Emani Sankara Sastry

Emani Sankara Sastry (1922 - 1987), was a renowned Veena player of Carnatic music.

Sankara Sastry was born on 23^rd September 1922 at Draksharamam, Andhra Pradesh. He comes from a family of celebrated classical musicians. His father Vainika Bhooshana Veena Acharya Emani Achuta Rama Sastri, a famed vainkia and sastragna was a contemporary of Sangameshwara Sastri and Veena Venkata Romainiah Das of Andhra.

The prodigious training he had from young age under his unsparing guru-his father, reflected in abundance in his tuneful, melodious and technique perfect concerts. His graceful playing on the veena in strictly traditional style evoked a reverential listening.The most outstanding veena maestro Emani gave concerts throughout the length and breadth of the country. His participation in east-west music festival, tansen festival, Vishnu Digamber festival,sur singars haridas sangeet sammelan and other prestigious music conferences won him distinction in the field of music. To him goes the credit of bringing veena to its place of pride and established distinctive style of his own.

Quite at home with the Hindustani musical system also, Emani played duets with Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Halim Zaffar khan and Gopal Krishnan (on vicchitra veena) evoking enthusiastic response from the north Indian listeners. In programme of national integration, he brought out the similarities of both systems of music thus bringing the north and south closer in the field of music. Emani was also a composer and director of distinction. After completing his graduation from Andhra University, he joined the famous Gemini studios at madras where he was the music director for more than ten years. He composed lilting tunes based on novel techniques and directed music for film hits like mangla, sansar, bahut din huwe, nishan, MR.sampat and English version of chandralekha. His own compositions of keerthanas, javalis and bhajhans can be frequently heard in his solo concerts. His operas in Hindi and regional languages and also very popular. Emani joined All India Radio in 1959 as producer of music at madras. Soon he rose to the position of director and composer of national orchestra and chief producer of music. He presented over the broadcasting network a number of classical, thematic orchestral compositions and folk melodies bringing out the special tonal qualities of Indian instruments and synthesized musical patterns with a distinctive Emani touch. Emani was also associated with cultural and academic organizations. He was the asthaan vidwan of thirupathi devasthanas, member of the university grants committee- to advise on music, member of the expert committee, music academy, and madras. He was also designated founder chairman of the committee to select candidates for scholarships of the education ministry for carnatic music, was a member to select film awards (national), member of the central sangeeth natak academy to select candidates for the national awards…

Honors and Awards

To quote: Vainika Sikhamani, Vainika Siromani, Veena Gana Gandhrava, Ganarupa Kalasaraswathi, Veena Vadanatatvegna, Gandhrava Kalanidhi, Gana Kala Dhara, Veena Chakrvarthi, Vallaki Vallabha. He was also conferred with the title of Maha Mahopadhyaya, which was conferred on a south Indian musician for the first time. Central Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Sahitya Kala Parishad award, PADMASHRI, SANGEET NATAK ACADEMY AWARD and DOCTORATE OF ANDHRA UNIVERSITY. There many other titles conferred upon him, which are endless.

The all India felicitation committee under the petronship of the vice president of India honored him by conferring upon him the title chaturdandi panditaha for rendering his services for the cause of music.

The raga Sankarabharanam played by him on the veena won him ASIAN ROSTRUM AWARD for the most outstanding number for the year 1973. The rostrum was held under the patronage of U.N.E.S.C.O, at Alam atta, Soviet Union wherein eminent artists from thirty nations took part.In appreciation of his opulent music lovers of Poughkeepsie, New York bestowed upon him the title “VEENA VIRTUOSO” on 12th October 1973. He was invited to participate in the “PAN ASIATIC MUSIC AND DANCE FESTIVAL” at Rome during July 1980

WORKS:His major monumental works in orchestration:

1- Adarsa sikhararareehanam – An orchestral composition based on the theme of the conquest of Everest in which he used six veenas. The force proved a unique experience to lovers of creative music and to others it opened up new vistas of musical utterance.

2- Swara tarangini- An orchestral composition in which he employed numerous sounds that gradually crystallize into musical swaras suggesting the origin of sound and music

3- Ragam tanam pallavi- an orchestral composition based on the classical raga Todi. It was an experiment first of its kind in classical music which won the appreciation of musicians and the listeners.

4- Indu- a composition based on the first six ragas of the first chakra of the melakarta scheme of the great Venkatamakhin.

5- Bharata jyoti- a thematic musical composition on late Pandit Nehru and his achievements.

6- Saumya pursh- a musical composition on late Mahatma Gandhiji’s ideals.

7- Brmara vinyas – a thematic composition depicting a day in the life of a bee, which won him laurels at the prix Italia.

Admiration

He won the admiration of the world known violinist Yehudi Menuhin and at his special invitation he participated in the festival of international music council at Paris on January 8, 1974. He enthralled people by his concert of the veena which was classed as the concert of the century by discerning reviewers. He was one of the most outstanding artists constantly in demand in India and abroad. He contributed a number of recordings on A.I.R and two long-playing records for U.N.E.S.C.O for release all over the world.

A great guru he was, Emani has to his credit disciples well known in the field of music. Among them are
*His daughter SMT. Emani Kalyani Lakshminarayana who is a regular performer for D.D.1 AND DD METRO and performing in India as well as abroad
*Smt. Emani Kalyani, ably trained in veena by her father, has acquired a high degree of proficiency and accomplishments through her serious interest and dedicated pursuit. Her solo concerts in the radio and public concerts accompanying her father have won world wide acclaim justifying the hopes pinned on her for preserving the heritage
*Disciple Chitti Babu carved a good reputation as a Veena player
*Other disciples of emani are , V. Saraswathi, M. Y. Kama Sastry, S. N Satyamurthy, S.N Ramachandran AND Vishwanathan. Palagummi Viswanadham, renowned composer of light music, is one of his first disciples.
*His second daughter is a well-known ghazal singer SMT.DEVI MURTHY, and has won great acclaim in the field of ghazal singing; she has been giving public concerts in India as well as abroad, winning the hearts of viewers and listeners..

External links

* [http://www.answers.com/topic/shri-emani-shankara-sastry Shri Emani Shankara Sastry - Artist page on Answers.com]