Composer: Raghavendra Swamy (Telugu: రాఘవేంద్ర స్వామి). An advocate of the Madva philosophy, he was considered a reincarnation of Prahlada. He was a scholar of many arts, including music, but in fact his great-grandfather, Krishnabhatta, tutored Krishnadevaraya (King of Vijaynagar) in the veena. More
Composer: Salem Eshwar (Tamil: சாலம் ஈஸ்வர்). His sonnadaik keL in mandari is a popular kriti.More
Composer: N.S. Chidambaram (Tamil: என்.எஸ். சிதம்பரம்). A Tamil composer. Other popular songs include koovi azhaittaal, angayarkkanni Anjali, Inthidum kaniye, Manigalum olittana, Muralidara, Navagraha Nallanjali, Kandu Nee Solla, yaaraadinaar, and Muruga Nee Varavendum. He also composed varnams such as Amma jnanam alikkum surya (a daru varnam). His mile long kriti Needan thunai Neelambari is a Ragamalika […]
Composer: Setu Madhava Rao (Telugu: సేతు మాధవ రావు). A renowned mridangist and musician, his most famous composition is “shAnti nilava vENDum,” written when Mahatma Gandhi died. He is the great-grandfather of contemporary mridangist Shrimushnam Rajarao. More
Composer: Spencer R. Venugopal (Tamil: ஸ்பென்செர் அற. வேணுகோபால்). A contemporary composer. Vaa murugaa is a popular composition, known for its “jumping” tune. He has also released a book of T. Sankara Iyer’s compositions. More
Composer: Subbaraya Sastri (Tamil: சுப்பராய சாஸ்திரி)(1803-1862) Born in Tanjavur in 1803 as the second son of Shyama Sastri, he listened to great music at home and at the Bangaru Kamakshi temple. He studied music from his father, who later sent him to Tyagaraja to study music at Tiruvaiyar. Tyagaraja had great reverence for Shyama Sastri […]
Composer: Subbaraya Sastri (Tamil: சுப்பராய சாஸ்திரி)(1803-1862) Born in Tanjavur in 1803 as the second son of Shyama Sastri, he listened to great music at home and at the Bangaru Kamakshi temple. He studied music from his father, who later sent him to Tyagaraja to study music at Tiruvaiyar. Tyagaraja had great reverence for Shyama Sastri […]
Composer: S.V. Venkataramana (Telugu: ఎస్.వి. వెంకటరమణ). A music director for South Indian films, he also composed music for many of Papanasam Shivan’s songs, and also wrote his own lyrics. More
Composer: Swarna Venkatesha Dikshitar (Telugu: स्वर्न वेन्कतेस दिक्षितर). A noted composer and musical scholar, Dikshitar belonged to the Chidambaram tradition of Podu Dikshitars and was trained early by Raja Ganesa Dikshitar and Padaga Sundaram Pillai. He composed many kritis, the most popular of which was swarnakAla bhairavam in kalyANi.More
Composer: T. Chawdaiah (Kannada: ಟಿ. ಕಾವದ್ಯ). “It is a feature of a violinist’s career to burst abruptly into view”, Menuhin has said. This is very true of ace violinist, Shri T.Chowdiah. His studies were stopped in boyhood to enable him to concentrate on music, in which his mother imparted early lessons. His uncle then took […]
