This fabric of spirituality unity, from time to time, is reinforced by the presence and influence of poets, philosophers and saint-singers whose contributions have upheld this faith. Among the great composers of South Indian classical music the Trinity of karnatak-music viz: Tyagaraja, Muddusvami Dikshita and Syama Sastri rank supreme over all other composers of all times. This is because they were not only great masters of the art of music but were great saints leading a virtuous life of pure devotion and renunciation. With infinite poetic imagination as well as sheer simplicity of expression, Tyagaraja has composed his music. His work reflect the ardent outpouring of an intense urge of his own to merge with Rama, his personal deity. His compositions are steep in Bhakti Rasa. The compositions of Muddusvami Dikshita shows structural magnificence, tightness in the alignment of Sahitya and rhythm. The unique feature is that, he has composed songs in praise of various deities with full details of the Sthalapurana. Above all, he has composed Krtis in all the 72 Melakarta scales by converting them into Raga by suitable combinations of Arohana and Avarohana in Accordance to its Vadi Samvadi bhava. Whereas, in the compositions of Syamasastri, the major theme is the affection and love of a child in a simple direct language to the mother – AMBA. Further, he has been able to widen the scope of exposition of the RAGAs by creating a zooming effect, which can be discerned in his Svarajatis. The ingenious way in which he entwines Ragabhava with Sahitya into a grip of intricate patterns of Laya is a class by itself; which, in turn, exposes a new dimension of the same Raga to the listener s and at the same time rejuvenatyes the experiences musicians.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR T.K. Govinda Rao
Sangita Kalanidhi Tripunithura Krishnan embrandiri Govinda Rao, who hails from a family of musicians from Kochi-Kerala, is a leading vocalist of Indian Classical Karnatak Music. In 1949 he joined the then Central College of Karnatak Music at Madras, where under the care of great musicians like Sangita Kalanidhi Tiruppampuram Swaminatha Pillai and Smt. T. Brnda, he completed the course of "SANGITA VIDVAN". TKG was fortunate to have as his guru, the founder-Principal, Padmavibhushan, Sangita Kalanidhi, Isaipperarinar Sri Musiri Subrahmanya Iyer, the doyen of Karnatak Music. A rigorous GURU KULAVASA - training spread over fifteen years followed by many years of close association with his Guru, marks him as a faithful representative of the Musiri style of Bhava-laden renderings. A career that spanned over give decades brought him assignments such as Lecturer, Govt. of Tamizh Nadu' Music College, Chennai; Producer-Music, All India Radio, Chennai and finally Chief Producer-Music in the Directorate-General, All India Radio, New Delhi. In addition, he had been associated with the Music Academy, Chennai, as a member of the Advisory Committee, Central Sangit Natak Akademi and the ICCR as also with Universities of Banares, Delhi, Madras, Annamalai, Bangalore and Telugu University in various capacities. All these assignments, however, did not deter him from his prime vocation as a vocalist and teacher that took him, over the years, all over India and abroad: Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, UK, USA (S.V. Temple, Pittsburgh, among other cities), Canada and Muscat, where he has taught hundreds of students. Titles like Sangita Kalanidhi, Sangita Cudamani, Sangita Sastra Ratnakara, Sangita Ratnakara (USA), Ganakala Tilaka, Nadakkanal, Swara Samrat, Sangita Samrat, Sangita Acarya, Gayaka Sikhamani besides the Academi Award from the Central Sangit Natak Akademi - the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, and Asthana Vidvan of Sri Kanci Kamakoti Pitham have been conferred on him for his contributions to the field of Karnatak Music. "T.K.G. is a veteran of the old school who has played a prominent role in the preservation of all that is precious in the truly classical rendition of Karnatak Music." - The renowned senior music critic Sri PN. Krishnamurthy, quoted in the wellknown music Magazine "SRUTI". To promote, preserve and propagate the time-tested oral traditions of Classical Karnatak Music, he founded a body name "Ganamandir Trust" with the object of publishing works on music, producing audio/video CDs and cassettes in his "Ganamandir Studios"; organizing seminars and workshops on music in India and elsewhere, also providing them to the donor-members free of cost.
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