R.K.Srikantan is no more

RKrishnamurthy · Post by **RKrishnamurthy** » 18 Feb 2014, 09:20

A shocking news indeed. No doubt he was at a ripe age and we all know the day of reckoning will come. But when it comes, we seem ill prepared.I had varied encounters with him. When Rohan and I used to stay at Karpagam Hotem during the season, he and his son (another nice person) used to stay there too and we used to go together for an occasional coffee and breakfast. In the US, I once forced the Chicago Thyagarajam Ustsavam one year to arrange his concert and after much resistance and long persuasion they gave in. My condition was Rohan will play(with or without remuneration for him!) and Sri Srikantan had no objection. The concert, attended by a full hall, was a hit and at the end of the concert Sri Srikantan said" I am giving a concert in Pittsburgh next week and I want you to play since I am very happy with your style." I told him it is up to the organizers there and he said, " I will tell them and if they don't agree, I will cancel the concert". Such was his devotion to acknowledging good accompanists, a trait that has pretty much vanished today. What a great singer and may his soul rest in peace.
Professor Rama Krishnamurthy

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 18 Feb 2014, 09:38

May his soul rest in peace!
Condolences to his family and disciples. Very, very sad indeed!

Ranganayaki · Post by **Ranganayaki** » 18 Feb 2014, 09:39

Condolences to all. What a widely beloved musician!

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 18 Feb 2014, 10:13

We take a lot of things for granted. When Sri R K Srikantan continued to give outstanding concerts with perfect Sruti which belied his age of 94 years, we assumed that he would sing until his 100th year. What a loss to Carnatic Music ! A stickler to "Sampradaya Sangeetham", his comforting presence will be missed by one and all.

munirao2001 · Post by **munirao2001** » 18 Feb 2014, 10:59

Bengaluru forunites
Awaiting arrival of RKS daughter from Canada/US, the funeral will take place on THU. His remains will be brought home tomorrow afternoon.
I along with R.K.Padmanabha, Dr.Surya Prasad, Rudrapatnam Brothers, Ramamani and TAS mani were early callers on the family to-day. We have lost a Great Maestro who uncompromisingly stuck to the ideals of classicism of KM and set yet another example of achieving the success as performer. His Lec-demos were also very profound with great insights and knowledge.

munirao2001

girish_a · Post by **girish_a** » 18 Feb 2014, 11:28

Words of wisdom from Sri RK Srikantan. This was just about 15 days ago. He states "It is my opinion that a life bereft of bliss is wasted. Only art and music can give you that bliss.", and goes on to say,"Thyagaraja, Mutthuswami Dikshithar and Purandara Dasa have left us a treasure trove of music. Let us be grateful to them. Let us meditate on them always. Let us be with them always.", saying in English "Be with great people", and concluding with "Don't make way for littleness and small mindedness in your life":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GIYLKaF12g

shriranjani · Post by **shriranjani** » 18 Feb 2014, 11:52

Heard about Dr.RK Srikantan's passing on...reproduced here is an interview I did for Shanmukha years ago,in which he readily spoke about the music scene then and now...

