The fragrant memories of classical music: in the years gone by bring back before the mind's eye a number of personalities as varied in their appearance as in the bani of their music. Nattily dressed GNB, handsome like a prince, a touch of silver on his cropped and neatly parted hair, diamond studs on his earlobes, a smile on his face, rings on his fingers, exuding the fragrance of 'swag', singing like no one before him did... a heady mixture of debonair personality and resonant voice and a completely new bani of music offering an enchanting audiovisual experience...

M.S. Subbulakshmi of captivating beauty and charm, the heart-throb of thousands, with wavy hair, the back of her head decked with fresh and beautiful flowers, her voice an invitation to a blissful experience... D.K. Pattammal, good looking, at a picture of modesty and reticence except in her intellect-laced music in a strong, steady voice to a strong, unwavering beat. Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar, dressed majestically in lace dhoti jv orn panchakacham style), lace ang.ivastram and lace turban in right royal Mysore style, delivering 1 lai ikalha, discoursing on god and religion and philosophy, doing his bit for the propagation of clharma... T.N. Rajaratnam Pillai, a swaggering man if ever there was one, his lace dhoti worn flat and let down below the ankles, pippiping the delicate reed, blowing breezily into his bari offering staggering music... music for the gods and music to transport the humans to the heavens. Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, a spartan figure of substantial dimensions offering substantial music in a full-throated voice, a picture of piety but not devoid of humour.... Why these? Because an artful pei turner of classical mien, Mohammad Ibrahim Abdul Karim, simply Karim to them all - touched their lives and served as a common link.

And because we encountered him during the 'season' in Madras and we got to talking about the performers who used his wares. Karim arrived at the SRUT1 office to unload yet another bounty of fragrance on a hapless editor -- much-vaunted perfumes for which the quillman has little use, and much-wanted perfume sticks which delight even the gods when lighted. Karim, who is a native of the village Ma/havii ayanpatti near Pudukottai, lives in Kumbakonam these days. He turns eighty this month, and, slightly stooped though he is while walking, he looks hale and laughs heartily, revealing a couple of lonely teeth in his betel-red oral cavity. From the cycle rickshaw which he uses for transport now, he brings a lovely old portable cabinet of rosewood which contains his perfumes and a shopping bag full of agarbathis. We know Karim has been carrying on. over six decades, his family business of manufacturing and selling agarbathis (joss sticks) attar (scented rose-water), aragaja (pasty perfume from flowers and herbs), and javvadu and punugu (from cats). We know, too, that he has been visiting Madras and Chettinad regularly, not to mention Malaysia and Singapore, where the social and musical elite has welcomed the sight of his walking in with his cornucopia of sweet-smelling pleasure. Karim, we ask you, to tell us about the musicians who have bought your wares. He laughs a toothless laugh, sucks in air, and speaking in a clear strong voice responds in chaste Tamil: "GNB was one of my best customers.

He used to buy from me stuff worth a thousand rupees or more each time. His son, G.B. Doraiswamy, carries on the tradition, but doesn't buy for that much." Who else ? Muthiah Bhagavatar, Ariyakudi, MS, Pattammal, Madurai Mani Iyer, Rajaratnam Pillai, violin maestro Rajamanickam Pillai, S.G. Kittappa, K.B. Sundarambal. Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai. Chembai... He chants the names, but not as in a recitation of Vishnu's Sahasranama. His memory has to be tickled, it has to be coaxed. But Chembai? Did he ever wear perfume? No, not perfume, says the Muslim who never wore a tailed red fezz but always sports a black silken cap on his shaven head. Chembai, it seems, bought agarbathis. He mentions, too, that several high society ladies, kept dozens of bottles of his perfumes alongside the pile of their diamonds and rubies and wore both with pride and pleasure.

Many of them have been seen making their presence felt at the annual fiestas of the Music Academy. Karim himself has never been seen at the Music Academy, though he appeared occasionally at the Rasika Ranjani Sabha which used to give him a special guest pass, his heavy perfumes have surely lent weight to the goings on there. Karim expects no special honour from the world of music and dance. 1 is tone association with its stars has illuminated die path of his life brightly enough and all he seeks now is the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, with the help of one of his two sons who is employed in Saudi Arabia. The other son and his five daughters are all well-settled in life. But we think that, in view of his 'fragrant' association with the luminant musicians and affluent patrons, he deserves to be honoured with a title. What could be more appropriate than 'Sugandha Kalanidhi'? In celebration of this idea, SRUTI is anointing this issue with one of Karim's fragrant concoctions.

P.N. VENKATARAMAN