A musician par excellence remembered

Vijayawada : Noted Carnatic musician Gayaka Sarvabhouma Parupalli Ramakrishnaiah Pantulu was born on December 5, 1882 in Srikakulam village of Krishna district in Andhra and hails from the lineage of the third generation of disciples of Saint Tyagaraja. He learnt Carnatic music from Susarla Dakshinamurthy Sastry.

Ramakrishnaiah made Vijayawada the focal point to spread classical music throughout Andhra Pradesh. In those days, there were no music colleges in and around Vijayawada and his Gurukula itself was a university. His students diligently learned music from the Guru and prospered, informed YV Krishnayya, founder of Annamayya Parivaram.

His Gurukul house resembled a royal palace.

Pantulu was one of the few Andhra musicians who was recognised and patronised by Tamilians in those days. He was a long-time expert committee member of the Madras Music Academy and was also a member of the organising committee of the Thyagabrahma Aradhana Utsavams in Tiruvayur.

In those days, the Columbia Gramophone Company recorded his performances. He had received several prestigious honours, awards. His flute concert, held in Tenali town in 1915, delighted then Madras State Governor Lord Pentland, who presented him a gold medal. Sri Rama Samajam and Saraswathi Gana Sabha of Kakinada honoured him with gold medals and gold chains. He was conferred the title of “Bharathi Tirthopadhyaya” by the Andhra University Council.

Prominent among his disciples were Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, Nallan Chakravarthula Krishnamacharyulu, Annavarapu Ramaswamy, Neti Sri Rama Sharma, TK Yashoda Devi and GV Ramkumari. His Pra-sishyas are Nookala China Satyanarayana, B Indira Kameswara Rao, Ammula Durgabhavani, Modumudi Sudhakar among others.

With his efforts, the first Akashvani Kendra and the first music college were established in Vijayawada which created opportunities for students to learn and employment for many disciples as lecturers and staff artistes not only in AP but across the nation. He breathed his last on July 7, 1951.