Veena Raja Rao - a biography:
http://rapidshare.com/files/11503526/Mi ... y.pdf.html
Reproduced below is what I had uploaded on rapidshare (I had some requests to avoid the need to go to rapidshare for this):
Veena Raja Rao (1909 – 1979) By: Sreenivasa Rajarao
Mysore L. Raja Rao belonged to a lineage of Vainikas patronized by the Wodeyar
dynasty in Mysore for several generations. Raja Rao’s Father Veene Lakshminaranappa
(also recognized as Bhairavi Lakshminaranappa) was a foremost disciple of Veene
Seshanna and Mysore Vasudevacharya.
Carrying on the family heritage of Veena playing in the famed Mysore style, young
Raja Rao had rigorous training from his Father Lakshimnaranappa in both Vocal and
Veena. Growing up during the glory years of Mysore’s celebrated status as the grand seat
of Carnatic music, Raja Rao imbibed the best characteristics of the doyens of the time –
Veene Seshanna, Veene Subbanna and Mysore Vasudevacharya. Tiger Varadachar, who
used to spend significant time in Mysore, was a close personal friend of
Lakshminaranappa. Young Raja Rao was influenced by Tiger’s style as well, but, it was
Vasudevachaya who was his idol as a vocalist. Blossoming into a Gayaka, as well as a
Vainika of repute, young Raja Rao accompanied the Master on several occasions.
Raja Rao’s Brother Gopala Rao, eight years younger, was also emerging in the same
mould.
During his college years, Raja Rao began displaying his versatility as an artiste that was
to become his hallmark in the later years. He was the cynosure of the College Union,
putting together memorable shows for the Union. Raja Rao exhibited sensational
histrionics as an actor, and remarkable creativity and maturity as a music composer and
orchestra conductor. Of course, all this was in addition to his performances as a vocalist,
a Veena player and a Gamaki! ( Gamaka vaachana is vocal musical rendering of verses
from classical Kannada works)
Raja Rao moved to Bangalore to pursue further studies at Central College, which was a
powerhouse of cultural activities in those days. It was here that Raja Rao began his
association with the stalwarts of Kannada literature and Kannada samskruti.
It appears the years Raja Rao spent interacting with such giants as B.M.Sri,
C.K.Venkata Ramaiah, D.V.Gundappa and A N Krishna Rao (A Na Kru) to name a few,
was destined to influence Raja Rao’s monumental work in the coming years.
In 1934, Raja Rao returned to Mysore upon the news of his Father’s untimely demise
(Lakshminaranappa was only 56 years old). It was only natural that a young Raja Rao
expected continuation of the Royal patronage that had been extended uninterrupted to his
forefathers for Five generations. It was not meant to be.
During the 1930s, Raja Rao and Gopala Rao began performing as a duet. The pair earned
fame as Mysore Brothers and achieved remarkable success in the erstwhile Mysore
province and outside as well. They were invited to perform in Madras, Trichy, Bombay
and Poona. Radio stations in these cities broadcast their recitals. It was during this time
(approx. 1934) that Columbia Records brought out a Gramophone Record, where the
brothers have rendered Mysore Vasudevacharya’s Pranatarthi Haram Ahm in Zhinjoti.
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In 1934, highly impressed by Raja Rao’s renditions of Mysore Vasudevachaya’s
compositions, Mr. M. V. Raghavan, Accountant General of Madras, sponsored Raja Rao
on a concert tour lasting Three months, mainly with the objective of popularizing
Vasudevachaya’s compositions in Tamil Nadu. The highlights of this tour were the
concerts in Vellore (December 9, 1934), at Madras Music Academy (December 1934)
and private recitals for Dr. C. V. Raman.
In 1937, the Brothers were invited to perform for a private audience with the Maharaja
Sri. Nalvadi Krishna Raja Wodeyar, a highly reputed music connoisseur himself. The
performance was greatly appreciated and hope of a Royal patronage was once again
rekindled. As it turned out, once again, it was not meant to be.
Fortunately for us, disappointed as he was, Raja Rao was not disheartened. It is during
this phase of his life that we see the emergence of a visionary as well, along side a
naturally gifted creative artiste. Raja Rao engaged himself in performing, teaching,
experimenting and mastering the nuances of Sangeeta Shastra (Musicology). He applied
himself to the cause of Kannada Sangeeta.
In documenting the history of Carnatic music in Karnataka, Raja Rao’s contributions
stand out in two main areas – First, his sincere attempts in promoting Kannada Sangeeta,
in the form of his pioneering work of setting musical notations to hundreds of
compositions of Haridasas and Shivasharanas, and secondly, during a time when
Sangeeta Shastra text books in Kannada language were unavailable, Raja Rao took it
upon himself to write, and to publish text books in Kannada.
A long association with the prestigious Kannada Sahitya Parishat had begun, and the
Parishat published Raja Rao’s first collection of Haridasa’s Kritis as early as 1942
(Raja Rao was 33 at that time). Celebrated Kannada writer and poet Dr. D. V. Gundappa
sought Raja Rao’s help to popularize his monumental work Antahpura Geetegalu, and
Raja Rao set musical notations to selected pieces and popularized them.
Additional Haridasa Kritis, Shivasharana Kritis and Basavanna Vachanas were set to
musical notations and published by Kannada Sahitya Parishat.
Raja Rao continued as a performing artiste, Teacher, Researcher and Author.
