D.K Pattammal | Gems of Carnatic Classics | Swarakalpana | Raga Dhanyasi

Damal Krishnaswamy Pattammal (19 March 1919–16 July 2009) was an Indian Carnatic musician. She along with her contemporaries M.S Subbulakshmi and M.L Vasanthakumari were popularly referred to as the Female trinity of Carnatic Music. This trio initiated the entry of women into mainstream Carnatic Music.

In 1929, at age 10, Pattamal gave her first radio performance for Madras Corporation Radio and 3 years later, she gave her first public concert at Madras Rasika Ranjani Sabha in 1932.One year later, she moved to Chennai to become a regular performer in concerts. She quickly rose to stardom, and her musical career spanned more than 65 years.

D. K. Pattammal's knowledge was considered as an authority on Muthuswami Dikshitar's compositions. She learnt authentic versions of these compositions from Ambi Dikshitar, a descendant of Muthuswami Dikshitar. She popularised several Dikshithar's compositions in her concerts, and also sang Tiruppugazhs and Tevarams that she learnt from Appadurai Achari. Pattammal also learnt many compositions of Papanasam Sivan, directly from the composer himself. She went on to popularise the compositions of Papanasam Sivan, as well as those of Subrammanya Barathiyar, both in film and Carnatic music.

Pattammal was also the first woman to have performed Ragam Thangam Pallavi in concerts. Ragam Thangam Pallavi, which was classed as a male stronghold, is the most difficult concert item in Carnatic music, as it calls for great skill and a high degree of concentration to handle the rhythmic complexities involved. Pattammal went further to perform very complex Pallavis in intricate talas (rhythmic cycles); impressing and earning the respect of her male peers, connoisseurs and fellow-musicians. Her singing of pallavis was technically perfect, and aesthetically pleasing. For this reason, she became dubbed "Pallavi Pattammal". She learnt a few pallavis and compositions from Naina Pillai, and several from Vidyala Narasimhalu Naidu, the nephew of Tirupati Narayanaswami Naidu, a prominent composer of javalis.