# Subbudu > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Subbudu > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Subbudu.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subbudu > Source revision: 1328306694 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Dance and music critic}} {{more footnotes needed|date=April 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Use Indian English|date=May 2023}} {{infobox person |name=Subbudu |birth_name=P. V. Subramaniam |image=A portrait of Shri P.V. Subramaniam 'Subbudu' who will be presented with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Scholarship Overall Contribution in performing Arts by the President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam in New Delhi on October 26.jpg |caption=A portrait of Shri P.V. Subramaniam 'Subbudu' was presented with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Scholarship Overall Contribution in performing Arts by the President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam in New Delhi on 26 October 2004 |occupation=critic |birth_date=27 March 1917{{cite web|url=http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=1&id=178793&usrsess=1|title=Veteran critic Subbudu dead|access-date=9 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929103029/http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=1&id=178793&usrsess=1|archive-date=29 September 2007}} |death_date={{death date and age|2007|3|29|1917|3|27}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070408/spectrum/main6.htm|title=Critic with a cutting edge|access-date=9 December 2023|work=Tribune India|date=8 April 2007}} }} '''P. V. Subramaniam''' popularly known as '''Subbudu''' (27 March 1917 – 29 March 2007) was an Indian dance and music critic. ==Early life== Subbudu was born in a [brahmin](/source/brahmin) family{{Cite web|date=2017-04-10|title=Kishori Amonkar soared despite media neglect of classical music|url=https://zeenews.india.com/blogs/kishori-amonkar-soared-despite-media-neglect-of-classical-music-1994627.html|access-date=2022-02-16|website=Zee News|language=en}} who spent his early life in [Burma](/source/Burma) (present name [Myanmar](/source/Myanmar)). In the wake of the World War II, under general evacuation orders by the British, his family left Burma, undertaking a long and hard journey on foot through the [North-East India](/source/North-East_India). In India, first he moved to [Shimla](/source/Shimla) and soon blossomed into a cultural critic, when he started commenting on local [carnatic music](/source/carnatic_music) soirees. Soon [Kalki](/source/Kalki) the Tamil magazine started by [Kalki Krishnamurthy](/source/Kalki_Krishnamurthy) and [T. Sadasivam](/source/T._Sadasivam). published his first full-fledged review. A chance meeting with [V K Narayana Menon](/source/V_K_Narayana_Menon), the then deputy director of [All India Radio](/source/All_India_Radio) resulted in Subbudu's appointment as dance and music critic for the newspaper [The Statesman](/source/The_Statesman_(India)). ==Music and dance critic== In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Subbudu's acerbic wit and deep knowledge of music made many readers look forward to his views. But he also made many enemies. A board saying "Dogs and Subbudu not allowed," was hung outside the [Madras Music Academy](/source/Madras_Music_Academy) in [Chennai](/source/Chennai) during the 1980s. An example of his commenting is what Subbudu said about the doyen of Carnatic Music, [Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer](/source/Semmangudi_Srinivasa_Iyer): "Even the dreaded [Emergency](/source/Emergency) has come to an end, but there seems to be no end of Semmangudi". Madras Music Academy convened an emergency meeting to condemn Subbudu and reaffirm their faith in the greatness of Semmangudi. He was no mere wielder of an acid pen; he had deep insight into both arts—dance and music—he commented upon. For example, he compared the Hindustani and Carnatic Systems of Music and brought out strengths and weaknesses of both system in the following few words: "I am also listening Hindustani music from my birth. I am also commenting upon them in Delhi papers. I am writing without being afraid of any one. In fact, there is nothing great in Hindustani music apart from the purity of the shruti. It is because of the lack of purity of [śruti](/source/%C5%9Bruti) that South Indian music is not perhaps appreciated in the North. Further in Hindustani music, every artist specializes in specific aspect – khayal, dhrupad, thapa, thumri etc. So far as rhythm ([tala](/source/Tala_(music))) is concerned, they are still at an elementary level".Subramaniam P V ''Isai Thukatai'' (Tamil), p. 153 In the early 1990s, Subbudu was the prominent critic of [A. R. Rahman](/source/A.%26nbsp%3BR._Rahman)'s [syncretic](/source/syncretic) music style. He lambasted the maestro for ''drowning the lyrics with gadgetry''. He has appeared as himself in the Tamil film [Ivan](/source/Ivan_(2002_film)).{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/04/26/stories/2002042600970400.htm |title=The Hindu : A success team reunites |website=www.thehindu.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020621130404/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/04/26/stories/2002042600970400.htm |archive-date=21 June 2002 |url-status=dead}} ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070408/spectrum/main6.htm] TRIBUTE TO SUBBUDU * [http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=2&id=178806&usrsess=1]. Fearless Pioneer of Art Criticism: ''The Statesman'' * [http://cvc.nic.in/vscvc/cvcspeeches/sp5apr02.pdf] Subbudu: A Tribute by N Vittal ===Books on Subbudu=== '''Biography''': Beyond Destiny : Singh, Lada Guruden, ''The Life and Times of Subbudu'' Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai. 2005. 265 p. {{DEFAULTSORT:Subramaniam (Subbudu), P.V.}} Category:1917 births Category:2007 deaths Category:Indian music critics Category:Dance critics Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Subbudu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subbudu) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subbudu?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.