Purist to the Core
Interview with R.K.Srikantan

Jyothi Mohan

He held the audience spellbound with his erudite raga essays, clear diction, undiluted classicism and shruti-shuddham in his kucheri at Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati auditorium, under the aegis of the Sri Shanmukhanada Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha, on 24th Dec.2007.The very fact that at 88, he can sing a full-length concert with ease, holding notes for a long time in perfect sruti till the end, prompted me to interview him the following morning. He was ready, at the appointed time and eagerly answered all my questions.
Q) I have read that you come from a family of musicians. Could you elaborate on that?
A) I hail from a distinguished traditional family of musicians from Rudrapatnam in Hassan District in Karnataka. My grandfather Sri Narayanappa of Bettadapura was a great musician. My father Sri Krishnasastry was a great scholar in Sanskrit and Kannada, a noted poet, a versatile artist and also a harikatha vidwan. My brothers, R.K. Narayanaswami (disciple of Musiri Subramanya Iyer) and R.K. Ramanathan were very good singers too.
Q) Can you tell us about your teachers and your music training?
A) After initial training from my father, I was groomed by my brother Sri R.K.Venkataramasastry - a leading violinist and a disciple of T.Chowdaiah. When I was very young, I would listen to my brothers sing while my eldest brother accompanied them on the violin. I would try to repeat what I heard .Seeing my deep interest, my eldest brother began giving me lessons. At this time, he was offered a job at Madras Corporation Radio. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as I was able to listen to senior vidwans and also learn from them when they stayed with us on their visits to Mysore. I also interacted with great maestros of Carnatic music like Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Musiri Subrahmanya Iyer and Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer, and practised some compositions before them, thus adding to my repertoire. All this helped me in evolving a distinct but pure traditional style of my own.
Q) At what age did you give your first kucheri? Are you satisfied with all that you have achieved in your performing career?
A) I gave my first kucheri when I was about 13 or 14 years of age. My brother would regularly send me notations for kritis, which I would learn. When I would go to Madras, he would correct my rendition. Thus, I kept learning and improving as time went by. I have given recitals in almost all the places where Carnatic music is appreciated. I have had the best of musicians accompany me and their association helped my music grow. I have also received several awards in recognition of my contribution to music. I am happy that I have been able to achieve all this.
Q) Can you mention some of the memorable awards that have been conferred upon you?
A) I have been honoured with prestigious awards like the Sangita Kalanidhi (Music Academy), Sangeeta Ratnakara (Cleveland), Lifetime Achievement Award (SVN Academy, Bangalore), to mention a few. I felt blessed when I was conferred the Saptagiri Sangeeta Vidwan Mani title by the Tyagarajaswami Trust, Tirupati
Q) Are there any memories in your long career, which you cherish?
A) A few of the concerts I shall always remember are the ones I performed at Haveri and Udipi to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Sri Kanakadasa and Purandaradasa, arranged by the Government of Karnataka. Presiding over the music conferences at Bangalore’s Gayana Samaj & Madras Music Academy have also been very memorable occasions.
Q) Did you ever feel that not being in Chennai has made a difference to your performing career?
A) No. I have been regularly invited to perform in Chennai .I am very happy that people from Chennai attend my concerts and are very appreciative about my music. But I do feel that the Govt. of Karnataka can do much more for the cause of classical music.
Q) Did teaching come in the way of performing?
A) I have felt that by teaching, you recognise your limitations and thus try to correct them. Students ask questions and that helps us get a better insight into the art form. While teaching, one is honing one’s skills constantly and it provides a lot of practice too!
Q) How would you define good music?
A) Music that is very simple, that which touches the heart is what I would say constitutes great music. It is not easy to achieve this.
Q) How are you able to sing full-throated till the end of the kucheri at the age of 88?
A) I still practise as well as teach everyday. I do not have any bad habits and follow a disciplined life taking good care of my voice. Artistes nowadays accept too many concerts, strain their voices and end up with problems halfway through their career.
Q) What difference do you find between the shishyas in your time and the shishyas of the present day?
A) Students in my time spent the whole day learning music. They imbibed all that the Guru practised and were never allowed to sing on stage till the Guru felt they were ready. The shishya had to sing a composition till he mastered it and made it his own. Nowadays the student comes for a fixed time to learn music. His preoccupation with studies or a job leaves him with less time to spend with his mentor. The students today are more intelligent and very quick on the uptake too. But in their hurry to ascend the stage and present a lot of new compositions, the exercise seems mechanical and lacks soul.
Q) How did you train your voice to be able to sing with such adherence to sruthi even at this age?
A) We spent a lot of time every morning practising exercises to improve strength, flexibility and speed. Holding a note for a long time at the same volume helps one maintain shruti and adds depth to the voice. Nowadays, students sing at a high pitch but do not strengthen the voice, hence the voice shakes, sounds shrill and the shruti wavers. They also train their voices for the mike, hence when the mike fails you fail to hear the singer as his voice has no volume! There is no shortcut to acquiring a good steady voice.
Q) You have been singing concerts for several decades and have had accompanists of both-the previous generation and the new generation. How do they differ in their approach?
A) In the earlier days, accompanists always treated the main artiste with a lot of respect. They would listen to the artiste fully before taking their turn. They also adapted their style to that of the main artiste and embellished the recital with their accompaniment. These days, several young accompanists are in a hurry to exhibit their talent .They play what they feel like playing, without listening patiently to the main artiste-they lack vishranti and that disturbs. Several times while accompanying a kriti, they tend to play their favourite sangatis which may be at total variance with the paatanthara of the main artiste!
Q) Do you find any difference in concert audiences then and now?
A) Those days, concerts were few. They were attended by people who knew and understood music in all its purity and beauty. Today, most people who come to a concert have a limited knowledge of music and are quick to applaud at anything that catches their fancy. This has resulted in speed and technique overtaking slow, leisurely rendering of some of our great compositions in a bid to woo the audience. This unhealthy trend can be reversed only if we educate audiences through music-appreciation courses, lecdems etc. Duration of concerts has also come down from the earlier leisurely 4-5 hours to the present day 2hour concerts! Artistes also perform to half empty halls as there are too many sabhas organising many concerts on the same date and time.
Q) What do you feel about jugalbandis?
A) I feel the 2 systems of music are very beautiful in their purest form. Any attempt to amalgamate the 2 as it happens in jugalbandis is not desirable. You also never get to hear the best of each style as it should be presented; hence I find it a pointless exercise. I also do not care for fusion concerts or the noisy high decibel, eardrum shattering experience, that taal-vadya kucheris of today have become. Music should not be an assault on the ears!
Q) We rarely hear you sing ragas other than the rakthi ragas. Is that a conscious decision?
A) I do not subscribe to the modern trend of elaborating ragas with limited scope as it gives rise to repetition. The major ragas give one ample opportunities to explore, resulting in a satisfactory presentation with abundant variety of ideas. I feel youngsters should not take up minor ragas for ragam tanam pallavi.
Q) What do you think of people abroad learning through tape or via internet?
A) I am very happy that people abroad are serious about learning music. I have several students in the U.S. whom I teach via internet and over the telephone. They regularly record what they sing after learning from me and send it back to me for correction.
I am optimistic about the future of our music, he concluded.
On that note our conversation ended, as he was returning to Bangalore. It was indeed a delightful 2 hours that I spent in the company of Sangeetha Kalanidhi R.K.Srikantan-a purist to whom music is a sadhana, to be sung with bhakti to evoke peace and contentment in the listener.

