Music was his universe

The life of Prapancham Sitaram was a steady rise in the world of music. A passionate flautist and a remarkable scholar, Sitaram always looked upon everyone’s music kindly. The maestro is no more

June 26, 2014 07:19 pm | Updated 07:19 pm IST - Bangalore

TOTALLY TUNED The first flute played by Sitaram was made by his mother Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

TOTALLY TUNED The first flute played by Sitaram was made by his mother Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

Prapancham Sitaram is a name synonymous with flute. His demise earlier this month, has indeed left a permanent void in the field of instrumental music. Best known for his intricate sangatis and renditions in rare ragas, Sitaram was a celebrated artist, composer, an eminent administrator and an academician all rolled into one.

Born into a family that belongs to the Tyagaraja parampara, music was in the blood for Sitaram. His father, Prapancham Krishnamurthy was a renowned vocalist, and a player of veena as well as violin. The eldest among the eight children of Krishnamurthy, Sitaram was vested with the responsibility of forwarding the glorious musical legacy. Even as a young child, Sitaram had flair for the flute – as was recognised by his grandfather’s brother, Prapancham Srinivasachar. Young Sitaram could easily grasp and reproduce complicated jantiswara patterns. Interestingly, the first flute played by him was made by his mother. The young prodigy was well recognised and had started to give full concerts by the age of eight. “He used to win many silver items which would help the family a lot. In a way he had turned out to be a bread winner during his childhood itself,” remembers Prapancham Mukhyaprana, the youngest brother as well as the disciple of Sitaram. Early tutelage was within the family but soon, recognising the need for more capable training, he was to learn under some of the celebrated musicians living in Chennai. Hailing from Vijayawada, the family which moved to Bangalore, now sent young Sitaram to Chennai. All through his life, Sitaram firmly believed that he belonged to the three states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Staying at the house of Sandhyavanadanam Srinivasa Rao in Chennai, Sitaram continued his learning under him. Understanding that his prowess with the flute needed a maestro’s sculpting, young Sitaram was sent to learn under the maestro T. R. Mahalingam. Even though he was given enough travel fare, Sitaram would prefer walking to the house of his guru Mali, all the way from Triplicane to the Ambedkar Bridge near Mylapore. Under Mali, Sitaram’s musical talent was sculpted to the perfection that has stood as a hallmark in the world of flautists. Mali taught several complicated patterns and compositions in his inimitable style. Sitaram’s association with the great Mahalingam continued throughout his life.

A voracious reader, Sitaram had a burning desire to study music extensively. The result of which was his thesis on “The Evolution of Flute” for which he received a doctorate from the Bangalore University. “He used to collect a lot of books and would read them thoroughly. Even after he became a judge as well as evaluator for Doordarshan and AIR, he would never go to any event without adequate preparation. During the days that he was doing his Ph.D., I distinctly remember the enthusiasm with which he was exploring a flute that he had got from China. He had collected various types of flutes from all over the world. His life was centred on his music,” remembers Mukhyaprana. As a staff artist at AIR Chennai, Sitaram also managed to get his M.A in English Literature from Pachaiyappa’s College. After clearing the Indian Broadcast Services, he eventually went on to occupy some of the senior positions in Doordarshan as well as AIR. It was during this period that his musical acumen came into spotlight, what with his organising some of the celebrated orchestras. The most notable “Vaadya Vrinda” won the coveted UNESCO prize and has been featured in the casettes and CDs released by AIR. He was a ‘top’ category artiste at both Doordarshan and AIR. Sitaram gave several performances around the world. He was a sought after accompanist for some of the leading musicians like M. Balamurali Krishna and T.N. Krishnan, and has performed along with the greatest maestros in vocal as well as instrumental music. Remembering those days, Mukhyaprana said, “Whenever his program was being telecast on the radio, everyone would sit around it and listen to him. We used to feel very happy hearing his name being broadcast. He was a hero in the family.”

In order to continue the rich tradition, Sitaram has also groomed the next generation of musicians, including his youngest brother Mukhyaprana. “He was a very kind and loving teacher. Never too critical of the students, he would never criticise nor compare a student in front of others,” remembers Mukhyapraana. Sitaram’s son Prasanna reminisces, “I mostly learnt vocal music from my father. He trained me in some of the advanced and complicated compositions. I’ll always remember those moments. We bonded more like music aficionados than as father and son.”

Awards and accolades were innumerable – he is one of the first artists to have won state awards from all the four southern states of India. He won the prestigious Kendra Sangeeta Natak Academy award as well as the Kalaimaamani award.

The music of Prapancham Sitaram bore his mark all through. The distinct brigha- laden alapanas and the enunciation of the kalpana swaras , his exposition of rare ragas and the brilliant ragam-taanam-pallavi shall stand the test of time and be a lighthouse for future generations. His devotion to music was at the root of it all and stands out distinctly in his persona. As Mukhyaprana remembers, Sitaram often said, “Devote everything you play to God, and make it an offering. Then God will take care of your performance. He’ll play through you.” With his demise, a resplendent star in the music world may have burned out but though the breath has ceased, the notes shall continue to linger.

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