Kuppu Swamy and Jayalakshmi Santham:

P. Kuppu Swamy, a renouned Violinist, had accompanied a great many artists including GN Balasubrahmanyam. He is a retired staff artist of the AIR, Hyderabad who worked under Vinjamuri when he was the Producer in the AIR, Hyderabad.

Jayalakshmi Santhanam is a Vocal artist who gave many performances over the AIR and also in Sabhas. She participated in the features, Musicial Operas and the Bhakthiranjani programs orgnized, compiled and conducted by Vinjamuri during his stay at AIR, Hyderabad.
(Interview conducted on April 17, 2001 at about 12.30 p.m. by Vinjamuri's daughter Sandhya Vinjamuri-Giri at the house of Geetha, daughter of Sri P. Kuppu Swamy at 201,Rukmini Apts, Plot No. 28, Lepakshi Colony, West Maredpally, Secunderabad- 500026 (80 YOB: 1921). English translation script to Tamil conversation Video and Audio taped. Smt Jayalakshmi Santhanam also joined at their house and she also participated in the conversation along with Smt Rajya Lakshmi Kuppu Swamy)

Kuppu Swamy:

So, I knew Varadaraja Iyengar since the time he was in Kalyani Hospital Road and then when he came here (to Hyderabad). Once I told him about myself, he was very happy. As we were in the work place, he would not call me casually but would address me with respect. Since then, LakshmiNarayana and I started playing for him permanently. He would take us to all places. He used to live in Kachiguda then. At that time, LakshmiNarayana and I would go to his house on Saturdays to practice. Usually he would sing and we play. He started the Akanda Nama Sankeertanam, all only Thyagaraja Keertanas, at the Anjaneyar temple on the hill in Kachiguda. We start at 6.00 a.m. one day and finish 6.00 a.m. the next day. All the songs should be only Thyagaraja's kritis. He was the first to start that Aaradhana and we all participated.

As long as he was in Radio Station, he did not do any harm to anyone. We would not get angry with anyone and he would not shout at anyone. He would talk very nicely with everyone. He does not have the trait of criticizing anyone, very helpful to all. He and I would go to the Gopi Hotel during the afternoons. At Gopi hotel, we would order Idli, chetny, sambar and Tea; he would drink only Tea; he would say he never drank coffee; always Tea only. It used to cost 90 Paise. Even if I offer, he would not accept money from me. I never gave the money and he never took it either. He had such a great nature. He was always with Raja Kalai (looked like a king). As you saw (addresses to Jayalakshmi Santhanam), always with Jariga Vesti, silk shirt or jubba, chain and all. In the Radio Station, it does not matter who it is, even the station director, he wouldn't care. He won't say anything, but looking at his personality, even he (the station director) could not criticism him. He was that kind of a great artist (maha peria Vidwan).

If he starts the kutcheri, that's it, I will have to loose my hands and legs, he would sing for 4 or 5 hours. While doing the Swarakalpana, God has given him the energy and talent that he could sing but don't I need to have that energy? My hands and legs will be painful; he would say it is okay you can play and make me play. He took me to so many places like to Nagpur, to Poona, and to Karur Naradagana Sabha. After going to Dodipellapur Kutcheri, from there we went to Karur; LakshmiNarayana and I went there. At that time, Karur Mama, Vedantha Chari also came to Naradagana Sabha.

Apart from all this, as we would have learnt kritis, he had learnt Pallavis! He used to know so many Pallavis! I don't know how he learnt so many! When we walk on the roads, he would keep singing Pallavi. He sang all different kinds of Pallavis and I somehow played for them. He has the knowledge; can I play like that? So, I would write it down, write the Swaras and then play; I have to leave my ego and admit that fact, I could not play just like that. His knowledge and talent were unmatched (extraordinary). He knew as many Pallavis as Kirtanas. I don't know how he achieved it! He knew so many Pallavis in Telugu, in Tamil; he used to sing Ata Tala Pallavis and all. I would write down the Pallavi, write down the Swaram and Talam and practice 2 or 3 times; rehearse a few times; he would create a lot of Neravala and Swarakalpana; can I do so much? So, I would just follow his scale and play. I played a lot for him.

