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Ghantasala | |
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 Ghantasala on a 2003 stamp of India | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Ghantasala Venkateswarrarao (1922-12-04)4 December 1922 |
| Died | 11 February 1974(1974-02-11) (aged 51) Madras,Tamil Nadu, India |
| Genres | Film music (playback singing),Indian classical music |
| Occupations | Singer, composer |
| Years active | 1922–1974 |
Spouse(s) | Savitri and Sarala Devi |
| Website | www |
Ghantasala Venkateswararao (4 December 1922 – 11 February 1974), knownmononymously by hissurname asGhantasala, was an Indianplayback singer andfilm composer known for his works predominantly inTelugu andKannada cinema and also inTamil,Malayalam,Tulu andHindi language films. He is considered one of the greatest singers of Telugu and Indian cinema.[1] In 1970, he received thePadma Shri award, India's fourth highest civilian award for his contribution toIndian cinema. According toThe Hindu andThe Indian Express, Ghantasala was 'such a divine talent and with his songs he could move the hearts of the people'. 'Ghantasala's blending of classical improvisations to the art of light music combined with his virtuosity and sensitivity puts him a class apart, above all others in the field of playback singing'.[2][3] Gifted with what Indian film historianV. A. K. Ranga Rao called 'the most majestic voice', Ghantasala helped Telugu film music develop its own distinct character which remains unparalleled. He is referred to as the 'Gaana Gandharva' for his mesmerising voice and musical skills.[4]
Ghantasala performed in theUnited States,England andGermany, and for theUnited Nations Organisation. The government ofAndhra Pradesh marked the occasion of 25 years of his film career asSilver Jubilee Celebrations of Ghantasala inHyderabad on 1 February 1970. More than 30,000 people attended the function held at the Lal Bahadur Stadium, Hyderabad.[5] Ghantasala continues to be popular. Statutes of his likeness have been installed across Andhra Pradesh. Every year, the anniversaries of his birth and death are celebrated in India and overseas.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]
Ghantasala was born in 1922 into aTelugu Brahmin family of Ghantasala Soorayya, a professional singer inChowtapalli, a village inGudivada taluk ofKrishna District.[4] But his ancestral native place was tekupalli village, mopidevi mandal , krishna district which falls underdiviseema.[15] During his childhood, Ghantasala used to dance to his father's Tharangams. His father died when Ghantasala was a child, and he was brought up by his maternal uncle. He took formal music training fromPatrayani Sitarama Sastry, and joinedMaharajah's Government College of Music and Dance inVijayanagram.[16]
Ghantasala participated in theQuit India Movement of 1942, for which he was arrested and imprisoned for 18 months at the Alipore (Allipura) Jail,Ballari.[17] After leaving jail, he metSamudrala Sr., who advised him to try his luck in the film industry as a singer.[18] Ghantasala married Savitri, who lived in a village calledPedapulivarru. In that village, Ghantasala met lyricistSamudrala Sr., who was impressed with his voice and inducted him into the Madras film industry. Before Ghantasala found fame, he was already an accomplishedCarnatic music singer.
Ghantasala's first break as a singer came fromAll India Radio. Later on, Peketi Siva Ram from theHis Master's Voice studios recorded Ghantasala's private songs. Ghantasala debuted as a chorus singer and for a character role inSeeta Rama Jananam by Pratibha Films. After this, he worked with well-known music directorsGali Penchala andC. R. Subbaraman. Ghantasala's first film as a music director wasLaxmamma. He introduced the technique of changing the vocal pitch and diction to suit the actor singing the songs. Ghantasala was peerless at Padyam renderings and his way with the Telugu padyam was incomparable.
ProducerChittajallu Krishnaveni gave Ghantasala his first job as full-time music director for her filmMana Desam, which wasN. T. Rama Rao's first film. It established Ghantasala as a music composer-cum-playback singer. He was the most prolific film composer and playback singer in Telugu cinema until the mid-1970s. He composed music for many popular Telugu movies, includingPatala Bhairavi,Mayabazar,Lava Kusa,Pandava Vanavasam,Rahasyam,Gundamma Katha,Paramanandayya Shishyula Katha andPelli Chesi Chudu, and also for popular Tamil and Kannada films in the 1950s and 1960s. Ghantasala sang for and directed the music for a Hindi filmJhandaa ooncha Rahe Hamara (1964).[19] The song "Siva Sankari" from the filmJagadeka Veeruni Katha (1961) believed to be one of the most challenging songs from classical Hindusthani and carnatic style was sung by Ghantasala in a single take.[19][20][21][22][23]
Ghantasala served as theAaasthana Gaayaka (court musician) for theTirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. He recorded private albums, includingBhagawad Gita, Patriotic Songs, Padyalu—a unique genre of Telugu, singing the verses in dramatic style—Pushpa Vilapam, Devotional and folk songs. His recording of "Bhagawad Gita", which he directed and sang, can now be heard daily in the Tirumala temple.[24] According to music directorPendyala Nageswara Rao and playback singerP. Susheela, "Ghantasala alone is the foremost among playback singers who had a full-fledged melodious powerful voice range which could accommodate in uniformity, all the three octaves in music quite comfortably".[25][26]
Pendyala Nageswara Rao channelled Ghantasala's classical musical knowledge and skills in classical renditions and in Telugu films including siva sankari from filmJagadekaveeruni Katha,Rasika Raja taguvaramu kama from filmJayabheri, andSyamala Dandakam – Manikya Veena from filmMahakavi Kalidasu. Pendyala said these renditions were recorded only in one take by Ghantasala.[27]
Ghantasala died on 11 February 1974, two months after his 51st birthday, due tocardiac arrest at a hospital in Chennai. The last song he recorded was for a documentary – Bhadrachala Ramadasu Vaibhavam (music by Master Venu) from the hospital bed the day before his death.
