The intention in writing the book, says author Chaganti, was to focus on those responsible for propagating Carnatic music in Andhra, with an eye on the difference between Tanjavur and Andhra styles. What we enjoy these days was influenced by Tanjavur and Andhra banis. Those who propagated music in Andhra were Vijayanagaram Veena Venkataramanadasu, Sangameswara Sastry, Susarla Dakshinamurthy Sastry, Parupalli Ramakrishnayya, Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu, Dr. Pinakapani and a few others.
Beginning with Susarla and Parupalli , the book carries a brief life sketch of nearly 60 musical stalwarts, sprinkled with a couple of Hindustani vocalists of Andhra origin. One track includes the sishya parampara of Susarla Dakshinamurthy, direct disciple of Manambu Chavadi Akumalla Venkata Subbaiah, disciple and relative of Tyagaraja from whom Tyagaraja kirtanas with notation travelled to Andhra, thanks to Susarla and his disciple Paruapalli Ramakrishnayya Pantulu. This is followed by a vast number of Parupalli’s disciples like Balamuralikrishna, Chilakalapudi Venkateswara Sarma, Nadaswara vidwans Daliparti Pichihari brothers, Annavarapu Ramaswami, N.Ch Krishnamacharylu, Neti Srirama Sharma, Arundhati Circar and many belonging to fourth generation of Tyagaraja sishya parampara.
Chaganti treks a different path with the line of voco-violinist Hari Nagabhushanam whose father Hari Narasimham, travelled to Chennai, had tutelage under Patnam Subramanya Iyer, third descent of Tyagaraja sishya parampara and brought with him a volume of 800 compositions of Tyagaraja. Tutored by his father Hari Nagabhushanam was influenced by Tirukkodikaval Krishna Iyer, Tiruchinapalli Govindaswami Pillai and Konetirajapuram Vaidyanadha Iyer. He also penned many books including the best known‘Tyagaraja Yogamudra’ .
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Dwaram Venkataswami Naidu was a great violinist creating his own bani, carried further by his clan and disciples.
Other accounts on stalwarts include self taught Munuganti Venkata Rao a shishya of swaragjana Sripada Pinakapani and guru to Voleti, Nedunuri, Nookala and others . Chaganti himself was a disciple of Nookala, Nedunuri and Voleti. Briefs of Uppalapati Ankaiah, Marla Suryanarayana, Emani Sankara Sastry, Chittibabu, Ayyagari Someswara Rao; others include violinists like the Peri family, Neti Srirama Sarma, Akella Mallikarjuna Sarma, Poornachander; vocalists Nedunuri, M.S.Balasubrahmanya Sarma, mridangam maestros Dandamudi Ramamohana Rao, Vankayala Narasimham, Mullapudi Sriramamurthy, Marla Suryanarayana, Yella Venkateswara Rao and many more. It is a book worth preserving.
SANGEETHA SIKHARALU
by Chaganti Kapaleswara Rao
Published by Creative Links
Price: Rs. 150