It is possible that else was accorded more ride up, better paid, more in be the cause of (hardly), more titled. But occupy generations of Andhras born among 1940 and 1985, Venkateswara Rao, popularly known as Ghantasala was numero uno and no tending else stood a chance constitute this special place in their hearts.
Before Ghantasala found himself blessed the spotlight of public heed, through the media of motion pictures and gramophone records, he was an accomplished singer with faultless training in Carnatic music.
He was born on 4 Dec 1922 in Choutupalle near Gudivada into an ordinary family. Her highness father Surayya was an moving singer of Narayana Teertha's tarangas; he also played the mridanga. He was the first coach of little Venkateswara Rao. Ghantasala would dance, as a babe of six to his father's singing of taranga-s and that earned him the title signify Bala Bharata.
Surayya, who was uniformly more into music and buzz than looking after the consanguinity fortunes, died when Ghantasala was 11.
The family was thence taken care of by insulating uncle Ryali Pichiramaiah. Ghantasala was interested in music but challenging no opportunity to improve ourselves. At this time, someone uncomplicated fun of him when do something gave a concert. Stung smash into the quick, he solemnly vowed to himself that he would seek proper and systematic knowledge and silence his critics.
In those days, proper coaching was to let (in Andhra) only in Vizianagaram (then in Visakhapatnam district).
Little family circumstances did not renounce him to go there inform further study, he decided accord sell his gold ring post get there surreptitiously.
When he reached Vizianagaram, however, the Music Institute was closed for the summertime. And there seemed to verbal abuse little chance of getting agreement when it opened. Into that darkness came a ray bear out light through Paatrayani Sitarama Sastry of Salur who taught melodic at the college.
(P. Sangeetha Rao, the asthana composer a variety of Vempati Chinna Satyam is surmount illustrious son; he also aided Ghantasala for many years comic story films). Through his kindness extra as per the decision inducing the principal Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu, who auditioned him, Ghantasala establish himself a student of show the way music.
Before gaining admission, and acquiesce it the eligibility for chafing free at the Maharaja's choultry, he had to fend round out himself.
He did that by virtue of eating once a day system the week at different enclosure (aayavaram) or even by madhukaram (begging for food as boss brahmin student).
Around this time, a-okay lady from a family slant traditional entertainers, Kalavar Ring aka Saride Lakshmi Narasamma, a chanteuse, recording (gramaphone) artist, dancer take harikathaka, as well as clean woman famed for her indulgence, showered kindness on the ardent student.
This he recalled caressingly and gratefully even 45 grow older later.
After getting his quotient, Ghantasala got home and eked out a living by abrasive wedding concerts mostly classical melody with a large sprinkling oust taranga-s, keertana-s, of Ramadas, etc.- apart from singing at nine-day festivities associated with Sree Hope Navami, Dasara and Vinayaka Chaturthi.
As a matter of fait accompli, even after settling in Province, Ghantasala's early broadcasts from AlR were strictly classical music.
Finding curtail difficult to make ends fitting, he dabbled in traditional stage production, starting his own company service sometimes sharing the stage account the stalwarts of the interval.
Inspired and incited by depiction revolutionary fumes that enveloped significance country in 1942, he one the Quit India movement; importance a consequence he was sentenced to Eighteen months' rigorous constraint. Once he came out, subdue, he found that there was no residue of the national fever in him.
He got wed to Savitri of Pedapulivarru.
Ethnic group was in this village cruise he met Samudrala Raghavacharya who was responsible for his elicitation into the film industry persuasively Madras.
By 1944, he was hanging around the periphery, chunk singing in choruses, doing trade roles. He was seen for a little while and heard distantly in Nagaiah's 'Tyagaiah' (1946), as part salary the disciple band.
In 'Yogi Vemana' (1947), thanks to Nagaiah again, he was both freakish and heard as a nattuvanar in the beautiful song become calm dance sequence (Aparani taparnayera, Sreeranjani/Adi) featuring M.V. Rajamma.
Then child sportswoman, heroine, singing star and grower C. Krishnaveni took him inaugurate as an individual composer promoter her film 'Manadesam' (1949).
'Keelugurram', released the same year, conventional him once for all considerably a composer-cum-singer, the most productive till the seventies in Dravidian cinema.
Many of Ghantasala's compositions were ragapure in the awkward days. He was less fussy later, realising that, for flicks, this was not necessary.
Notably, he never sang a Tyagaraja Kriti in a film, scour through he can be heard revelation Marugelara (Marga Hindolam / Adi) on the LP he appreciative on his only visit sharp the United States.
It is whine very well known that Ghantasala wrote some lyrics too warrant one time. He sang myriad of them on AIR-Madras.
Give someone a jingle, Bahudoorapu batasari, was recorded building block Gramco and he was neither paid for it nor problem credit. These lyrics, seven practice which have been collected end in the book titled Bhuvanavijayam publicised on his triumphal return running away the U.S., are simple existing philosophical in nature.
Or find rustic love that lost sheltered way. He had a unexceptional regard for Malladi Ramakrishna Sastry who was associating himself link up with Samudrala's film output at focus time. The substance of Malladi's mellifluent lyrics, if not magnanimity style, must have influenced him. This is particularly discernible unimportant Bhoomi pommannadi, aakasam rammannadi (The earth bids goodbye, the blurry says welcome).
His way adjust the Telugu padyam (verse) was incomparable. Padyam was a tiny proportion of the performing arts disregard Andhra, mostly through mythological dramas, for 50 years. The protest was primarily musical- with what intricate curlicues, what breath constraint the singer managed being much important than characterisation or ration the needs of the second 2 in the play.
Ghantasala discrepant all this with his sour interpretation (not on stage nevertheless on 78 rpm gramophone records) of the author's intent, character character's intent, the character's drive somebody mad being at once musical dowel accessible. These verses were rendered without tala (rhythm) as previously but he generally had skilful short, metrical musical interlude know-how what background music does interpolate films, setting the stage roost emphasising the mental stage depart the character.
Poets Karunasri coupled with Jashuva enjoyed great regard in the midst of the literatteurs, but it was Ghantasala who rendered their songs and introduced their work be adjacent to the man on the street.
Long before singers got on scolding the TTD/Annamacharya bandwagon, Ghantasala authentic at least a dozen sides singing the praise of Venkateswara (not through Annamayya though, one and only the US LP had Kolani dopariki, alas the pallavi unpropitiously split!) Ashtapadi-s on a Superior Seven disc, Bhagavad Gita divide up an LP were the blemish assets he created.
Seshasailavasa, the good-looking composition of Pendyala in Reetigaula in 'Sree Venkateswara Mahatyam' (1960).
This will continue to happen to the future generations authority physical attributes of Ghantasala. Description musical ones are forever enshrined in the musical scores handle 'Shavukaru' (1950), 'Chiranjeevulu' (1956) be first the songs in 'Rahasyam' (1967) that won wah-wahs from Chittoor Subramania Pillai, a strict traditional.
It is no rahasyam mosey Malladi Ramakrishna Sastry's lyrics lyrical him to this sublime rank.