E Shankar Sastry

E Shankar Sastry, full name Emani Sankara Sastry Emani Sankara Sastry was a celebrated vainika of I >> Read More... was a well-known Carnatic musician of Indian origin. He was a veena player born on 23 September 1922 in Draksharamam, India. He hailed from a family of renowned classical musicians, and his father was a famous vainika and sastragna. Emani received rigorous training from his father from a young age, and his skilled and melodious performances showcased his exceptional talent. After completing his education at Andhra University, Emani worked as a music director for over ten years at Gemini Studios in Madras. He wrote his own javalis, keerthanas, and bhajan compositions, which he frequently performed at solo concerts. He also wrote music for popular movies.

Emani also composed operas in Hindi and regional languages and worked as a producer and director for All India Radio, creating thematic orchestral compositions and folk melodies that showcased the unique tonal qualities of Indian instruments. He performed concerts throughout India and participated in various prestigious music conferences and festivals, including the Tansen festival and Vishnu Digambar festival. Emani Sastry collaborated with several other musicians for duets including Pandit Ravi Shankar Born on April 7, 1920, in Banaras, Uttar Pradesh, >> Read More... , Pandit Gopal Krishan, and Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan.

Apart from being a professional musician, Emani held positions at the Madras Music Academy as an expert committee member, the asthaan vidwan of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, and a member of the university awards committee. A member of the central Sangeet Natak Akademi that chose applicants for national honors, he was also the first chairman of the committee that chose applicants for scholarships in Carnatic music.

Together with the well-known playback singer P.B. Srinivos, Emani introduced a number of aspiring young vocalists to the music industry. He was the first South Indian musician to be conferred with the title of Maha Mahopadhyaya. Several additional honours were also bestowed upon him, such as the Sahitya Kala Parishad award, a doctorate from Andhra University and the Padma Shri, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1973. He was given the honorary title of chaturdandi panditaha by the all-India felicitation committee, which was sponsored by the Vice-President of India, in honour of his contributions to the cause of music.

Emani Sankara Sastry is well-known for his orchestral compositions, which include pieces like Adarsa sikhararohanam, Swara tarangini, and Ragam Thanam Pallavi. He has also worked and created music on the topics of Pandit Nehru's accomplishments and Mahatma Gandhi's ideals. Emani Sankara Sastry was also a respected guru/tutor who trained numerous disciples, including his daughter Emani Kalyani Lakshminarayana, Vishwanathan, Chitti Babu For one who had delivered so much laughter and joy >> Read More... , M. Y. Kama Sastry, V. Saraswathi, S. N. Satyamurthy, S.N. Ramachandran, and Palagummi Viswanadham.