sais72 · Post by **sais72** » 18 Feb 2014, 13:00

https://plus.google.com/photos/+saisree ... 4906473741

Sri R K Srikantan singing at Ragigudda Temple, Bangalore on 05.02.14 (must have been one of his last concerts)
Sri Ramakanth - vocal support
Sri S Sheshagiri Rao - Violin
Sri T A S Mani - Mrudangam
Sri Ramesh - Ghatam
Sri M Gururaj - Morsing

tkb · Post by **tkb** » 18 Feb 2014, 13:32

our condolences.

Purist · Post by **Purist** » 18 Feb 2014, 14:04

Deeply saddened. In terms of repertoire he will stand unmatched. His contribution to the field of carnatic music is immense. Oh what zest (at 90"s) till his last day to be sharing and spreading his knowledge. We should all emulate.
I always remember his refrain 'music should never be an assault on the ear' .
Noble Soul Rest in Peace.

vs_manjunath · Post by **vs_manjunath** » 18 Feb 2014, 17:35

May his noble soul rest in peace.
Met the family members in person. The mortal remains will be brought home on Wednesday afternoon around 4 pm. Cremation is sch on Thursday morning.

parivadini · Post by **parivadini** » 18 Feb 2014, 18:37

A live webcast of a tribute to Sangita Kalanidhi R.K.Srikantan by his student Vid. G.Ravikiran will be played here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtPm6rRVvvI at 8.00 PM IST.

