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 It was December 1977. There was a new-found enthusiasm after the dark days of Indira Gandhi’s Emergency.
M L Vasanthakumari was selected to preside over that year’s conference of the Music Academy. Woman-libbers were enthusiastic as two women in a row were selected to be Sangita Kalanidhis; a doyen of Veena Dhanammal tradition, T Brinda in 1976, and now MLV. Fans of MLV were licking their chops, as she, their favourite musician, one of the very colourful of that breed, was to chair the then most prestigious event in Indian music.
Fans of Canteen Krishnamurti were licking their lips, as on the very first day itself the veteran cook had prepared kAshi halva, padir pENi and pannIr jAngiri. A hat-trick so sweet that it bowled not three but three times three hundred rasikas. 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' rent the crisp afternoon air at the Academy canteen on the inauguration day as the sweet-toothed gobbled one delicacy after another. Only the applause was missing, though a few enterprising mAmAs slapped hard on Krishnamurti’s fragile back in appreciation.
 The gourmets looked forward to a season full of mouth-watering delicacies to go with the edifying lec-dems and the delectable art of the musicians. There was no disagreement when, between mouthfuls of padir pENi, a mAmi of no mean weight ventured her opinion that the year’s season would be special. Just how special it would turn out to be, none would have dreamt of then.
Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer who had entered his 70th year, had given a concert at the Tamil Isai Sangam festival. T N Krishnan was the violinist. The veteran’s voice was playing hide and seek with him, totally uncooperative. Semmangudi could not make an impact. In contrast, TNK was in great form and was playing phrases soaked in melody. The crowd at Raja Annamalai Hall applauded TNK repeatedly, which annoyed Semmangudi, who at one point admonished the crowd saying, "violinisTukku kai thaTTinA mAtram pOrAdu, pADaravAlLukkum kai thaTTaNum (it is not enough that you applaud the violinist, you must applaud the vocalist too). Of course, the amused Chettiar-dominated crowd obliged him.
The next morning, Madras music-lovers woke up to strong coffee and 'Indian Express' newspaper. A few tumblers were dropped, a few throats choked after the first sip as people rubbed their sleepy eyes in disbelief. For most music-lovers, their coffee went cold as they read the tongue-lashing, sorry, pen-lashing by Subbudu, the critic, who went hammer and tongs at the concert, in 'Indian Express'.
 He criticised Semmangudi for the "pathetic" quality of his concert, as he called it, and ridiculed the veteran for his advice to the audience and said in effect that, "even the dreaded Emergency has come to an end but there seems to be no end to Semmangudi". This was hitting below the belt. Subbudu also advised Semmangudi that he would be doing the music world a great service if he stopped singing and retired forthwith.
By 8 a.m. all hell broke loose in Mylapore. Not even one copy of 'Indian Express' was available in the area. The cognoscenti were outraged. How dare this man, who knew very little of music, criticise our beloved mAmA? That too couched in indecent language! For years now the critic (self-appointed critic, some would cynically aver!) was unsparing in his diatribes against the veteran. He used the choicest epithets to make fun of and deride Semmangudi mAmA’s music. He should be taught a lesson.
No one knows what went on behind the scenes at the Academy. But it was decided that a meeting to condemn Subbudu should be conducted that very day itself. It was a double emergency as Semmangudi was slated to sing at the Music Academy that evening. It was not clear whether T S Rajam, the famous captain of industry belonging to the TVS group and president of the Music Academy then, was informed.
S Parthasarathi, a former editor-in-chief of 'The Hindu' and nephew of the legendary Kasturi Ranga Iyengar, came with Dr Raghavan. Though 'The Hindu' family was closely associated with the Academy, it was not clear why the soft-spoken editor chose to associate himself with this episode. But, there it was. The hawks won.
The Academy managers and other worthies marched hither and thither on the stage. Very few people knew what was going on excepting that something exciting was going to happen. A few minutes later, everyone knew. A worthy from out of town, who was babbling about the utility of music in the bhakti movement, was cut short and shown the way to the green room, thus abruptly bringing to a halt the morning’s lec-dem session. This was no time for bhakti. It was time to demonstrate
shakti.
The meeting started at 10 a.m. How news travelled fast through the streets of south Madras is a mystery, especially in those days of no Internet or cell phones. The Music Academy hall overflowed. Furious vidwans and rasikas, some of whom had had a little too much to drink even at that early hour (no, not coffee) were rolling up their sleeves. M L Vasanthakumari, in a deft, diplomatic move, feigned illness and remained at home (she was advised by one of her friends to stay away).
 In her absence, Balamurali Krishna was called to chair the meeting. Balamurali agreed to don the mantle of 'avai talaivar'. If this was the "gati" of "our senior" "our beloved mAmA", what about "humble" vidvAns like "me", he asked. "Ounu, Ounu, aTla cEppaNDi" (Yes, yes, that’s right, say that!) assented the few manavADus who were present there. T N Krishnan came to the mike and said, "Enga Semmangudi IyervAL illainnA nAn illai. Avara epDiyAkkam idu pOla ezhudalAm?’ (I exist because of Semmangudi; how can he write like this?). ‘adE, adE’, thundered a couple of Kerala tuskers from the audience, "A SubbuduvinE pEDEchu avanDE kai oDikkaNum" (That Subbudu should be thrashed and his hand broken).
Perhaps Swati Tirunal's ghost was in a rage at his patron and protege being insulted in this manner and was egging on the visitors from the other side of the Western Ghats. During these delightful interventions from the audience, the ever-frowning Dr Raghavan would rise from his seat, bureaucratic style, and signal to the intruders to sit down.
To be continued next week
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