Tiger Varadachariar was a famous Carnatic 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...

 vocalist who hailed from the 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...

n state of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

. M. D. Ramanathan

M. D. Ramanathan

Manjapara Devesa Ramanathan affectionately called MDR was a Carnatic music composer and vocalist.-Early life:...

 was his student.

Early life

Tiger Varadachariar hailed from a musical family of unique distinction. His father Ramanujachariar was a musical discourser, brother K.V. Srinivasa Ayyangar was a renowned musicologist while another brother K.V.Krishnamachariar was a veena player. In fact, Tiger used to say that he learnt much from the singing of his sister. Varadachariar was born on August 1, 1876 at Kolathur. Varadachariar's receptive ears and musical instincts drew inspiration and knowledge from street dramas, bhajans and even from occasional contacts such as with Fiddle Ramachandrayyar. He was big, burly and unprepossessing. This exterior housed a genial and lovable man, a brilliant musicologist, a musical artiste and an acknowledged teacher of renown. Music was not then prosperous from the economic view-point and the father wanted to keep his sons - all mad with music - away from it. But the inevitable happened. Photo Masilamani and Pedda Singaracharyulu encouraged Varadachariar in his musical pursuits and Varadachariar was with the venerable Patnam Subramania Ayyar for three years from the age of fourteen. Constraints of family forced young Varadachariar to enter the Survey Department at Calicut on Rupees twelve per mensem. Survey of lands did not deter the youth's pursuit for excellence and survey of music.

When he was at Mysore, he attracted the attention of Krishnaraja Wodeyar, who honoured him with the title of 'Tiger' and presented him with a 'thoda'. It was unique that in spite of a gruff voice, the 'Tiger' strode like a colossus for decades and extracted respect and honour with his superlative knowledge and universally accepted teaching acumen. As a musician, his voice lacked melody, ring and delicacy. But one can see in him 'a treasure house of varied musical gems of rare brilliance'. His flights of imagination were unlimited. His deep singing produced massive effect on the audience. Brikas, gamakas and graces would bristle out defying his unresponsive voice. He was a good composer of varnams, gitam, kritis, etc. 'Eediname Sudinamu' was composed by him when C.Rajagopalachariar visited Kalkshetra in 1948 as Governor General. 'Nidu Charanamule' (Simhendramadyamam) under the signature of Tyagaraja is actually a composition of the 'Three musketeers of Kaladipet', the Tiger Brothers.

Awards

Varadachariar was awarded the Sangeetha Kalanidhi

Sangeetha Kalanidhi

Sangeetha Kalanidhi or Sangita Kalanidhi is the title awarded yearly to an expert Carnatic Musician by the Madras Music Academy. This honour is considered one of the highest awards in Carnatic music.-----Sangeetha Kalanidhis:-External links:*...

 by Madras Music Academy

Madras Music Academy

Madras Music Academy, or simply Music Academy, is one of the premier and early Music Academies in the South Indian city of Madras, now Chennai. It plays an important role in encouraging and promoting primarily the Carnatic Music south Indian art form. It also played an important role in revival of...

in the year 1932.