Voleti Venkateswarulu Garu---The Music Maestro

సంగీత ప్రపంచం లో "ఎందఱో మహానుభావులు" . చాల మంది మహానుభావులు సంగీతాన్ని, సంగీతం కోసం ఎంతో కృషి చేసారు. ఆలాంటి మహానుభావుల్లో ఒకరు "శ్రీ వోలేటి వెంకటేశ్వర్లు".

http://annamacharya-lyrics.blogspot.com/search/label/Tuned%20by%20%3A%20Voleti%20venkateswarlu

I was browsing some music sites a few days back, and I came across this link. I got to listen to some very few but wonderful kritis sung by Sri Voleti Venkateswarlu. This Music Maestro is a wonderful singer and a wonderful person. Voleti Venkateswarulu garu was a musician of extraordinary caliber with much imagination. I tried to gather some information about his personal and his professional life. I hope you will like it.

He was born in 1928 in Rajamundry, Andra Pradesh. He had his formal training in music from Sri C. Achutaramaiah and Sri Munuganti Venkatarao Pantulu. He graduated with a degree in music from Andhra University. He polished his music with the veteran musician, Dr Sripada Pinakapani.

He worked in the All India Radio, Vijayawada as the Program Producer and he brought in some innovative programs. Bhakti Ranjani and Sangita sikshana were his creations and were very popular with listeners.

He was fond of Hindustani music specially those Jaru gamakas and hindustani swaras. He sang many Hindustani ragas at the end of his concerts - either as slokas or bhajans . In his concerts, he mostly sang kritis of Tyagaraja, one or two compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar, Shyama Sastri, Patnam Subramania Iyer and Tanjavur Ponnaiah Pillai. He sang javalis also. Kshetrayya padams and Narayana teertha tarangams would find a place in his concert repertoire.

His raga alapanas, rendering kritis showed his style and creative imagination. Dr Sripada Pinakapani had remarked that he was impressed by Voleti’s musical knowledge and called him a genius. He said Sri Voleti was one of the best musicians Andhra Pradesh has produced. Among the senior musicians he liked Sri Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar and Mr. Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan. Their pictures adorned the living room of his home in Vijayawada.

He never practiced for his concert. Before his concert he would be in a contemplative mood and would not talk much at all. Before the Sangita Sikshana program on the AIR, he would be humming or doing alapana in Hindustani ragas at the studios. However, as soon as the program or the song was announced on the radio he would quickly switch to the typical Carnatic style of singing. Such was his flexibilty in changing from one style to another and such was his dedication towards his passion and profession.

In many of his concerts he was accompanied on the violin either by Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman or Sri M.S.Gopalakrishnan. More often Sri. Vellore Ramabhadran, Sri. Karaikudi Mani and Sri. Dandamudi Rama Mohan Rao were his accompanists on mrudangam. He was particularly happy with their accompaniment.

Voleti had only a few disciples like Sri. M.V.Ramanamurthy, Sri. N.C.V.Jagannatha Charyulu, Sri. Malladi Suri Babu, Sri. Srirangam Gopalaratnam. Sri. Malladi Suri Babu was associated with Voleti garu for a long time at the AIR, Vijayawada and has imbibed his style of singing.

His wife Smt. Vijayalaskshmi garu supported him morally in his career.He received the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1985. It is given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi - India's apex body for performing arts. It is the highest national recognition given to practicing artistes.

Voleti was a simple man and he was breathing music 24 hours of the day. He never cared for honour and accolades and neither did he seek them.

Hats off to all those wonderful people for giving such wonderful music and inspiring us in so many ways.

I am really proud to say that Voleti Venkateswarlu garu is my Chinna Tatayyagaru.