Pandit Venkatesh Kumar: Fame will come on its own, just keep practising
A doyen of Hindustani Classical music, Padma Shri Pandit Venkatesh Kumar has a voice that carries the weight of tradition and the warmth of a lived-in raga. Over the years, his performances have stirred hearts across India, including Hyderabad, a city he loves immensely.
'I've been coming to this city for a long time; it's not new to me,' he says, adding, 'I've done many programmes here. The recent one was for SPIC MACAY's international convention — it was wonderful. The audience was great and listened with such devotion. That kind of audience motivates us to perform. Hyderabad gives importance to culture.'
Born in Karnataka and trained in the Kirana and Gwalior gharanas, Pt Venkatesh's journey is rooted in spiritual discipline and simplicity. When asked about his guru, his voice fills with quiet reverence. 'My guru was Padma Bhushan Pandit Puttaraj Gawai, a saintly musician and scholar. I began with the basics — swaras, alankars — then moved on to bandishes in different talas. After four to five years, I started learning bada khayal. My uncle, a great theatre artiste, sent me to the Veereshwar Punyashram in Gadag, where I studied music for 12 years under guruji's blessings,' recalls the khayal vocalist.
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