Recognizing the lack of texts in Kannada language pertaining to Sangeeta Shastra,
Raja Rao authored and published Sangeeta Shastra Saara and Sangeeta Shastra
Chandrike. These two pioneering books are, to this date, much sought after, and are
seeing reprints on a regular basis.
Bangalore University published another pioneer work Bharatiya Sangeeta Vaadyagalu,
a treatise on musical instruments of India (1969).
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Over the years, Raja Rao had groomed numerous dedicated disciples. Notable amongst
them were Ratnagiri Subbashastri, T N Ramachandra Rao, B R Anantha Ramaiah
(all violinists); Krishnamurthy and younger Brother L Seshagiri Rao (Veena),
C V NagaRaj (vocal and violin), Kolattur RamaKrishna Shastry, C K ShankaraNarayana
Rao, Malathi, Shyamala Rathnam, Jaya Doreswamy, Vasantha Venugopal, Rajamani
NagarajaRao are all senior artistes of repute. The founders of famed Prabhat Kalavidaru
of Bangalore were all disciples of Raja Rao. From among the next generation, daughter
Veena Kinhal (now settled in California), Vijaya Prabhakar (Arizona) and Suma
Sudhindra are notable Veena Vidushis.
Raja Rao was invited to set up the music department of A P S College in Bangalore
(1957) where he continued to teach and train students for the next 15 years.
Raja Rao was a highly respected speaker and was a common feature of musical
discussions, lecture demonstrations and music conferences across the state.
Raja Rao was chosen President for the Fourth Music conference of Karnataka GanaKala
Parishat (1974). In 1979, Raja Rao was chosen President for the state level music
conference organized by Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy.
Raja Rao was entrusted a special project to teach Carnatic music to a batch of American
university students who came to Bangalore in the early 1970s.
Any biography of Raja Rao would be incomplete without mentioning Raja Rao, the actor
in the role of Bheema in the famed play GadaYuddha (United artists, 1952).
Popular and respected among fellow musicians, Raja Rao was active in founding and
promoting organizations like Karnataka GanaKala Parishat. His close association with
Kannada Sahitya Parishat and D V G’s Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs is legendary.
Raja Rao’s creativity flourished as a composer as well. In his younger days
(1939 – 1942) Raja Rao was prolific as a composer. His repertoire includes Swarajatis,
Varnas and Kritis. As if to showcase his Kannada pride, majority of his compositions are
in Kannada, while a few are in Telugu. A collection of his compositions has been
published in 1999, nearly sixty years after they had been created.
4
Discerning patrons and knowledgeable critics have documented that Raja Rao’s music
represented the best features of Mysore style of Veena playing. They have observed that
his forte was in the emotive power of the subtle variations in the manipulation of the
Gamakas for which the Veena is noted. They have documented that Raja Rao exhibited
remarkable originality and imaginative skill. He was a strict adherer to tradition, and
frowned upon loud exhibitionism and excessive arithmetical aberrations.
It is a pity that not much of his recorded music is available. It is regrettable that All India
Radio has failed to preserve vintage music from Raja Rao and many other such Masters
of his generation.
AWARDS:
Raja Rao received numerous awards and titles in his life time. Premier cultural
organizations of Bangalore, Mysore, and other places in Karnataka have conferred awards
and titles on him.
Some of the titles bestowed on him include:
Sangeeta Vidya Tilaka
Raaga RasaaBhigna
Gaayana Vaadana PraveeNa
Gaana Vidya Vishaarada
Gaana Kala BhushaNa
HONOURS:
1974 : President of Fourth Music Conference organized by Karnataka Gaana Kala
Parishat, and bestowed the title Gaana Kalaa BhushaNa.
1978: Was felicitated by Prabhat Kalavidaru, a reputed Dance-Drama troupe in Karnataka
for his contributions in the earlier days of the organization.
1979: President of State level Conference organized by Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya
Academy.
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PUBLISHED WORKS OF VEENA RAJA RAO
TEXT BOOKS
1) Sangeeta Shastra Saara First Published : 1962
This book introduces Carnatic music to a novice student, and helps prepare for the
Junior level examination conducted by the State Music board. This book has
seen many reprints due to a great demand, and is due for another reprint.
2) Sangeeta Shastra Chandrike First Published: 1965
A widely recognized scholarly text on Carnatic music, is a must for students
preparing for Senior level and Proficiency (Vidwat) examinations. The latest
reprint (2005) was published by Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy.
3) Bharateeya Sangeeta Vaadyagalu Published by Bangalore University (1969)
A highly celebrated book on musical instruments of India is long over due for a
reprint.
BIOGRAPHIES
1) Bhairavi LakshminaraNappa Published in 1975
2) Mysore Sadashivarayaru Published in 1977
India’s premier publishing house India Book House (IBH) commissioned Raja Rao to
write life stories of two great artistes who brought fame to Mysore.
COMPOSITIONS WITH NOTATIONS Published by Kannada Saahitya Parishat
Raja Rao’s pioneer work in championing Kannada Sangeeta
1) Haridaasara Kritigalu (1942)
2) ShivasharaNara Kritigalu (1952)
3) Haridaasa Kriti Manjari (1955)
4) Basaveshwara Vachana Gaana Manjari (1970)
L. RAJA RAO’S COMPOSITIONS
Published in 1999. Includes Swarajatis, VarNas, and Kritis.