Ramasubramanian M.K · Post by **Ramasubramanian M.K** » 18 Feb 2014, 19:11

Down Memory Lane re: RKS
In the early fifties,the December season was confined to three Sabhas in CHENNAI--Music Academy(Mylapore),Indian Fine Arts(Gokhale hall-Armenian Street-Georgetown) and Tamil Isai Sangam(Annamalai manram--in georgetown/parrys).
Because of distances and transportation involved MA was the most accessible--although all the leading artistes of the time--ARI,SSI,GNB,MMI,Chittoor,et al also sang in the other Sabhas. the main "draw' was always MA and it was every budding artistes' wish in those days for a "slot" in MA. MA had three slots--3 P.M. slot,5:30 P.M. and 9 P.M.--the 5: 30 P.M. slot was taken by all the "biggies"--the late night slot was occupied by North Indian Artistes like ravi Shankar,Akbar Ali Khan et al and even brinda-Muktha could be accommodated in the 9 P.M. slot only--much to their dislike.
This naturally left 'young" artistes of those times(Ramnad Krishnan,KVN,VVSadagopan,MDR,RKSrikantan et al) only the 3 P.M. slot for which the audience draw was "small" although qualitatively the discerning public would attend their concerts.To combat this MA came up with an idea(at that time the MA sessions were held in P.S.High School with Pandal being erected--old timers like VKV and other Chennai forumites might recall this)--the IDEA was to have SENIOR vidwans accompanying the young artistes(keeping the 3 P.M. slot)--like Papa Sir,Rajamanikkam Pillai,Chowdiah,LGJ TNK et al) for VIOLIN and PMI/PSP/CSM/Raghu for MRIDANGAM--the Senior Vidwans(Vocalists) were persuaded to accept this arrangement and sometimes they had to settle for second string accompanists for their own concerts at the MA(because the first string accompanists -- besides MA -- had engagements in the other 2 sabhas.

RKS was a beneficiary of this arrangement although amongst his contemporaries, he was LEAST known in Chennai circles(other than being R.K.Venkatrma Sastry-'s brother-who used to accompany MS Amma in those days) he had no "visibility" in Chennai circles. I do not remember which of the violinists(TNK or lGJ) or which of the Mridangists trio accompanied him but he distinguished himself very well as I recall. Now most of the other contemporaries--like KVN had backing(like PMI) RKS had no real "backers" and Chennai was still dominated by TN musicians--Despite this RKS got the attention of Chennai rasikas and distinguished himself creditably--on the strength of his Vidwath.
The experiment itself was abandoned in the following years because of a lot of factors-the vocalists' demurrrhal ,the accompanists equally reluctant to continue this experiment!! I do not recall when and how RKS regained his Senior status--but RKS and his contemporaries certainly suffered from the "demographic accident' of trying to come up when the doyens(ARI,GNB MMI were dominating the scene till the Mid Sixties --these Seniors came up on the scene and hit the high spots in THEIR EARLY THIRTIES, enjoying an unchallenged reign for over three decades --leaving artistes like RKS--who were in their late thirties still trying to get "traction" given the few sabhas at that time in Chennai.
RKS's musical career has to be viewed from this perspective

To his credit RKS needs to be complimented for his tenacity and unswerving loyalty to tradition.
It is heartening for old "geysers" like me to see younger forumites appreciating artistes like RKS whose early career struggles most of the forumites may not be aware of!!

Sorry folks for the long post--nostalgia at times can be long-winding!!!

Meenalochani · Post by **Meenalochani** » 18 Feb 2014, 19:58

My heartfelt condolences to RKS's family and friends.

This morning I was listening to one of RKS's recorded concerts. A rare song 'Cintaya sada' in Sindumankriya was beautifully sing. Tears filled my eyes and my heart was filled with deep devotion and respect for the great artist.

