South India has immense talents in fine arts and the music sabhas play an important role in encouraging the artists, according to Preetha Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals.
She was participating in the awards function of the annual music festival organised by Nada Sudha, at Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Ashram Hall in Velachery, on Wednesday.
Describing musicians as invaluable treasures, she said this is one treasure that no country can plunder from India, unless the people allow this treasure to cross the Indian border. “I know that music festivals are being held in several parts of the world and people from Malaysia, Singapore and other countries attend the music festivals in the city, but they cannot take away the intrinsic value of the fine arts that India holds and the people should nurture it.”
She said her father-in-law, industrialist P.Obul Reddy's, love for Carnatic music came from his wife Gnanamba Reddy, a good violin player. “My father-in-law used to listen to Telugu film music and she was the lady who trained him to listen to Saint Thyagaraja's pancharatna kirtanas and understand music.” She said that the onus of nurturing this art has come to business houses, as the rulers, who had nurtured fine arts in those years, are busy nurturing wealth today.
Prema Malini Vasan, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, said that music of any form is a stress buster and it gives pleasure to those hearing it. The Sabha presented vocalist Bombay Jayasree with ‘Nada Ratna', Carnatic music teacher P.S. Narayana Swamy with ‘Nada Poshaka Ratna' and violinist Embar S. Kannan with the ‘Nada Ratna'.
The awards comprised a citation and Rs.1 lakh cash.