The Indian government released a postage stamp and first day cover to celebrate Ghantasala's work on 11 February 2003. He is the first movie singer-composer of the south to be accorded this honour.[2][28] The US Postal Department has released a postal stamp on Ghantasala on 6 October 2014. The postal stamp was jointly released by the North American Telugu Society (NATS) in collaboration with Telugu Literary and Cultural Association (TLCA) in New York.[29][30]Various awards named after Ghantasala are given every year, including the "Ghantasala melody king award". Recipients of this award include playback singersK J Yesudas andP Suseela, and Indian IdolSri Ramachandra.[8][31][32] Ghantasala Arts Academy has instituted the "Ghantasala National Award"; the first winner was playback singerS. P. Balasubrahmanyam.[33]
Ghantasala was honoured with the "Padmashri" by the Government of India.[34][35] He won the best playback singer award in Andhra Pradesh every year for nearly 30 years, a feat unachieved by any other playback singer.[4]
After the saint poetAnnamacharya in the 15th century, Ghantasala has been the only singer to perform devotional songs inside theTirumala Venkateswara Temple near the Lord Moola Virat.[4]
"Kala Pradarshini Ghantasala Puraskar", the only award instituted directly by the Ghantasala Family curated by his second son Ravi Ghantasala and his wife, acclaimed dancer Parvathi Ravi Ghantasala, which aims to honor legends who have contributed to "Arts and Philanthropy". the Inaugural awards were presented to Dr.S.P.Balasubramanyam (music), Dr. Padma Subramaniam (Dance) and Dr. Nalli Kuppusamy Chetty (Philanthropy).
The Ghantasala Puraskar Award 2014, given every year by Sharan Incorporation, has been conferred on Rao Bala Saraswathi Devi, who was the first Telugu playback singer.[36]The Government music college inVijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, is named after Ghantasala.[37] Ghantasala Sangeetha Kalasala college in Hyderabad and Vizag offers six-month and one-year diploma courses on Ghantasala's light music, songs and music.[38] Ghantasala Yuva kalakendram offers semester based courses specially for children and youth.SivaNandiAwardRecipient Ghantasala Yuva Kalakendram founder M.S.V.N.VamshikrishnaDevaraya conducts ghantasala musical workshops every year at tayagaraya gana sabha[39]
Ghantasala Venkateswararao was married to Savitri and (Late) Sarala Devi. He had eight children: four daughters (Meera, Shyamala, Suguna, Shanthi) and four sons (Vijayakumar, Ravikumar, Shankarkumar, Ratnakumar). Shyamala, Suguna, Shanthi, Vijayakumar and Ratnakumar were born to Savtri and while Meera, Ravikumar and Shankar Kumar were born to Sarla Devi.
It is said that Ghantasala named his eldest son "Vijaya" Kumar after Vijaya Productions out of gratitude towards the organization that employed him as a permanent artiste. Sri Chakrapani, one of the producers of Vijaya Productions, presented Ghantasala with a purse with Rs. 25,000 realising his respect towards the organization. 10 years after his death, his youngest son Ratnakumar went on to become a popular dubbing artist.
Ghantasala composed Music for more than 110 films as stated by him, following is the list of 124 films for which he has composed Music. The list includes remakes and dubbed films. The date of release of the film is also given. The list includes Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi films besides Telugu films where he worked predominantly.
Besides pictures where he is Music Director, Ghantasala recorded songs as playback singer for the movies under popular composers –V Nagaiah, Ogirala RamachandraRao, Galipenchala Narasimha Rao, S Rajeswara Rao, Pendyala Nageswara Rao, Susarla Dakshina Murthy, CR Subburaman, Aswathama, P Suribabu, Adi Narayana Rao, Master Venu, T V Raju, R Sudharshanam, R Goverdhanam, M S Viswanathan, Ramamoorthy, K V Mahadevan, T Chalapathi Rao, S P Kodandapani, GK Venkatesh, TG Lingappa, Shankar, Ganesh, Vedha, and Shankar Jai Kishan, among others.
And in came Ghantasala, who not only went on to become the voice of ANR melodies, but also one of the greatest singers Telugu cinema has seen.
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