His Immortal Music

Manasunilpa Shakthi leka pothe, a famous krithi of Thyagaraja warning all devotees not fell into the trap of Hypocracy!

Madurai Mani Iyer has rendered this Krithi, with the accompaniment of Mysore T.Chowdia on the Violin and the virtuoso Palani Subramaniya Pillai on the Mridangam and Umayalpuram Kothandarama Iyer on the Ghatam. This is a live recording of a 1960 concert. Upon listening to this recording one could appreciate the clarity of dictions in Mani Iyer's rendering with appropriate stresses in words like Kaama krodhudu thapam ponarchitha...(meaning what is the use of one doing pooja with lust and anger in his inner self). Also the mind bogling sarvalagu swara prasthara that he has engaged in this song with an awesome grip in the laya, is an example of how he handles laya, with alankara swara prayogams. And what a superb mridangam accompaniment from the great Palani!. All these makes this krithi an example of how a stalwart sings in a concert with the accompaniment of great masters! Click on the link below to listen!

Presenting below 'Meenalochani Amba Vega Nannu Brovave' a nice small krithi in the raga Thodi composed by Mani Iyer's Guru Shri Muthiah Bhagavathar. The accompanists are T.N.Krishnan, Vellore Ramabhadran and Alangudi Ramachandran.

This Krithi of Shri Papanasam Sivan in the rAga kAmbhOji, brought lots of name and fame to both Shri Sivan as well as Shri Madurai Mani Iyer. After the release of the Gramaphone plate of this wonderful Krithi sung by Mani Iyer, in praise of lord kapAleeswarar's athikAranandhi festival, the whole music world coined Mani Iyer as THE kAmbhOji Specialist. Click on the link below to listen to the Immortal kAnakankOdi vEndum (1939, Gramaphone recording with the accompaniment of Varahur Muthuswamy Iyer on the Violin and Madras Venu Naicker on the Mridangam)

Chakkani Rajamargamu is one of Mani Iyer's favourite pieces composed by Shri Thyagaraja in the Raga Karaharapriya . Click on the link to listen to the Gramaphone Recording of 1958. Mani Iyer is accompanied by V.Govindaswamy Naicker on the Violin and Palani Subramanya Pillai on the Mridangam.

'Vellai Thamarai Poovil Iruppal' is a Bharathiar Song, another Mani Iyer favourite in the Raga Bhimplas. Click on the link below to listen to the song sung by Mani Iyer during 1960 at the Music Academy, accompanied by Mysore Chowdia on the Violin, Vellore Ramabhadran on the Mridangam and Alangudi Ramachandran on the Ghatam.