Conferring of ‘Vainika Brahma’ title on Dr. R.S. Jayalakshmi

Mysuru, Oct. 24- Sri Nadabrahma Sangeetha Sabha is celebrating 105th birth anniversary of Veena Legend Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. Mysore V. Doreswamy Iyengar on Oct. 25 at its premises on JLB Road in city.

Oct. 25 – 5 pm to 7 pm: For Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. Mysore V. Doreswamy Iyengar Memorial Concerts, Vid. G. Ravikiran will present a vocal concert along with Vid. R. Achyuta Rao on violin, Vid. Sunil Subrahmanya on mridanga and Vid. V.S. Ramesh on morching.

Vid. G. Ravikiran is a prominent Karnatak vocalist. Born in 1978 in Bengaluru, he started learning music from Gayatri Keshavan and Vasanta Ramanujam. Subsequently, he was trained under Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. R.K. Srikantan before studying under the guidance of Vid. T.M. Krishna since 2002. He is known for his sonorous voice, clear enunciation, deep understanding of raga music, and passionate advocacy for Muthuswami Dikshitar’s compositions, which led him to establish the Guruguhaamrta Trust dedicated to promoting Dikshitar’s musical legacy.

Through Guruguhaamrta, Ravikiran conducts projects like Dikshitar’s Kshetra Darshanam and is engaged in a project to sing and archive all Dikshitar kritis in Raganga Ragas. This year, Guruguhaamrta has been in the forefront of commemorating Dikshitar’s 250th birth anniversary.

Oct. 25 – 7 pm: Honouring Dr. R.S. Jayalakshmi with the title ‘Vainika Brahma.’ It will be followed by a veena duet by Dr. R.S. Jaylakshmi & Vidu. Charulata Chandrasekar. Vid. Sunil Subrahmanya on mridanga and Vid. V.S. Ramesh on morching will accompany.

Dr. R.S. Jayalakshmi is a well-known Vainika, Guru, Research Scholar and Musicologist. She has been associated with Karnatak Music for the past 55 years. The young Jaya used to sing quite well just by observing her sister sing. Jaya, as a child, would sit with the veena in the house and reproduce what she had learnt in vocal on the instrument, simply having seen her father tune and play the instrument to check it. So Iyer put young Jaya to train on the veena as well. Jaya started her initial training on veena from V. Raghavan. She learnt for around 6 years by which time she had become quite proficient.

Jaya did a Teacher’s Training Course from The Music Academy. Further she got to train under R. Pichumani Iyer under Central Government Scholarship for two years. She was Veena Assistant for 45 years and took retirement as a lecturer, at the Music Department of University of Madras. Her academic work during this period not only got a Doctorate, she also trained innumerable students as successful musicians.

An A Top Grade artiste with AIR, she is at present part of the teaching faculty of the Advanced School of Music run by The Music Academy, Chennai and faculty of Haridoss Giri School of Music of Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai. She is also the Teaching Faculty and Chairperson at University of Silicon Andhra, California, USA.

Vidu. Charulatha Chandrasekar started learning Veena under the tutelage of her grandmother, Sangeetha Kala Acharya Dr. R.S. Jayalakshmi.

Born in the year 2006, at the age of 7 years, she started giving concerts as part of the Isai Mazhalai group of Abhasvaram Ramjhi. She has participated in several competitions and won several prizes and awards. She has over 500 kutcheries to her credit over the years. She is a global artiste and is presently graded with ‘B’ High from AIR.

On Oct. 26 at 6 pm, Smt. Bhagirathi & Kuskoor Krishnamurthy Memorial Concert sponsored by children late K. Seetha Rama Rao & late K.V. Murthy will feature a vocal recital by Dr. Deepashri Kayampady. She will be accompanied by Vidu. Prithvi Bhaskar on violin, Vid. Nandan Kashyap on mridanga and Vid. Shamith Gowda on ghata.

Dr. Deepashree Kayampady is a Karnatak vocalist who earned her Ph.D in Karnatak Classical Music from Bangalore University under the supervision of Senior Professor Dr. Hamsini Nagendra. An AIR-graded artiste, Dr. Deepashree has diverse academic qualifications. Apart from her Ph.D, she also has a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, worked as a Software Engineer at Infosys, before dedicating herself fully to music. She has served as a Guest Lecturer in the Department of Performing Arts at Bangalore University.

Dr. Deepashree’s musical foundation was laid in Sullia under Vidu. Sathyabhama. She later trained with Vid. Kanchana Ishwara Bhat. In Bengaluru, she refined her skills under the accomplished musician Dr. Manjula Sriram, a distinguished educator from Madras Music Academy and recipient of Dr. M.S. Subbulakshmi Pracharya Award from Shanmukhananda Sabha. This lineage has shaped her into a skilled and expressive performer.