Carnatic musician T.N. Seshagopalan, violinist Nedumangad Sivanandan, and mridangam maestro Vaikom Venugopal have been chosen for this year’s Sangeethabhushan awards instituted in memory of Carnatic musician Vellinezhi Subramanya Bhagavathar, who was a key disciple of Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar.
The awards will be given away at a function to be held at Olappamanna Mana, Vellinezhi, on Sunday. The function will also mark the anniversary celebrations of Sadhgurukulam, Vellinezhi. It will also mark the 34th death anniversary of Subramanya Bhagavathar.
Organising committee secretary Vellinezhi Subramaniam said that it would be the 12th edition of the award instituted in his father’s memory.
Vaikom Venugopal
Vocalist Thrissur V. Ramachandran had won the award of 2021. Violin maestro V.V. Subramaniam had won it in 2022. The last year’s award was won by mridangam maestro Thiruvananthapuram V. Surendran. “This year, we have chosen three great artistes,” said Mr. Subramaniam.
Subramanya Bhagavathar’s disciples will offer a musical tribute to their guru on Sunday afternoon. Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi chairman Mattannoor Sankarankutty will inaugurate the celebrations. Musician Mannoor M.P. Rajakumaranunni will commemorate the Bhagavathar. Kalamandalam executive committee member K.B. Rajanand will introduce the awardees.
Nedumangad Sivanandan
P.S. Raman, former joint commissioner at the Union Ministry of Commerce, will give away the awards. Bhavapriya Subramaniam, Bhagavathar’s granddaughter who had won the third prize in vocal music (classical) in a national arts festival organised by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in Bhubaneswar last year, will be felicitated on the occasion.
