Tributes poured in for R.K. Srikantan during the 94th birthday celebrations of the Carnatic music doyen.
Flagging off the four-day musical fest on Tuesday, N. Murali, president of the Music Academy, Chennai, said, “Srikantan, carrying forward a family lineage of the musical Rudrapatna in the Hassan district of Karnataka, has moulded and disciplined his voice and lifestyle so appreciably that he is able to take up a multitude of concerts all over the globe even at this age, apart from shaping hundreds of disciples. We will be looking forward to celebrating his centenary.”
Mr. Murali released a biography on Srikantan, Voice of a Generation , and presented copies of the book to guests N.S. Krishnamurthy, former director, All India Radio, and V.V. Sundaram of the Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradana Fest.
The R.K. Srikantan Trust, which organised the fest, conferred the title ‘Lalithakala Seva Durandhra’ on Mr. Sundaram for his contribution to propagating Indian classical arts in the U.S.
M. Balasubramoniam, principal, R.L.V. College of Music and Fine Arts, Tripunithura in Kerala, was also felicitated for his services to music.
The inaugural day of the fest included a Carnatic vocal concert by the Carnatica Brothers N. Shashikiran and Ganesh.
The event will end on January 17, with Tyagaraja Pancharatna kriti rendering followed by awards presented to T.K. Murthy and Venkatesha Sharma Sastry.
