Mysuru: Jnanpith Awardee Dr. Chandrashekara Kambara, describing his guru and friend Pt. Rajeev Taranath, as a person with panoramic vision of the country and who could observe the changes happening very delicately, said the very fact that such a person is amidst us today is a matter of pride for all of us.

He was speaking at the 85th birthday celebrations of internationally-renowned Sarod player Pandit Rajeev Taranath at the ‘Sarod Sanje – Gaurava Samarpane’ felicitation function organised by Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy, Kannada and Culture Department and Rangayana at Bhoomigeeta in Rangayana premises here last evening.

The great poets from Pampa, Ranna till Muddanna, all wrote for the community but it all changed during the Navya movement when it became highly individualistic. Even we had started thinking about the change like many others during that phase. However, Taranath, with a different thinking had expressed his displeasure about the orphaned thinking. Amidst change, we are indeed lucky that such a person who advocates for the community and has a visionary mind is among us today, said Dr. Kambara.

Since centuries, not a single musician has come out of any School or University. Till now only through Guru-Shishya tradition some of the finest musicians in the country have emerged, he felt.

“Rajeev Taranath’s and my relationship goes back to nearly 50 years and he has been my Guru and friend. Whatever I write I bring it to his notice and take his opinion,” he said.

Pt. Rajeev Taranath’s disciple Sohan Neelakant from Ahmedabad spoke about his association with the Sarod Maestro and presented a beautiful Sarod instrument. Speaking about it he said, “My friend Girish Patel from Ahmedabad who used to experiment with wood came in contact with Panditji. He himself did not know anything about music. Then he started making tanpuras in wood. He also worked on the Sarod but he died very young. The half-finished Sarod was taken to Calcutta by Guruji’s another disciple Anupam Joshi and myself. We are presenting this instrument as a birthday gift to Panditji.” A couple of portraits were also presented to Panditji on the occasion.

Replying to the felicitation, Pt. Rajeev Taranath said, “People consider me as their guide or guru. But I have gone wayward in my life and hence I am no guru. But in the field of music I can claim some credit as a guide.”

Dwelling a bit on what classical music is, he said “Music has ‘Abhijaata Sangeeta guna’ meaning classical music is bound by very strict rules or canons. One has to work within these strict boundaries. A good musician has to play well and the audience has to savour it. Only when there is this interplay will there be joy all around.”

“I myself had been a critic and wrote a lot of nonsense (burude). It took a long time for me to realise that I was writing nonsense. And hence I resigned from literature and totally concentrated on Abhijata or classical music,” he said and added, “In literature I did not find the creativeness as much as I found in music. And this is the experience I have shared with all of you.”

Rangayana Director Bhagirathi Bai Kadam presided. Rangayana Joint Director V.N. Mallikarjunaswamy welcomed. Rangayana Senior artiste Mime Ramesh compered.