Chennai: Renowned Carnatic musician and Magsaysay Award winner T M Krishna, who is also an author and a champion of social causes, will be conferred the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award by The Music Academy, Madras.
Krishna, one of the foremost Carnatic musicians who was trained under Sangita Kala Acharyas Bhagavatula Seetharama Sarma and Chengalpet Ranganathan and Sangita Kalanidhi Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, were chosen for the award by the Executive Committee of the Music Academy which met on Sunday.
“I am overjoyed and it is surprising that I have been chosen for the Sangita Kalanidhi award. It also means that Carnatic music is moving forward and the recognition spurs me to continue with vigour what I am already doing in the various spheres of work,” Krishna told DH.
Professor Parassala Ravi (V. Raveendran Nair) and Geetha Raja will be conferred with Sangita Kala Acharya awards, while S Narasimhan and S Venkatesan, known as Thiruvaiyyaru Brothers, and H K Narasimhamurthy have been chosen for TTV awards.
Dr Margaret Bastin will receive the Musicologist Award, while Dr Neena Prasad will be conferred Nritya Kalanidhi Award.
The prestigious honour for Krishna, also a columnist, is significant as he has not been performing at the annual Margazhi Festival since 2015, after making it clear that he feels “aesthetically, socially, and philosophically disconnected from the music season.”
Performing since 1982 when he was just six years old, Krishna has penned books on Carnatic music legend M S Subbulakshmi and the history of mridangam makers. In 2016, Krishna was chosen for the Magsaysay Award for his commitment to “heal India’s deep social divisions, breaking barriers of caste and class to unleash what music has to offer not just for some but for all.”
In a press release, Music Academy President N Murali said Krishna, as the Sangita Kalanidhi awardee, will preside over the academic sessions of the 98th Annual Conference and Concerts of The Music Academy to be held between December 15, 2024 and January 1, 2025 and will receive the award.
“The Nritya Kalanidhi awardee will receive the award at the Inauguration of The Music Academy's 18th Annual Dance Festival on January 3, 2025,” Murali added.
The Academy said Krishna is known for his powerful voice and his adherence to tradition when it comes to the art, while he has experimented widely with its format. “He has also worked towards expanding the listener base of the art by taking it to varied social settings and focusing on its exploratory as opposed to tightly defined structures. He has used music as a tool for social reform,” the Academy added.
Having had early tutelage in mridangam from eminent gurus, Professor Ravi obtained two degrees in music from the Swati Tirunal College of Music, and has taught at several music colleges in Kerala. Geetha Raja’s training in music began under Sangita Kala Acharya Bombay Ramachandran and she has had a busy career as a performer and is actively involved in teaching advanced and devotional music through in-person classes and also online.
Thiruvaiyyaru Brothers, for four decades now, have been the repositories of the music of the Melattur Bhagavata Mela tradition, while Narasimhamurthy pursued his degree course at the Central College of Carnatic Music, Madras, and has been a busy concert accompanist, a guru and an organiser.
Dr Bastin is a resource person who has served in multiple capacities at various educational institutions and has several research papers to her credit and guides numerous students in research. Dr Prasad, who is a top-ranking exponent and performer in Mohiniyattam, has established and runs the Bharathanjali Academy of Indian Dances at Thiruvananthapuram and a centre for Mohiniyattam in Chennai, where she teaches numerous students.
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