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Dulcet tribute to Voleti

GUDIPOODI SRIHARI

It was a remembrance befitting a giant of Carnatic music.

SINGING ALL THE WAY Disciples of Voleti, Malladi Brothers

Good that the Department of Culture thought of holding festivals, naming each of them, after renowned singers who have left a mark on Carnatic music world. One of them was Voleti Venkateswarlu, who is still remembered for his music and for the way he conducted Carnatic music lessons over AIR, for three decades, inducing many a music lover to learn the Carnatic system.

Sukrita Vedika joined hands with the Culture Department in presenting a few disciples of Voleti, in their concerts. The three-day festival was held at Ghantasala Pranganam in Ravindra Bharathi.

Ode to a genius

Rich tributes were paid on the occasion as Nedunuri Krishnamurthy spoke of Voleti's uncommon skill. "It flowed out of Voleti as though water flowed out of a natural fountain, with the listener sitting immobile, eyes closed and deeply immersed in what he was rendering." Rajani Kantha Rao spoke of Voleti's contribution to radio. Culture Minister M. Satyanarayana Rao, released a CD of Voleti's concerts . `Spencer' Venugopal, held him as an example of what Thyagaraja wrote in the kriti Kaddanu Varikli in Thodi. It describes the qualities of true musician in the lines Niddura Nirakarinchi, Mudduga Tambura Batti, Suddhamaina Manasuto, Suswaramuto, Paddu Tappaaka Bhajinche ... Malladi Suribabu and Narayana Sarma, Voleti's disciples, gave the inaugural concert. They stuck to some of the melodies popularised by their guru. Like Pantuvarali piece Ninne Nera Namminaanu. The second evening of the festival opened with a talk on `Voleti's contribution to Carnatic Music' by G.N.S. Raghavan, who brought out cassettes of Pinakapani, whose disciple is Voleti, whose style is typical of his guru. Then Muralidhar of Bangalore, a disciple of Voleti, rendered songs he learnt from Voleti's radio lessons. They included delineation of Kambhoji and rendition of a Lalgudi Pancharatna kirtana of Thyagaraja - Sri Mahitha Pravriddha Srimathi. Sri Kanthimatim of Dikshitar in Hemavathi and a Kshetrayya Padam Maguva Tana in Mohana were other impressive renditions.

Malladi Suribabu and Narayana Sarma, sing in honour of their guru.

Delightful duet

The principal recital was a vocal duet by Sriram Prasad and Ravi Kumar, known as Malladi Brothers - in the company of B. U. Ganesh Prasad on violin, B. V. S. Prasad on mridangam and P. V. Ramanamurthy on ghatam. Nee Vanti Daivamunu in Thodi, Ragaratna Malika (Reetigowla), Paramapavana (Ranjani), a soulful Sriraga for Namakusumamula, a rare composition of Thyagaraja, with a fine swara exercises were the highlights. On the concluding day, the main concert was that of Seshulatha, another disciple of Voleti. Vade Venkatadri of Annamayya in Vasanta, Nadasudha in Aarabhi, Needasudane in Malavi, a rare composition of Venugopal of Chennai that was popularised by Voleti, Daridaapuleka of Thyagaraja in Saveri and Swati Tirunal's Pankajalochana in Kalyani constituted her main repertoire. Vijayalakshmi, widow of Voleti, was felicitated on the occasion. And she attended the festival on all the three days.

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