According to leading vocalist and research scholar of Devanagavalli Trust Smt.R.Vedavalli, Semmangudi had the ability of attracting everyone with his sowlabya.  She recalled how Semmangudi used to appreciate her research work. Semmangudi had an amazing memory power and used to quote all incidents and remember all percussionists who played for him. Semmangudi’s depth of knowledge and creative skills have always struck young and old artistes alike. Vedavalli felt that there was no area in the music where Srinivasa Iyer had not left his indelible mark. ``He is very good at Raga alapana and Niraval singing. There is no one equal to him. He is also an expert in tuning and kirthani tarangam singing. His service is widely spread and in Kerala especially, he has contributed immensely to the spread of carnatic music,'' she said. Smt.Vedavalli also recalled her own experience in singing for the Album Nachiyar Tirumozhi and relasing of a book with notations. Srinivasa Iyer, inspite of his ripe old age of 96, had written an introductory letter beautifully with his own handwriting, she pointed out.

 The Pitamah of the Carnatic music world used to call Manoj Shiva (Mridangist) as Mattala.  Shiva felt Semmangudi was a great genius and stood like a towering pillar in the music world. ``His passing away is a great loss to musicians.''

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer may have passed into the pages of history. But he lives permanently in the minds and hearts of musicians of all sorts. Not surprisingly, many artistes have suspended their concert programmes for a while as a mark of respect to the departed legend.