 Sri
T. K. Govinda Rao
(Sri TK. Govinda Rao shared his views and
some of the facets of his career with our representative. Here is a
summary)
Sri T. K. Govinda Rao, Sangitha Kalanidhi-elect
at the Music Academy is well known in music circles and among the public
for his soulful rendering and masterly vidwat. He is also a veteran
teacher and has trained a number of students. He emphasises the importance
of Sahitya and proper enunciation in singing. Towards enabling the
students of music to have a better guidance on the correct sahityas, he
has launched a project of publishing all the trinities (and other
composers as well) compositions giving the complete sahitya in ‘diacritical
Roman’ script. (According to some experts, gives the subtleties of
pronunciation better than even Sanskrit). The meaning in English is also
published for the student to understand, and hence be able to sing better,
with the right ‘bhava’. His publications are available widely under
‘Ganamandir Publications’, and more musically interested readers could
look up the site ganamandir.com for more details about these temples of
knowledge. This is an encyclopedic work and a mammoth task, and his
contribution to the world of music through this project is immeasurable.
Sri Govinda Rao, who was born at
Tirupoonithura, speaks ‘Tulu’ which is his mother tongue, and
originally belongs to the Udipi region. He learnt music extensively under
Musiri Subramania Iyer, at the Music College, Madras, and later did "Gurukulavasam’,
at Chidambaraswami Street, Mylapore. He was under the guidance of Musiri
for about 15 years, and recalls his association with him as a great boon
to his musical knowledge. He also learnt under Tirupambaram Sri Swaminatha
Pillai, and Brindamma.
Sri Govinda Rao worked in the Music College
for a few years and later on joined AIR Chennai as a Producer. Then he
became Chief Producer and moved to Delhi, where he served almost 10 long
years before retiring in ‘91. He has now dedicated himself to the
publishing project and towards teaching. Chennai residents of course, have
had ample occasions to listen to his kutcheris many times in the recent
past, and every time, he never fails to evoke reminiscences of Musiri,
with his bhava-laden, gamaka-laden exposition of the great compositions of
the trinity, with a special emphasis on the sahitya bhava. Sri Govinda Rao
resides at Indira Nagar, Adyar.
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