 Musical genius of T K Govinda Rao
 T K Govinda Rao has played a pivotal role in taking music to the people. A torch-bearer of the Musiri bani, he owes his success to the blessings of his guru Musiri Subramania
Iyer.
While young, he used to listen to his sister singing classical music which was a launch pad for his musical odyssey. After shifting to Chennai from Kerala, he joined the Madras Music College and belonged to its first batch.
A product of good tutelage, he used to spend several hours at his guru’s residence learning the nuances of music.
Govinda Rao has had the fortune of learning from luminaries like Tiruppambaram Swaminatha Pillai, T Muktha, Mayavaram Krishna Iyer, Chittoor Subramanya Iyer and
P Sambamurthi.
His repertoire his amazing. A polyglot, he can sing in several languages. The training by his guru made him scale great heights. He is a musician who is able to convey the rhythm of life in different altitudes.
TKG, as he is called affectionately, lays emphasis on classicism in music.
 To serve as chief producer All India Radio (AIR) NDH is a pipedream for many. But for TKG his musical erudition paved the way for this prestigious post. He was responsible for creating awareness about classical south Indian music by introducing a good number of musicians from the south to perform on AIR NDH. During his tenure in AIR NDH and Madras he brought in a Rennaissance in the broadcasting world by systematising the classical music
programmes.
He found that singers were not comfortable singing in languages besides their mother tongue. In order to help them understand better the sahitya of the composition (in other languages), he has published books on the compositions of the Trinity and Swati Thirunal. It is a treasure trove for musicians who can comprehend notations and sahitya easily as they are in diacritical Roman and Devanagari scripts with meanings and notations in English. What more do we need?
His works prove that music transcends barriers of time and language and has universal appeal.
Govinda Rao emphasises on bhava-laden phrases and opines that music should not be dramatised. A jet-setter, he is widely travelled and continues to perform and give lec/dem. A nada yogi, he founded the Gana Mandir Trust to preserve and promote God’s greatest blessing to mankind, music. At Gana Mandir studio, which functions from his house, he organises seminars, workshops besides producing audio/ video CDs.
Is there any award that has not been conferred on him? Padma Vibushan, Sangita Kalanidhi, Sangita Choodamani are some of the awards that he has received. Govinda Rao is a rare amalgam of erudition, determination and dedication. He is a musical encyclopaedia and his books reflect his ingenuity.
This icon of humility is people-friendly and easily accessible. A trail-blazer, his books are a priceless legacy for posterity to nourish and cherish.
He can contacted at:
tkgrao@yahoo.com
www.ganamandir.org
/ www.ganamandir.com
Mira
mira60@rediff.com
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