This weekend, ardent fans of Carnatic music are in for a treat as stellar musicians gather to celebrate the 60th birthday of distinguished Carnatic vocalist RK Padmanabha.
For someone who has never chased fame and recognition, honours and accolades have been pouring abundantly into his kitty. Taking life as it comes, with music as his absolute purpose, Ganakala Bhushana Vidwan RK Padmanabha, the doyen of Carnatic music, based in Bangalore, has inspired artistes to pursue music with a pure heart. He has even transformed non-musicians into performers. The veteran musician says, “Music teaches you to be tolerant, patient and calm besides imparting values of being a good human being. Music, my life, has taught me this.”
Such being the musician’s purpose, it’s only befitting, his students and well-wishers believe, to felicitate him and celebrate his achievements in his 60th year. “Sri RK Padmanabha has tuned 100s of compositions. His achievements are endless. In 2006, Veda Mahotsava — a six day Carnatic music concert was conducted in Rudraptna, his hometown — 90 km from Mysore, where a combination of Carnatic music and dramas were performed for 24 hours continuously. It even entered the Guiness Book of World Records,” says Krishna Prasad, a student of the scholar. The musician diverts funds raised from music festivals conducted here, for the welfare of this little town.
He has not only been a teacher, a concert artiste and an erudite scholar but he easily has the largest number of students in Bangalore. He has also been the pioneer of ‘Goshti Gayana’ — a first of its kind, where hundreds of singers are taught kritis by Dikshitar, Shamashastry, Vadiraja etc in chorus. His music institute Sharada Kala Kendra was established in his JP Nagar residence in 1990. Later, the Vadiraja Kala Bhavana was established to promote classical music through workshops in the Gurukula tradition, conduct music festivals and celebrate several composers of Carnatic music, among others.
“A significant contribution of the visionary is the Saptaswara Devatha Dhyana Mandir in Rudrapatna — a theme-based musical temple in the shape of a tanpura that was built in 2008 and is 80ft from the ground. Each musical note represents a music composer,” says Prasad.
The RK Padmanabha Abhinandana Samithi is conducting a three-day cultural festival from January 22 to January 24. On Friday, the programme will be inaugurated by HH Sri Sri Vishveshathirtha Swamiji of Pejavar Mutt. During the event, 150 kritis of Padmanabha in both CD and book form will be released by former minister BK Chandrashekhar. On Saturday, a musical drama titled Sri Vadiraja Vaibhava, scripted and directed by Padmanabha, will be staged. TM Krishna will also perform. The celebrations will conclude on Sunday, with a felicitation to Padmanabha and a musical tribute. Contact: 9900153795 for more details.
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