He was not egotistic at all. He used come to our house suddenly and would talk for hours. He would not be proud to think why he should go to this person's house or that person's house. (To Jayalakshmi) He used to come to your house too, right. But he would not go like that to every one's house. Even to come to our houses, how many Vidwans will come? They will want to maintain their prestige, but he would not think in that way. He would come with Babu, talk for an hour, drink Tea and go.

The accident happened. When that happened, we all were very shocked. I do not remember who the station director was, at that time. All (staff from AIR) and I went to the hospital. He had head injury and was admitted in the hospital. He was in a coma for more than a month or so. At that time in the Usmania Hospital, her mother (Mrs. Vinjmauri), in that shock, was rolling on the floor of the large Verandah and was crying. All of us from the Radio Station went there and consoled her and prayed to God. By God's grace, he survived, became all right. I believe he himself left the job. He does not like certain types who will command work from him. He has his own prestige. That job was not big to him. Usually, for others, the job as a Producer is a big job; they want to keep it and work. Look at me, how many insults I had to suffer? So many times they tried to throw me out of the Radio Station because I am a Tamilian. Basker Krishna Rao and Manchala Jagannadha Rao all tried to throw me out. They tried to transfer me to Pondicherry. There was an Iyengar PEX at that time, he tried and got the transfer orders reversed and got me back my job. At that time, Varadaraja Iyengar also helped in achieving it.

In Kutcheries, he was very fond of Ariyakudi Iyengar's Bani. He was not against others. But, all his Bani and items will be just like Iyengar (Ariyakudi). Usually, generally he used to sing Bhairavi Varnam or Kanada Ata Tala Varnam or Kalyani Varnam. In most cases, Endaro Mahanubhavulu will be there. Appa Ramabhakthi will be there; Kalyani Ragam will be there. He would also sing Koluvai Unnade in Bhairavi. He sings Srikantha Nee in Bhavapriya also a lot. He would sing the Khamas Javali, that Ariyakudi sings, Marubari also a lot. He will sing a Tiruppavai, Vangakkadal, Behag or Kunthalavarali. He is mostly Ariyakudi Iyengar's type. He sings Anandabhairavi too Mari Vare, Manasaguruguha and also O' Jagadamba. He wouldn't hesitate to sing, hours together. With that silk shirt, the body will become visible with the body sweat. He would wear either thin silk shirt or thin white shirt. They get drenched with sweat; that was another joke. While singing itself he would remove the shirt buttons one by one in order to let the air inside.

When he was in this city, LakshmiNarayana for Mridangam and I, we both played in most of the concerts. Nori Nagabhushanam did not play accompaniment all that much but his son Nori Srinivasa Sharma played a lot. Because we were also in AIR, it was convenient for him to tell us and for us to go with him and play. So, in most cases only we both played.

I went to Nagpur, Puna, Karur, Sirpurcarsinagar, Warangal, that's all, the rest were all local Kutcheries.

I did not play for his Radio Sangeetha Sammelanam Kutcheries. Someone else played, because they would book (the accompanists) in central. He sang in Radio Sangeetha Sammelanam programs a lot. In Radio Station, Marella Kesava Rao also played a lot for father. Because he (Kesava Rao, a blind violinist) could not see, he could not be taken to outside places. But in AIR, he played a lot.

In Rama Bhakthi Samrajyam in Suddha Bangala, he would sing "… SRGPD 'DSRGaa, GRSDaa, RSDPaa, DSDPaa' (the radio signal - Kuppuswamy sings to show) and get applause from the audiences. While singing the Swaram itself, he would insert this Radio Signal and sing and the public used to love it. I remember that.

Jayalakshmi, Pushpa, TT Sita, Kanthimathi sang in his features. We would come to Golu to your house; we used to sing like a Gosty. I was afraid of singing in front of your father. Once, they were recording my program and your father came. I was so frightened. I would miss the Talam, and then I will look at Lakshminarayana and adjust.

Jayalakshmi Santhanam:
(Home Add: 45 ICRISAT Colony, PHASE-2, Secunderabad-500009)

I heard a lot of his Kutcheries in the Gem shed Hall (in Secunderabad). Every year, in the Thyagaraja festival he would sing and I listened to him a lot.