Ghantasala Appreciated
Sridhar Basavaraju (ghantasa@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu)
Wed, 4 Dec 1996 23:21:36 -0500 (EST)
Hello Everyone,
We have in the past two years, taken great strides in studying
Ghantasala and his music. I would like to reinforce the words of Sri
krishna kandadai by adding my own appreciative comments for the great
singer.
It is kind of amazing how the singer passed away so quickly after
giving his audiences so much. I often hear of anecdotes on how G may have
even wanted it that way, so as to not be remembered as some "has been who
is still trying." Rather he left as the best and on top while commanding
tremendous amounts of respect and adoration.
I think no appreciation can quite sum up what Ramakrishna said on
his tour of the USA after TANA a few years back. At the end of the
concert, he stood and asked for everyone's silence. At that point, as
tears began to emerge in his nostalgic eyes, he recalled that in the late
1960's or early 1970's at a concert in Tirupathi, G asked the young
Ramakrishna to perform G's favorite song, Brathukantha bAdha gA, to the
audience. Ramakrishna, humbled by such a great request, sang the song so
that G himself stood with appreciation.
Remembering this emotional and pleasant experience, that to
everyone, seemed like such a long while ago, Ramakrishna sang the same
song with the same beauty and elegance that he performed some twenty five
years before in front of his respected mentor,
leading some in the audience that night to also stand with appreciation.
Let this group always persist in continuing the study of Ghantasala's
work!
Sridhar
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Cry without weeping
talk without speaking
scream without raising your voice
(U2)