Pandit Ravi Shankar to set up gurukul-type music school

Pandit Ravi Shankar to set up gurukul-type music school
V RAMAPRASAD

VISAKHAPATNAM, MARCH 19: Pandit Ravi Shankar was presented a life time distinction award by the T Subbarami Reddy Kalapeetham Foundation, Visakhapatnam, on Friday.

In a glittering ceremony, Ravi Shankar was felicitated by, among others, former Governor of J&K Gen Krishna Rao, former CJ of the Supreme Court Ranganath Mishra, Cine actor Chiranjeevi, T Subbarami Reddy, the founder of the trust, also a former MP, social worker and philanthropist. Reddy presented the artist with a veena and a sivalinga medal after invoking Lord Shiva.

The programme, which was basically a film music based one, interspersed with speeches, featured stalwarts of South Indian film music like S P Balasubramanyam, Chitra, P Suseela, who sang the invocation, P Leela, legendary musician of yesteryears P B Sreenivas amongst others. To honour Ravi Shankar, P B Sreenivas presented a composition in eight languages as a citation. It was sung by him, S P Balasubramanyam, Chitra and P Suseela.

The whole programme was overshadowed by the presence of Telugu star Chiranjeevi, the mention of whose name was enough to rouse the whole auditorium to a roar. In fact, it took SPB's intervention and exhortion to get Ravi Shankar his due share of the applause.

Earlier in the day, Ravi Shankar talked to the press in a free wheeling discussion on the future of music, use of electronic devices in classical music, changes in music over the years, difference between South Indian and Northern styles of classical music.

He also announced the setting up of a gurukul-type music school in New Delhi, to be called the Research Institute for Music and Performing Arts or simply Ravi Shankar Centre where he plans to take on extremely gifted youngsters.

He also stressed that music should come from the heart, and should not be mere virtuosity or finger skills. Asked what he feels about being repeatedly felicitated, he struck a humourous note, saying, every time you eat tasty food, you get a good feeling, never mind the fact that you had many good meals before this.