Award to Gamaka artiste

Muliya Thimmappayya award 2019 will be presented to senior Gamaka artiste Gangamma Keshavamurthy through Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Samshodhana Kendra of MAHE, according to a press release issued by Prof Varadesh Hiregange, coordinator, Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Samshodhana Kendra.

The award, which carries a purse of Rs 10,000 and a citation, will be presented to Gangamma at Nutana Ravindra Mantapa in MGM College on April 10 (3.15 pm).

Gangamma Keshavamurthy, who lives in Bengaluru, learnt the art of Gamakavaachana from her parents and has been running a Gamaka teaching school called ‘Lakshmeesha’ for many years now.

She was the president of many Gamakakala organisations and also president of Sangeeta Nritya Academy.

Gangamma is so popular as a Gamaka artiste in Karnataka and places like Mumbai and Delhi that her recitation style is appreciated as ‘Gangamma Gharana’.

She is a receipient of many prestigious awards and titles like ‘Karnataka Kalashree’ and ‘Aryabhat Prashasti’.

Muliya Thimmappayya’s (1888-1950) has immensely contributed to Kannada literature. Besides his research work ‘Naadoja Pampa’, his Yakshagana Prasanga ‘Sooryakanti Kalyana’ and his work ‘Chandravali Vilasa' in old Kannada are quite famous. He was also a novelist and playwright.