JOIN USSangeetha Katti: Trends come and go, music stays
Sangeetha Katti (Kulkarni) needs no introduction in Karnataka. Widely known for her mellifluous film songs, bhajans, bhavageethe, folk songs, ghazals, TV serial title songs and classical renditions, Sangeetha has carved a unique niche for herself in the hearts of Kannadigas.
“It is all thanks to the music which I learnt from the great masters, my parents and the fans who have liked my singing and encouraged me a lot,” she says with gratitude. She sings with natural grace and speaks in the same way.
Sangeetha hails from Dharwad, the cradle of classical music. “My father was a great connoisseur of music. Right from childhood, I have been listening to Sangeeth Saritha, a musical programme on Vividh Bharathi and classical music. I started singing when I was four years old and veteran music director Naushad blessed me and encouraged my father to send me for training in music,” she recalls.
“My tryst with music, thus, was not planned. Now, I proudly say that I was destined to be a musician," she adds. Sangeetha has been in the field for four decades now and sings all genres of music.
"I am willing to sing any genre of music. I have no inhibitions. Trends come and go, but what stays is music, the universal language of mankind,” she says.
Earlier years
Initially, Sangeetha learnt music under Prof Sheshagiri Dandapur and Chandrashekhar Puranikmath. “Puranikmath sir took me to well-known vocalist, Pandit Basavaraj guru, for higher training. I was under his tutelage for 12 years. After his death, I continued training in music for five years under veteran musician Kishori Amonkar in Bombay, I stayed at her house and trained.”
She believes music is a journey. “We have to keep learning. Whatever I am today is because of the education I received from such great teachers who lived through music,” she says.
Sangeetha, a postgraduate in science, has brought out hundreds of devotional, bhavageethe and folk song cassettes and CDs. “I had the opportunity to sing with S P Balasubrahmanyam, Dr Rajkumar and Dr M Balamuralikrishna. I have sung many film songs too. Music director Upendra Kumar introduced me to Kannada films. My first song with SPB in ‘Kitturina Huli’ became very popular, in 1991,” she says.
The artiste left a thriving playback singing career and went to Bombay to learn music under Kishori Tai (Amonkar). “Music is not just singing for films. Playback singing is just a type of music. I came down from Bombay and sang for ‘America America’ and ‘Nagamandala’ (‘Kambada Melina Gombeye’ and ‘Ee Hasiru Siriyali’). Those songs are popular even today,” she reminisces.
Sangeetha moved to Bengaluru after her marriage and her in-laws and family encouraged her musical dreams.
Turning point
‘Rembi Kombe Myala…”, title song of the iconic TV serial ‘Moodalamane’ (directed by Vaishali Kasaravalli), took her career to a new height.
“(Poet) Chandrashekhar Kambar had written the lyrics. Vaishali madam made me meet him before the recording. He was very particular that I should sing it like an older woman who does not know the nuances of music. I remembered the Durugamurugis who used to come with a basket of Yellamma goddess mask to our house in Dharwad and sang,” she says.
Beyond work
She has conducted many charity shows for a noble cause, like fundraisers for old age homes (Hiteshi Mahila Sangha Vriddhashram) and Haemophilic Society of India (Davangere chapter).
Her own unique concept programmes like Sangeeth Sarita (Journey of Indian Ragas through Indian Cinema), Tribute to R D Burman, Mukesh and Parampara-The Evolution of Music in India, have gathered appreciation from all quarters.
Sangeetha has performed at over 7,000 live concerts and has travelled worldwide. She has received a number of awards, including the Suvarna Karnataka Rajyotsava Award (2006), Pt Rajguru Rashtreeya Puraskar (2011), Basavashree, Vachanashree and Saarthak Naari Award (2016). Prime Minister Narendra Modi released her music teaser video of ’22 July 1947’, her debut movie as a music director.
“Music is divine. I want to impart the knowledge I have acquired from my gurus. Gurus are the pivotal force of our lives. Today, we are in an instant world, but music is not an instant business,” says Sangeetha, also a music teacher, underlining the fact that ‘music requires a lot of perseverance and patience’.