Mayavaram V. R. Govindaraja Pillai
| Mayavaram V. R. Govindaraja Pillai | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 May 1912 Vazhuvur, Nagapattinam district, Tamilnadu |
| Died | February 11, 1979 (aged 66) Mayavaram, Tamilnadu |
| Occupation | violinist |
Mayavaram V. R. Govindaraja Pillai (Tamil: மாயவரம் வி. ஆர். கோவிந்தராஜ பிள்ளை; 12 May 1912 - 11 February 1979) was a Carnatic violinist from Tamil Nadu, Southern India.
Born at Vazhuvur, a tiny but famous, village in the Kuthalam Taluk (Nagapattinam district), he lost his parents at a young age and was brought up by his maternal uncle Veerasamy Pillai, a popular Nadaswaram exponent.
He had his initial training in Carnatic music from Simizhi Sundaram Iyer who was trained under gurus from the Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar lineages. Sundaram Iyer died in 1927, after which Govindaraja Pillai had his training under Mayavaram Boothalinga Iyer.
Govindaraja Pillai once got a chance to sing before the violin maestro Kumbakonam Rajamanickam Pillai. The latter took him as his disciple for training as a violin instrumentalist.
His trained almost daily till until midnight or sometimes, beyond. When he was on leave at home, he learned some intricacies in music from his uncle.
His Guru, Kumbakonam Rajamanickam Pillai was a much sought-after accompanist by famous Carnatic singers like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, Alathur Brothers, G. N. Balasubramaniam and Chittoor Subramania Pillai. Govindaraja Pillai will sit by the side of his Guru when he accompanies the singers. In later days this helped him to adapt to their style when he himself accompanied the same Carnatic singers.
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