Event marks 25th year of music guru's work

Well-known Hindustani vocalist Pandit Parameshwar Hegde completes 25 years of teaching in Bengaluru, and his academy is commemorating the milestone with a concert and a CD release on Sunday.

Hailing from Uttara Kannada district, Hegde remembers his first concert in Bengaluru, a tribute to his beloved guru Basavaraj Rajguru. Hegde learnt from the maestro in Dharwad.

In 25 years, Hegde has trained hundreds of students at the Parameshwar Hegde Sangeet Academy. Many are now independent artistes, performing for connoisseurs across India.

The event on Sunday, titled Raag Anuraag, features music by his disciples. They will sing some rare ragas. The programme will begin at 6 pm at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall, Vyalikaval.

A CD of the same name will also be launched. Hamsalekha, music composer for Kannada films, is the chief guest. Two previous CDs of Raag Anuraag were well received.

Hegde does not believe in formalising music education beyond a point. "Music is not something that ends with a certificate. It's a river that flows. You discover new things as you practise," he told DH.

His disciples Nayan Yavgal, Anagha Hindlekar, Koushik Aithal, Lakshmi Nataraj, Amrita Rao, Chaitanya S Bhat, Shashikala Bhat and Shantheri Prabhu are among those performing on Sunday.