May his soul rest in peace !!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 18 Feb 2014, 21:30

DD Chandana broadcast an interview of RKS by Mysore Subrahmanya with snippets of concerts and music classes for youngsters. Great programme and as usual RKS was most lucid. His message to young musicians : Rakti +Bhakti+Bhava as the three values to pursue always.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 18 Feb 2014, 22:07

He was scheduled to sing here on Saturday...

gardabha_gana · Post by **gardabha_gana** » 18 Feb 2014, 22:50

Rsachi wrote:DD Chandana broadcast an interview of RKS by Mysore Subrahmanya with snippets of concerts and music classes for youngsters. Great programme and as usual RKS was most lucid. His message to young musicians : Rakti +Bhakti+Bhava as the three values to pursue always.

Is there a recording?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 18 Feb 2014, 23:40

Sorry, I didn't record it.

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 19 Feb 2014, 00:01

I am shocked beyond belief that Sri.R.K.Srikantan has left us so suddenly.Just last week I had congragulated him on his latest award (he received in person it turns out-) & discussed how appropriate it had to with Thyagabrahmam. He was his usual cheerful self & I learnt more about this inexhaustible source of knowledge & expertise. I had told him-very fortunate I expressed myself freely- that observing him & his brother R.K.Venkatarama Sastry whom even the legendary MALI the supposedly iconoclast worshipped out of respect- I could get a glimpse of How the greatest of them all PURANDARADASAR & THE TRINITY would have lived themselves. He was not only an inspiration but showed how purity of action, living & thoughts ELEVATED ANYONE AROUND HIM......
He CHOSE to stay on in Karnataka though if he had chosen to move to Madras he would have been as acclaimed as ANY OF THE LEADING VIDWANS OF THE GOLDEN ERA OF CARNATIC MUSIC as was clearly evident from the ADULATION towards his concerts towards the end of his career. It is because he wanted to bring out THE BEST OF the RUDRAPATNAM SCHOOL one of the MAJOR SCHOOLS of carnatic music which has not received the attention it deserved not being based in Madras. I find that as a Tamilian who is still a Madrasi unless one was Madras based it appears impossible (even though LGJ among others& tried hard) to BRING OUT the GREATNESS of the other great schools outside of Madras. Fortunately R.K.Sriramkumar has both the abilities & capabilities to represent this great school of music.
In 2012 in CLEVELAND just before his concert I requested him to sing a few compositions of HMB THAT WERE TAUGHT TO MMI (it was his centenary celebrations) specially by HMB his Guru. RKS gave an unbelievably memorable concert that still reverberates & brings back the greatness & memories of HMB, MMI & RKS. I then requested him to give a special concert at Madras exclusively of HMB Compositions which he did; Another exqusite virtuoso performance! ANYTHING RKS said& did was an UPLIFTING experience & I could see that he existed at ANOTHER LEVEL tho' he was kind enough to communicate with mere mortals like me........................VKV

hnbhagavan · Post by **hnbhagavan** » 19 Feb 2014, 01:33

Sri R K Srikantan,a great musician performer,composer and teacher par excellence was recognised by Music Academy and conferred Sangitakalanidhi title in the year 1995 when R K Srikantan was at the ripe age of 75 years.A musician of similar stature would have been conferred the same title at least 10-15 years earlier.However better late than never at least the scholars of Chennai recognised Sri RKS 's musicianship and conferred the title.I am happy that without much support and only by his vidwat,he has great number of followers in Chennai - the carnatic music capital.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 19 Feb 2014, 04:26

Very sad news. Thought he was indestructible!
May his soul rest in peace...

ramakriya · Post by **ramakriya** » 19 Feb 2014, 07:54

Dear Rasikas,

Sharing two interviews of Sangeeta Kalanidhi Dr R K Srikanthan.

I was fortunate enough to be the interviewer once!

http://neelanjana.wordpress.com/2007/12 ... rikanthan/ (in Engish)

http://hamsanada.blogspot.com/2009/01/blog-post_14.html (In Kannada)

Long live RKS.

