Biography
Sankara Sastry was born on September 23, 1922 in Draksharama, Andhra Pradesh. He came from a family of celebrated classical musicians. His father Vainika Bhooshana Veena Acharya Emani Achyuta Rama Sastri, a famed vainika and sastragna was a contemporary of Sangameshwara Sastri and Veena Venkata Romainiah Das of Andhra.[citation needed]
The prodigious training he had from a young age under his unsparing father was reflected in abundance in his tuneful, melodious and technique perfect concerts. His graceful playing on the veena in strictly traditional style evoked a reverential listening. Emani gave concerts throughout the length and breadth of India. His participation in East-West music festivals, Tansen festival, Vishnu Digambar festival, and other prestigious music conferences won him distinction in the field of music.
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Emani played duets with Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffar Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, and Pandit Gopal Krishan (on vichitra veena) evoking enthusiastic responses from the North Indian listeners. After completing his education from Andhra University, he joined the famous Gemini Studios at Madras, where he was the music director for more than ten years. He composed tunes based on novel techniques and directed music for hit films such as Mangla, Sansar, Bahut Din Huwe, Vindhyarani, Nishan, MR. Sampat and English version of Chandralekha.[1] His own compositions of keerthanas, javalis and bhajans can be frequently heard in his solo concerts. His operas in Hindi and regional languages are also very popular. Emani joined All India Radio in 1959 as producer of music at Madras. Soon he rose to the position of director and composer of national orchestra and chief producer of music. He presented over the broadcasting network a number of classical, thematic orchestral compositions and folk melodies bringing out the special tonal qualities of Indian instruments and synthesized musical patterns with a distinctive Emani touch. Emani was also associated with cultural and academic organizations. He was the asthaan vidwan (court musician) of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, member of the university grants committee - to advise on music and member of the expert committee at Madras Music Academy. He was also designated founder chairman of the committee to select candidates for scholarships of the education ministry for Carnatic music, was a member to select film awards (national), member of the central Sangeet Natak Akademi to select candidates for the national awards.
He won the admiration of the world known violinist Yehudi Menuhin and at his special invitation he participated in the festival of international music council at Paris on January 8, 1974. He enthralled people by his concert of the veena which was classed as the concert of the century by discerning reviewers. He was one of the most outstanding artists constantly in demand in India and abroad. He contributed a number of recordings on A.I.R. and two long-playing records for U.N.E.S.C.O. for release all over the world.
A great guru he was, Emani has to his credit disciples well known in the field of music. Among them are:
His daughter Emani Kalyani Lakshminarayana who is a regular performer for Doordarshan & All India Radio has been performing in India as well as abroad.
Emani Kalyani, ably trained in veena by her father, has acquired a high degree of proficiency and accomplishments through her serious interest and dedicated pursuit. Her solo concerts in the radio and public concerts accompanying her father have won world wide acclaim justifying the hopes pinned on her for preserving the heritage.
Disciple Chitti Babu carved a good reputation as a Veena player.
Other disciples of Emani are: V. Saraswathi, M. Y. Kama Sastry, S. N. Satyamurthy, S.N. Ramachandran and Vishwanathan. Palagummi Viswanadham, renowned composer of light music, is his first disciple.
His second daughter is a well-known ghazal singer Devi Murthy, and has won great acclaim in the field of ghazal singing; she has been giving public concerts in India as well as abroad, winning the hearts of viewers and listeners
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.