Nallan Chakravartula Krishnamacharyulu

Sri Nallan Chakravartula Krishnamacharyulu (1924–2006) was a great scholar, musician, teacher and an exponent of the art of hari katha of modern times. He belongs the lineage of Saint Tyagaraja and is the 5th generation student descendant of the great saint.^[1]

Life & Career

He was born in 1924 in Jaggayya peta, Andhra Pradesh to parents Jagannaadha Tiru Venkataacharyulu and Venkata Ramanamma. At a very early age, he started learning vyaakaraNa and meemaamsa sastras from his father and later from sri chilakamarri kesavaacharyulu. He had a long gurukulam-style training in carnatic music from the legendary Parupalli Rama Krishnayya Pantulu who is credited with producing such stalwarts as Dr.M. Balamuralikrishna and Annavarapu Rama Swamy.

Sri Krishnmacharyulu served as staff violinist in All India Radio Vijayawada from 1948 to 1983. He was conferred with the title of Gaana kalaa prapuurna by the Anadhra Pradesh Sangeetha Academy. Various other institutions recognized his mastery of the art by conferring titles Sangeetha Saahitya Kalaa Nidhi, Hari Kadhaa Chuudamani and Sangeetha Kalaa Saagara.

In November 1998, he received special recognition from All India Radio (AIR) during Golden Jubilee celebrations; Later he also received a similar award from Telugu University, Hyderabad.

Sri Krishnamacharylu created several scholarly works in Sanskrit and Telugu. He was of firm belief that there was no need for anyone to compose new keerthanas in Carnatic tradition as the Trinity's compositions were matchless and would take a lifetime to learn even a few. But due to compulsion and requests from some musicians composed over 20 krithis, varnams and Tillanas in popular as well as rare ragas. Just like earlier vaggeyakaras (spontaneous saintly composers), he never needed to think of the verses due to his extraordinary scholarship in Sanskrit and Telugu.

Sri Krishnamacharyulu is inspirational musician for some upcoming musicians in the family, and outside also. His sishya parampara is vast, for instance,N C Srinivas Iyengar who is senior most violin artist in AP and a scholar in Sanskrit and Telugu(strict follower of the footsteps of Krishnamacharyulu garu),Sangeetaratna NCV Jagganadhacharyulu ,Smt B. Indira Kameswara Rao,J S Sastry,Smt M.Jalajakshi,TKV Ramanujam who is top grade violinist at AIR, Trichi,,M.S.N.Murthy, N Ch Butchayaa charyulu, (Son) who is working as music lecturer at Govt Music college, Vijayawada, Saraswathi and krishna veni who is popularly known as Vishnubotla sisters are top grade vocalist and violinist, , M Sreenivasa Narasimha Murthy, a top grade violinist from Visakhapatnam, , N C Madhav, a top grade violinist who is working at AIR, Trichy, N C Ranga charyulu, A grdade vocalist in AIR, Paarupalli Sujana, A grade veena in AIR, Mutnoori Jalajakshi, A grade vocalist in AIR, Indira Kameswara Rao, A grade vocalist in AIR, PKD Mallikharjuna Sarma, flautist in AIR and working as a staff artist, Mukunda Sarma a top grade vocalist working at AIR, Delhi, R Dinakar, a top grade violinist working at SC railways, Secunderabad, Yericherla Ravi Kumar, flutist and music director working for telugu film industry and Nallan Chakravartula Partha Sarathy. His devotion and dedication to music and literature is incomparable.

Unique Compositions

Sri Nallan Chakravartula Krishnamacharyulu garu was the first and foremost composer of GARBHA KRITIS wherein the same lyrics of a kriti could be set for more than one tala structure.One krithi has two other krithis embedded in it. Example:We can consider the example of a Kangaroo here,a kangaroo carries its babies inside it.Likewise this krithi has two other krithis with same lyrics and different taalam embedded in it.

One more special contribution of Krishnamacharyulu garu following the footsteps of the great saint Tyagraja(taking the example of Tyagaraja Pancharatna Keerthana Endaro Mahanubhavulu),is his composition Paramardamide.This Kriti is in praise of Saint Tyagaraja swamy in its charanas which have (sa ri ga ma pa da ni)respectively as its starting swaras in the charanas.

He was a great speaker with par excellence ,in many sabhas his description about musical trinity(Tyagaraju,Syama Sastry,Dikshitar) and Annamacharya was uncomparable and it highly inspired the audience.

Compositions

Notes and references

See also

• List of Carnatic composers

References

• A Tribute to Sri Nallan Chakravartula Krishnamacharyulu
• Thyagaraja Geyartha Kunchika