-Ramakriya

CRama · Post by **CRama** » 19 Feb 2014, 10:45

The passing away of Sri RKS has left a deep vacuum in the carnatic music scene which will remain unfilled for ever. Sruti sudham till his very end, patanthara sudham, vast reportoire, humility all are his hallmarks.

I have been hearing his concerts from late seventees in Kerala. Yes. Eventhough Chennai music circuit recognised his talents quite late, he was a permanent fixture in all Kerala music festivals- in Trivandrum Theerthapada mandapam, Swati Tirunal Sangeetha Sabha, Navarathri Mandapam, and in many other towns and remote villages in Kerala. He opened the doors to many rare Thyagaraja Kritis in Kerala. He was equally at ease with Swati Tirunal Kritis. He had a huge reportoire of ST kritis. I heard him twice in the Navarathri Mandapam- once he sang Kalyani as Main and another time Sudha saveri. His concert used to contain invariably one or two ST Kritis . Some rare ST Kritis he had popularised – such as Paramananda natana-Kedaram, Ramachandrapahi-Poornachandrika, Mohanam thava-Mohanam, Samodam Paripalaya-Ramapriya, Pannagasayana-Pharas, Sambho sathatham-Karnatak kapi etc. I honestly feel that he should have been given more opportunities in Navarathri Mandapam

After my coming to Bangalore in 1987, I studied music under his son Ramakanth Sir for a brief period. My course had to be aborted as he went abroad. He told me that I can continue under RKS, but I was too junior to go to that colossus. Whenever I went to their house in Seshadripuram, I found him always engaged- teaching, reading, preparing some papers for presentation etc. I had listened to some of his classes also. I have seen a big photo of Semmangudi in his house. He used to consider SSI, Musiri, etc as his Manaseeka Gurus. He is a great tunesmith. The krits of PD and other dasa composers tuned by him- ugaboga and other kritis have a universal appeal. He also tuned many songs of Tulasivanam- a composer based in Trivandrum and presented them in the concerts.

His reportoire is quite amazing- especially Thyagaraja Kritis, ST Kritis, PD Kritis, Mysore Maharaja Jayachamarajawodeyar kritis. He will live through his immortal songs in the possession of discerning music lovers. My heartfelt condolences to Ramakanth Sir, his family members and sishyas.

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 19 Feb 2014, 13:34

https://archive.org/details/RkSrikantan_838
My humble respects to the departed soul.

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 19 Feb 2014, 15:15

Great collection Varsha. Thanks for sharing

Purist · Post by **Purist** » 19 Feb 2014, 17:54

A classic tribute Varsha. 'Antharanga Kadava' haunts.
Just returned from RKS house paying my last respects.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Feb 2014, 21:39

Whether I heard him in a small temple or at the Music Academy, it was the same thing. A powerful voice was his, and it was filled with bhAva. It commanded your attention and yet soothed your senses.

As years went by, you wondered if that voice would lose momentum, lose its strength. That never happened!

Ramakriya,
Thanks for the interviews you have posted. Yours, I read haltingly, and Sri. Natarajan's one was easy to read (being translated into english!).

Of course, RKS deserved recognition at a much earlier age. Once he had it, he got to be appreciated by rasikAs everywhere.

His disciplined way of life--both in music and in his everyday life was a key factor in shaping him into the musician that he was. His simplicity and pleasant personality added to it all.

With all the rich traditional values which he cherished, I gather from the two interviews that along with Semmangudi and Musiri, GNB inspired him too! One or two forumites (pure traditionalists) may not be aware that he was influenced by nAdaswaram music too!

After mentioning how his family encouraged him in his musical training, he says that his wife is so good at taking care of everything, that he lives with his music without any care in the world.

I have mentioned it before in the forum: It was always a joy to see her in his concerts, sitting in one of the front rows, appreciating her husband's music with such glee. I loved watching her when she nodded her head in all her appreciative moments.

