Metrolife: Sangeeta Katti’s tribute to her gurus

An evening of classical music awaits the city’s music lovers at Gurusmaran on Sunday.

Sangeeta Katti-Kulkarni, the founder and director of Surbahar, is organising the event in memory of her revered gurus, Kishori Amonkar and Pt Basavaraj Rajguru.

Sangeeta comes from a family where she was exposed to music from a tender age.

“I grew up listening to music and appreciating it. My father had a great collection of records. I started singing at the age of four and my first concert was a big turning point in my life,” she says.

Music director Naushad Ali visited Sangeeta’s hometown, Dharwad. “He came to our house and heard me sing his numbers, from films like ‘Mughal-e-Azam’. He was immediately impressed and told my father to put me under a guru for training as he thought I would be an asset to the nation,” she says.

After initially training under Pt Sheshagiri Dandapur and Pt Chandrashekhar Puranikmath, Sangeeta received advanced training in classical vocal from Padmabhushan Pt. Basavaraj Rajguru of Kirana and Gwalior Gharana for about 12 years.

“After that, I trained under the tutelage of Kishori Amonkar of the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana,” she says.

Music took a different shape eventually, according to Sangeeta. “Popular film songs were remade and there was a lot of band music a and classical music lost its sheen somewhere then. People were confused then. Now music in all forms is respected and valued. Music is one such thing that comes from nature and goes back to it,” she says.

About the festival, she says, “For me, guru is the ultimate and this is a great way to show my respect and express about the power of music. Many fail to understand the ‘guru-shishya parampara’ now but whatever knowledge I received from my gurus has only given me bliss. I feel glad to be celebrating them through this.”

The first ‘Gurusmaran’ was held in 1999. The festival will be featuring Hindustani vocal recitals by Padmashri M Venkateshkumar and Sangeeta Katti Kulkarni. They will be accompanied by Keshav Joshi (on tabla), Satish Kolli (on harmonium) and Venkatesh Purohit (on manjira).

The event will also witness awarding the ‘Surbahar Puraskar’for artist’s excellence in the field of Indian classical music to Pt. M Venkateshkumar.

The event will include khayals and devotional songs.

Gurusmaran at Canara Union, 8th Main, 13th Cross, Malleshwaram, May 27, 5 pm onwards. Entry is free. For details, call 97397 67024.