasatakam: a work consisting of 104 slokas (songs in Carnatic musicCarnatic musicCarnatic 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...
or Indian music praising God) in Saardoolavikriditham. - Kerala Bhashaa Narayaneeyam: a translation of Narayaneeyam in Malayalam.
- Subhashitha
- Ratnakaram
- Abhinayamalika
- Kesaviyam: A mahakavya modeled on the Sanskrit pattern, adhering to the rules of structure and style of the classical rhetorician, Dandi.
- Sadarama (A popular TamilTamil languageTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
musical play) - A selection of attakkathas.
Music
K.C. Kesava Pillai was a composer of songs, whose standard is comparable to that of Swati Tirunal and Irayimman ThampiIrayimman Thampi
Ravi Varman Thampi better known as Irayimman Thampi was a Carnatic musician as well as a music composer from Kerala, India. He was a vocalist in the court of Swathi Thirunal...
, both Kerala musicians.