Just at this moment, his 'kari kaLabha mukham' fills my mind, clear and replete with 'naya' (gAmbhIrya in the kruti conveyed subtly, finely)--naya which he says is essential for a musician to invest in his music...

CM has lost another giant, but his music will live on...

maduraimini · Post by **maduraimini** » 20 Feb 2014, 00:01

Very sorry to hear this. He was the last one of that generation of musicians. Condolences to his family and students. This is a great loss to Carnatic Music.

maduraimini · Post by **maduraimini** » 20 Feb 2014, 00:11

Very sorry to hear Sri Srikantan's passing away. My sincere sympathies to his family, students and rasikas all over. I never saw him, but heard his music on You Tube. I wondered at his voice in his 90s. It is a very great loss to Carnatic Music. He was one of the older musicians who followed tradition.

gardabha_gana · Post by **gardabha_gana** » 20 Feb 2014, 07:27

I posted this on my fb page...
Yesterday was the end of an era in Carnatic music. The Bhishma Pitamaha, Vidwan RK Srikantan left his rasikas for a better place. For those of us who grew up listening to his music - forever - the loss is immense and personal. I last heard him in December at the music academy - he was at Ragigudda 2 weeks back - my mom attended that concert. I believe he sang in Udupi 3 days back! Well, he performed till the very end - how many of us can do what we enjoy till our end comes?

Every morning akashavani used to feature him starting with their Geetharadhane - at 6:05 in the morning - his dasa krithis, collaborations with Doreswamy Iyengar, GeethaRupakas of Pu.Thi.Na, compositions of Vasudevachar, Muthiah Bhagavathar... so on... He was the pride of Bangalore - especially Malleswaram/Seshadripuram.

His concerts always had a sense of proportion - impeccable shruthi, vast repertoire - always had some compositions that I would not have heard before. One used to feel a sense of completeness and bliss - always traditional - starting with varnam and ending with Thillana - devoid of any vocal gymnastics. One can produce good music without all the drama. His LecDems were classy. I will forever remember the one on usage of Sadharana Gandhara at the Samaja, where he complained that his shruthi was not ok that day . I followed him to many concerts upon my return to India. I noticed that his concerts used to be a full house in Madras.

He had his legion of followers and admirers - he visited the bay area few times when I was there and always very humble. Talking to him one could sense what a complete person he was! Indeed as they say, Vidhya Dadati Vinayam. Met him at Trivandrum airport last summer - and he was very warm and made us all feel so easy.

Lastly, my dad was a huge fan of his. I still remember him tell me while in the US in the 90s - how he went all the way to Seshadripuram from Jayangar to listen to RKS - left a little early to catch the bus back, and when he started singing Sanmukhapriya sat in the park opposite I am sure he is welcoming him....

gardabha_gana · Post by **gardabha_gana** » 20 Feb 2014, 07:46

Thanks a lot varsha for the tribute. Ver moving and nostalgic. Nice to see HP Ramachar, TS Tathachar in the archives. That took me back to my younger days....

Malleswaram of old....

ramanathan · Post by **ramanathan** » 20 Feb 2014, 08:04

Selected pics of the maestro that I was lucky to capture in the last 5-6 yrs... please CLICK HERE

Meenalochani · Post by **Meenalochani** » 20 Feb 2014, 18:58

I want to share with all a great tribute to the Maestro appearing in the Hindu during Google search (R K Srikantan)

The title of the tribute by one of his nephews is a follows. Somehow I could not get the link working when I pasted it here. Please have a look.

