29 Facts About Chembai

Chembai was born in Vatakara, Kerala, and moved to Palakkad along with his family during his childhood.

Chembai is popularly known as Chembai, or sometimes simply as Bhagavatar.

Chembai was noted for his powerful voice and majestic style of singing.

Chembai was responsible for popularising compositions like Rakshamam Saranagatam and Pavana Guru, among others.

Chembai was born to Anantha Bhagavatar and Parvati Ammal on 28 August 1896, into a Tamil Brahmin family in Perakkool Madom, adjacent to Lokanarkavu, Vatakara in Kozhikode, on Janmashtami day.

Chembai lived here until he was five years old when the family moved to Palakkad.

At age 3, Chembai began to learn Carnatic music from his father in the customary guru-sishya tradition, and began violin and flute training in 1912.

Chembai is one of 12 names of Sirkazhi, the birthplace of Saint Gnanasambandar 7th century CE in Tamil Nadu.

Some noteworthy early events that helped shape Chembai's career include his arangetram in Ottapalam in 1904, performances at Vaikom and Guruvayur in 1907, his year with Kaliakudi Natesa Sastry and the accolades he received from Palghat Anantharama Bhagavatar.

In 1952 Chembai lost his voice and couldn't chant the name of his favourite deity, Guruvayurappan.

Chembai 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.

Chembai came around and was able to sing with increased vigour.

Chembai has many phonograph recordings to his credit, recorded from 1932 to 1946.

Chembai had composed some 155 kritis in Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and Sanskrit under the 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.

Chembai made it a practice to sing these kritis in most of his concerts.

Chembai released a record containing selected kritis from Lalita Dasar's kritis like Evariki Telusunamma, Ennil Kaninda, Pavana Guru, Varijadala Lochani, among others.

Chembai had a vigorous, strong, vibrant, ringing and resonant voice.

Chembai 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.

Chembai had a wonderful sense of accurate kala pramana.

Chembai could do a niraval and swaraprastara from any given point, which bespoke of mental alertness in a concert.

Chembai has given his full emotion in the kriti Ksheera Saagaradepicting the mind of Tyagaraja in the phraseTarakanama.

Chembai died suddenly on 16 October 1974, aged 78, of a cardiac arrest.

Chembai was talking to his disciple Olappamanna Vasudevan Namboothiripad when he suddenly collapsed and died.

Chembai's nephew said he had always spoken about an easy death, and had attained it.

Chembai was survived by his wife and daughter, both of them who died later.

Chembai received several awards and titles during his career, most notably including:.

Chembai had been conducting a music festival in his native village from 1924 onwards.

Chembai held a music festival on Guruvayur Ekadasi Day at Guruvayur every year.