The timeless legacy of Carnatic vocalist RK Srikantan

It has been 10 years since legendary vocalist RK Srikantan handed away and the upcoming annual music competition and award operate helmed by the Vidwan RK Srikantan Belief will shine a lightweight on the milestones of the maestro.

His son and vocalist, Rudrapatnam S Ramakanth, who at present steers the Belief, says, “My father lived as much as the age of 94, and was on stage for 83 years. This 12 months marks the 70^th anniversary of his first efficiency on the Music Academy in Chennai in 1954; it has been 30 years since he obtained the Academy of Music’s T Chowdiah Nationwide Award in Bangalore.”

As his scholar and accompanying musician, Ramakanth says he has noticed Srikantan’s numerous expertise within the classical style. “His penchant to show and exhibit earned him 1000’s of scholars and the ‘Greatest Trainer Award’ by the Bangalore Metropolis Company 50 years in the past. Since this can be a milestone 12 months, college students and connoisseurs of his music will cherish what’s in retailer on the occasion.”

On January 14, 1920, Rudrapatnam Krishna Sastry Srikantan or RKS, was born in Rudrapatnam, a small village on the banks of the Cauvery River in Karnataka’s Hassan district. Srikantan was born right into a Sanketi household identified for his or her connection to Carnatic music. 

Rudrapatnam is an historic musical village that has produced scores of musicians recognised by the erstwhile Mysore Royals. Srikantan’s father, Krishna Sastry, was not solely a musician, but in addition a Harikatha exponent, playwright in addition to a Kannada and Sanskrit scholar. His maternal grandfather, and elder brothers have been additionally academicians and completed musicians.

Music critic BVK Sastry typically stated the household might simply have established a choral society or a music ensemble with its members, with out bothering to recruit prolonged household, a lot of whom have been blessed with musical expertise.

Despite the fact that the radio had not arrived but in RKS’ childhood hometown in Mysore, music crammed the home. Very similar to his brothers, Srikantan revealed an inherent ability for music early on, they usually all obtained classes from their father. Later, Venkatarama Sastry, Srikantan’s eldest brother, took over as his tutor and following which he relocated to Madras to additional his musical schooling.

There, he met iconic musicians resembling Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, Musiri Subramania Iyer and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. His publicity to their model and work had a profound affect on him.

Be it the expansive taana of Mysore Vasudevacharya, the glowing janta-swaras of Veena Seshanna, the butter-smooth bowing of Dwaram V. Naidu, the thrilling swara-kalpana of Madurai Mani or the poignant portrayal of Yadukula Kambhodhi of Sheik Chinna Moulana on his nadaswara — Srikantan believed their work introduced peace in purity.

As a scholar and trainer

Other than his musical schooling, Srikantan pursued a BA diploma at Maharajas Faculty of Mysore College and located a job in broadcasting with the Mysore State Radio Station. Publish-Independence it got here to be All India Radio and ultimately Srikantan was transferred to AIR Bangalore. His stint as a music producer noticed the introduction of options such because the ‘GanaVihara,’ a music class. 

“The programme was so well-liked that when it concluded after a decade, college students and connoisseurs protested and succeeded in having it recalled,” says Ramakanth.

Srikantan educated lots of of scholars, a lot of whom got here to be recognised in their very own proper, resembling MS Sheela, TS Sathyavathi, chitraveena maestro N Ravikiran, flautist Shashank and vocalist G Ravi Kiran, in addition to different professionals resembling Okay Radhakrishnan, the former chairman of ISRO.

Srikantan was additionally a composer who crafted quite a few haridasa compositions and vachanas for Saivite saints Basaveshwara, Akkamahadevi and Allamma Prabhu in addition to for the nice seer, Kaivara Nareyanappa. He has additionally composed for Kannada litterateurs Masti Venkatesha Iyengar’s Binnaha, DVG’s Anthapurageete and Kagga, in addition to for the poems of Putina, Kuvempu and Bendre.  

Steadfast disciplinarian

“I needed to stability my father’s conventional values of presentation with the calls for of the current day when it got here to accompanying him and my solo displays,” says Ramakanth. “His beliefs and focus have been robust — neither time nor the altering music state of affairs tempted him to compromise on his private integrity in music or his way of life.”

Srikantan believed academics needed to be aware of the truth that they have been position fashions for his or her college students. “My father all the time careworn that his music, life and habits have been the legacy he would go away behind for posterity.”