Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao

Biography

Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao (4 December 1922 – 11 February 1974), known mononymously by his surname Ghantasala, was an Indian playback singer and film composer known for his works predominantly in Telugu and Kannada cinema and also in Tamil, Malayalam, Tulu and Hindi language films. He is considered one of the greatest singers of Telugu and Indian cinema. In 1970, he received the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, for his contribution to Indian cinema. According to The Hindu and The 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'. Gifted with what Indian film historian V. A. K. Ranga Rao called 'the most majestic voice', Ghantasala helped Telugu film music develop its own distinct character. He is referred to as the 'Gaana Gandharva' for his mesmerising voice and musical skills.
Ghantasala performed in the United States, England and Germany, and for the United Nations. The government of Andhra Pradesh marked the occasion of 25 years of his film career as Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Ghantasala in Hyderabad on 1 February 1970. More than 30,000 people attended the function held at the Lal Bahadur Stadium, Hyderabad. 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.

Early life

Ghantasala was born in 1922 into a Telugu Brahmin family of Ghantasala Soorayya, a professional singer in Chowtapalli, a village in Gudivada taluk of Krishna District. But his ancestral native place was tekupalli village, mopidevi mandal, krishna district which falls under diviseema. 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 from Patrayani Sitarama Sastry, and joined Maharajah's Government College of Music and Dance in Vijayanagram.

Career

Ghantasala participated in the Quit India Movement of 1942, for which he was arrested and imprisoned for 18 months at the Alipore (Allipura) Jail, Ballari. After leaving jail, he met Samudrala Sr., who advised him to try his luck in the film industry as a singer. Ghantasala married Savitri, who lived in a village called Pedapulivarru. In that village, Ghantasala met lyricist Samudrala Sr., who was impressed with his voice and inducted him into the Madras film industry. Before Ghantasala found fame, he was already an accomplished Carnatic music singer.
Ghantasala's first break as a singer came from All India Radio. Later on, Peketi Siva Ram from the His Master's Voice studios recorded Ghantasala's private songs. Ghantasala debuted as a chorus singer and for a character role in Seeta Rama Jananam by Pratibha Films. After this, he worked with well-known music directors Gali Penchala and C. R. Subbaraman. Ghantasala's first film as a music director was Laxmamma. 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.
Producer Chittajallu Krishnaveni gave Ghantasala his first job as full-time music director for her film Mana Desam, which was N. 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, including Patala Bhairavi, Mayabazar, Lava Kusa, Pandava Vanavasam, Rahasyam, Gundamma Katha, Paramanandayya Shishyula Katha and Pelli 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 film Jhandaa ooncha Rahe Hamara (1964). The song "Siva Sankari" from the film Jagadeka 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.

Private recordings and Bhagavad Gita

Ghantasala served as the Aaasthana Gaayaka (court musician) for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. He recorded private albums, including Bhagawad Geetha, Patriotic Songs, Padyalu—a unique genre of Telugu, singing the verses in dramatic style—Pushpa Vilapam, Devotional and folk songs. His recording of "Bhagawad Geetha", which he directed and sang, can now be heard daily in the Tirumala temple. According to music director Pendyala Nageswara Rao and playback singer P. 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".
Pendyala Nageswara Rao channelled Ghantasala's classical musical knowledge and skills in classical renditions and in Telugu films including siva sankari from film Jagadekaveeruni Katha, Rasika Raja taguvaramu kama from film Jayabheri, and Syamala Dandakam – Manikya Veena from film Mahakavi Kalidasu. Pendyala said these renditions were recorded only in one take by Ghantasala.

Death

Ghantasala died on 11 February 1974, two months after his 51st birthday, due to cardiac 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.

Legacy

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. 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.
Various awards named after Ghantasala are given every year, including the "Ghantasala melody king award". Recipients of this award include playback singers K J Yesudas and P. Susheela, and Indian Idol Sri Ramachandra. Ghantasala Arts Academy has instituted the "Ghantasala National Award"; the first winner was playback singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam.

Tributes

"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.
The Government music college in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, is named after Ghantasala. Ghantasala Sangeetha Kalasala college in Hyderabad and Vizag offers six-month and one-year diploma courses on Ghantasala's light music, songs and music. 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

Personal life

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.

Playback singer and music director

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.

Playback singer

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.

Private albums

Pushpa Vilapam
Patriotic Songs
Bhagawad Geetha
Folk Songs
Devotional Songs