Music as the medium

Talent

Waiting to meet Vani Sateesh, a Carnatic vocalist who has won many accolades, my excitement knew no bounds.

She has performed in many sabhas and festivals in South India and abroad; been featured in AIR Sangeetha Sammelan, Doordarshan Prime Telecast South Zone and many TV Channels. She has also performed several jugalbandi concerts with Hindustani musicians.

The door opened and in walked Vani. She greeted me with a warm smile and welcomed me into her cosy home. As she began to discuss music effortlessly, she broke out into a beautiful song to illustrate the beauty of kalpanaswaras. I sat there mesmerised, forgetting what my next question was.

Vani was born into a family of musicians. While her grandfather, Bellary M Raghavendrachar, was well-versed in different forms of music, her father and uncle were the famous Bellary brothers, M Venkateshachar and M Sheshagiri Achar.

For Vani, her uncle was her first teacher who taught her music when she was just three-and-a-half years old. Her brother, Bellary M Raghavendra, her next teacher, always told her to follow her dreams and to “sing as if there is no tomorrow.” Those words, Vani says, motivated her to work and perform better. She is also a student of Padmabhushan Sangeeta Kalacharya P S Narayana Swamy, a disciple of Semmangudi.

A post-graduate gold medallist in music, Vani learnt about stage presence and the importance of intonation in singing very early in life through academic involvement in both dramatics and Sanskrit recitations. While in the US with husband Mysore Sateesh, a violinist, she taught music for several years. The need to be amidst Carnatic musicians was felt so deeply that the couple decided to move back to India and devote more time to music. 

During her journey in the world of music, she came across several artistes who did not have enough funds to even cover their medical bills, prompting her to found an organisation with her husband to help artistes in need. Thus was born Vishesha Fine Arts, a non-profit public charitable trust that aims to promote fine arts. The trust provides financial assistance and also conducts classes in different forms of art.

According to Vani, her sole aim is to spread happiness with music as the medium. Her dream is to constantly strive for brilliant performances wherein she can make the audience feel the composer’s emotions. She believes she has received much from society and would like to return whatever she can, in the form of music.