RK Srikantan: Devotion of a lifetime

Purist · Post by **Purist** » 20 Feb 2014, 20:23

Here is the link referred by # 50- Meenalochani.

http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday ... 709539.ece

gardabha_gana · Post by **gardabha_gana** » 20 Feb 2014, 20:46

One more - from his disciples:
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday ... 709633.ece

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 20 Feb 2014, 20:58

Purist wrote:Here is the link referred by # 50- Meenalochani.
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday ... 709539.ece

Isn't the author one of the Rudrapatnam Brothers? Beautifully written.

mkal · Post by **mkal** » 20 Feb 2014, 21:17

This may have been posted earlier, but here is a wonderful lec-dem from a couple of years ago. Even the kannada he speaks is music to one's ears (there are subtitles in English)!

http://shabda.co.in/?q=node/67

girish_a · Post by **girish_a** » 21 Feb 2014, 12:18

Yes, the Kannada is exquisite

smala · Post by **smala** » 21 Feb 2014, 12:47

Padma Bhushan came to him only in 2011. Surprising, considering how some others in music and dance have got it much earlier in their lifetime.

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 21 Feb 2014, 13:09

smala,

The Padmabhushan was conferred very early in R.K.Srikantan's career (some may even say prematurely) in 2011.

There is a composition of the haridAsa srIpAdarAya, who lived for long in Srirangam, and used the signature 'ranga-viTTala' that goes bhUSaNakke bhUSaNa idu bhUSaNa! shESagirivAsa! srIvara! vEnkaTEsha!. RKS used to sing this one with his characteristic sonorous voice, with suitable emphasis at various points in the sAhitya. It describes how, in the case of VenkaTeswara, he adds beauty to the ornaments laden on him, rather than the other way round.

smala · Post by **smala** » 21 Feb 2014, 13:41

keerthi wrote:smala,

The Padmabhushan was conferred very early in R.K.Srikantan's career (some may even say prematurely) in 2011.

There is a composition of the haridAsa srIpAdarAya, who lived for long in Srirangam, and used the signature 'ranga-viTTala' that goes bhUSaNakke bhUSaNa idu bhUSaNa! shESagirivAsa! srIvara! vEnkaTEsha!. RKS used to sing this one with his characteristic sonorous voice, with suitable emphasis at various points in the sAhitya. It describes how, in the case of VenkaTeswara, he adds beauty to the ornaments laden on him, rather than the other way round.

Keerthi, in 2011 - he was 91 - early?

Aditto · Post by **Aditto** » 21 Feb 2014, 21:52

It was sarcasm on the delay !!.

smala · Post by **smala** » 21 Feb 2014, 22:27

Makes me wonder if sincerity and tributes coming in go together given the "hollow" recognition in 2011.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 22 Feb 2014, 16:03

Interview of Mar 2013 with Sri RKS is available at:

http://sahapedia.org/r-k-srikantan-1920-2014/

CRama · Post by **CRama** » 25 Feb 2014, 11:43

There was a concert of RKS on Saturday in Podhigai morning 9 AM. Any body has recorded the audio of this? If so, I will like to have it.
There was NP concert on Sunday night. Simply great- with Pahitharakshu-Jaganmohini of ST, Koluvamaregada etc. I have recorded that.

Purist · Post by **Purist** » 25 Feb 2014, 16:11

There was a very rare radio prog of RKS with LGJ and PMI, of AIR Trivandrum or some other of Kerala.
It had a splendid Paramathmudu & Nadatanu and a Thodi as well. Unfortunately I am not able to locate the link or
get a recording of it. Just memories of a classy one.

CRama · Post by **CRama** » 25 Feb 2014, 16:54

I have got that concert.Not PMI. VR. It was held in Swati Tirunal Sangeetha Sabha TVM, Thyagaraja Utsavam in early 80s. If you are in Chennai, contact me.

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 25 Feb 2014, 21:11

Just memories of a classy one

Pl Add this to those memories
http://chowdaiahandparvati.blogspot.in/ ... rance.html
Given the correct credits now.

smala · Post by **smala** » 25 Feb 2014, 23:13

Awesome celestial music with the violin taking it to Goloka. Thanks, yummy indeed.

Purist · Post by **Purist** » 26 Feb 2014, 11:40

Thanks a lot Varsha.

#72- CRama , can you please upload just the 'Paramathmudu' number. Remember it as very authentic.