Devotional Music Concert By Vedavati Prabhakar & P Suryanarayana: Events in Hyderabad

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Several people opine that nothing can make a Ramadas or Thyagaraja keerthana sound unmelodious. Nobody is trying to disprove that, but the opposite extreme is always being challenged. Today, 2 stalwarts of Carnatic are testing the threshold all over again.

Saahiti, the literary wing of Saptaparini, is organising a devotional music concert by Vedavathy Prabhakar and P Suryanarayana, at Saptaparini, this Saturday. Titled Rama Nama Makarandam, the concert will feature devotional songs on Lord Rama.

The evening starts with the recital of Ramadas keertanas by Vedavathy Prabhakar, followed by Thyagaraja's keertanas by P Suryanarayana. Radhakrishna on the mridangam and Pavan Kumar on the violin will provide the supporting music for both the recitals.

Bangalore-based Vedavathy Prabhakar is synonymous with light and devotional music. She learned music from a very young age from Chennamma. She has been singing for the All-India Radio since 1969, to the enchanting lycis of famous writers like Manchala Jagannatha Rao, Emani Shankara Sastry, Palagummi Viswanadham and Anasuya. She has also lent her tone to many of Dr C Narayana Reddy's meera bhajans.

She has travelled all over the country and the world, and her concerts have been received by full houses. She has participated in many music festivals, anniversaries and Annamacharya jayantis undertaken by the TTD.

Suryanarayana trained initially under Dwaram Durgaprasad in the music town of Vizianagaram, and later on with Guru Mahamahopadhyaya Dr Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana. He completed his Certificate Course in Carnatic (Vocal) and Diploma in Music from Maharaja Government Music College in Vizianagaram, and earned a Sangeeta Praveena - M A in Music - from Sri Venkateshwara University in the holy city of Tirupati. He will be receiving his Doctorate in Music from Delhi University, at a convocation ceremony in March 2007.

He was also being felicitated by the then Chief Minister of AP, N Chandrababu Naidu, with the Andhra State Youth Award for being Best in Music. He was also presented with a National Scholarship, awarded by Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, New Delhi, in the year 1996.

Suryanarayana is a veteran of many concerts in various cities of India, including those by prestigious cultural associations like Rama Gana Sabha, Viswakala Parishad, SICA Kalasagaram, Madras Music Academy and NCZCC Allahabad. He is currently into imparting his knowledge to aspiring students of Carnatic vocal music at Saptaparini and other places.

Saahiti is a forum for the exploration of the ethos and the idiom of Telugu and Sanskrit literature and music. It has been conducting bi-monthly programmes since June 2005.

For further details, please contact 6666-7707/6682-1789.