Santoor maestro and Padma Vibhushan award recipient Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma was presented the Kopparapu Kavulu National Eminence Award 2017 at the 15th anniversary of the Kopparapu Kavula Kalapeetham at Kalabharathi Auditorium here on Saturday.
The 15th Anniversary of ‘Kopparapu Kavulu Kalapeetam’ was celebrated in a grand manner.
Kopparapu Sodara Kavulu were the legendary sibling poets, Kopparapu Venkata Subbaraya Kavi (November 12, 1885 – March 29, 1932) and Kopparapu Venkataramana Kavi (December 30, 1887 – March 21, 1942), who were well known for conducting Avadhanams.
Kopparapu Eminence Awards were established in 2002 and they were renamed as ‘Kopparapu National Eminence Awards in 2014’ when Pt. Jasraj was felicitated. The earlier recipients include: Padma Bhushan Hari Prasad in 2015 and Madugula Nagaphani Mohan in 2016.
Rambhatla Narasimha Sarma read out the citation. Responding to the felicitations, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma said music has no language. It transcends all barriers. He described himself as a ‘student’ of music forever. He wondered why he hadn’t learnt Telugu all these years after hearing speaker after speaker talking in Telugu at the function.
The newly introduced ‘Avadhānaṃ award’ was presented to Narala Rama Reddy of Proddutur for his immense contribution to the field of Avadhanam (literary process).
Scholar Garikapati Narasimha Rao presided over the function.
On the occasion, Peethadhipathi of Courtallam, HH Sri Siddheswarananda Bharati well known as Dr Prasada Raya Kulapathi (Venkata Lakshmi Vara Prasad Rao) delivered his holy message.
Noted film director K Viswanath, Rajya Sabha Member T. Subbarami Reddy, former MP Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, BJP State Coordinator Cheruvu Ramakotaiah and MD of Vijay Nirman Company Surapaneni Vijay Kumar participated.
Mr. Lakshmi Prasad sought that the government should make the learning of Telugu compulsory from Std. I to V at all schools in the State.
B.A. Narayana from Vizianagaram sang poems of Kopparapu Kavulu.
The literary works of Kopparapu Kavulu like Avadhanam, Ashu Kavitvam (Extempore poetry), poems and Satakas (unique to Telugu and Sanskrit literature) would be released in the form of a book on Nov 12, the birth anniversary of Kopparapu Venkata Subbaraya Kavi.
