Sri Voleti Venkateswarlu

I feel glad and previleged to say that Sri Voleti Venkateswarlu is my Grandfather. Well..My ammamma's sister's husband. I have known him quite closely, attended his shashti poorti. But I was quite a small child, so I have heard more about him than knowing him personally. He was one of the extra-ordinary musicians from AndhraPradesh with expertise in both carnatic and Hindustani Music.

About Sri Voleti Venkateswarulu
Sri Voleti Venkateswarulu (1928 - 1989) was one of the most prominent musicians of the 20th century. Born in Rajahmundry, he learnt music initially for 10 years from Sri M Venkata Rao Pantulu garu, and later underwent exclusive training for 3 years under Dr. Sri Pada Pinakapani garu. He served as a producer of carnatic music at AIR, Vijayawada from 1966 onwards. Amongst his various contributions, his music lesson programs and Bhakthiranjani were prominently appreciated by the listeners. Sri Voleti's music is unique in the field of carnatic music. His style represents both the carnatic tradition as well as Hindustani. He used to receive tremendous response from rasikas while singing Ragaalapana. As a result of intense practice during his younger days, a tremendous knowledge of swaras and felicity in singing, Sri Voleti also excelled in the Hindustani style to such an extent that he could please famous musicians like Bade Gulam, Ali Khan, Mehdi Hasan, Gulam Ali et al.
Sri Voleti possessed the finest qualities of musical ability to sing with ease in three octaves, with absolutely pure sruthi and perfect laya.
Voleti lives
More than a decade and half after his passing, he is one of the most celebrated voices in Andhra, perhaps in all of Carnatic music. Voleti lives in the hearts of Maestros like Lalgudi Jayaraman and M.S. Gopalkrishnan who adore him. He also lives among modern day aficionados who engage in passionate discussions on the internet about him. And amongst the younger generations of music lovers Voleti's music has a devout following. It is known that this giant of a person was an extremely simple, humble and modest man. His voice is fruity, rich and sonorous, his style elegant. Voleti was the music, the style was the man. They were one and the same.
Born on 27th August, 1928 in Rajamundry, Andhra Pradesh, he began his musical journey at the tender age of five. Voleti had his initial training from Chaturvedula Achutaramaiah Sastry and achieved Swaragnanam under Munuganti Venkat Rao Pantulu. He later graduated in music from Andhra University. Under the guidance of Sangita Kalanidhi, Dr. Sripada Pinakapani he refined his style. Dr. Pani had said "He was a disciple of mine all right, but what a genius! You can describe him as one of the best musicians of Andhra ever. I wonder whether we will ever get another musician like that". Pinakapani knew Voleti's capacity to quickly grasp any musical passage he heard, write it down in notation and then breathe life into the notes while rendering the passage. The esteemed G.N.S . Raghavan had this beautiful comparison to make of the two virtuosos, "It is a curious fact that Voleti was more widely popular than his teacher. Perhaps it is because Pinakapani's music is like the sun whose intense brightness dazzles and scorches, while Voleti, like the moon, sheds a balmy effulgence". Raghavan remarked, "Voleti was like the 'utsava vigraha (Utsavar)' of a temple-- the deity with burnished golden exterior, adorned with silk and jewels when taken in procession-- while Pinakapani is like the 'moola vigraha ( moolavar)' in the sanctum-- sculpted in black stone: dark, mysterious and awesome".
Voleti joined All India Radio in 1951. He ushered in the Golden era of music in Akashavani, in close association with Dr. Balantrapu Rajanikantha Rao. Voleti's personal favorites were the Bhakthi Ranjani and Sangeetha Sikshana programs. His favorite ragas, they say, were the Ranjani, Begada, Panthuvarali and Varali. Voleti exulted most in being accompanied by Maestros Vellore Ramabhadran, Dandamudi Rammohan Rao and Karaikudi R Mani. Kuchipudi Yakshaganam, Adhyatma Ramayana krithis, Sadasiva Brahmendra krithis, Narayana theertha tarangams and many light musical songs, all of which have the indelible Voleti imprint. Sangeetha Vidhwan Malladi Suribabu father of Malladi brothers imbibes Voleti style.
Voleti was a potent combination of ability and knowledge. He could sing in three octaves with pure sruthi and perfect laya. His musical ardor did not adhere to any boundaries. Voleti loved Hindustani music and ghazals. He'd listen for hours to Vivid Bharati to artists like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Mehdi Hassan and many others. Famed and acknowledged by some as the "Bade Ghulam of the South", Voleti's passion oft reflected in the way he would interject Hindustani idiom towards the conclusion of a raga alapana, raising some eyebrows but delighting many others.
Music was never a profession for Voleti, never a means to an end, it was within him, it was divine and the accolades were a mere consequence of that profound philosophy. The awards include the Sangeetha Nataka academy award, Sangeetha Choodamani, Sur Singar among others.
(green gram pancakes) which she readily served him. She was his life-long shadow quietly New CD release
Release of Sri Voleti Live Concert CD's Sponsored by Vidya and Venkat Tadanki in memory of his grand parents Smt. Subba Lakshmi and Sri Krishna Rao Tadanki (SUKRITA) on 16.02.06 at Ravidra Bharathi Hyderabad.
This effort is dedicated to Voleti's wonderful wife Smt. Voleti Vijayalakshmi. After a concert Voleti loved to have pessarattus enabling "Utsavar" to immerse his soul in his love for music, which he did for neither gain nor expectation. Voleti lives on.
Music example: Listen to Voleti's singing on this website

You can find his video from Doordarshan here

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Source: http://www.sampurna.mimemo.net/