K Kamalakara Rao

K Kamalakara Rao was born on 6th June 1936. He is the son of the great musician and a renowned personality Sri G. Varada Rao. Kamalakara had music in his soul. At a very young age, his father could see the talent blossoming in his son. When he was five years old, he started to play Mridangam. Seeing his father devoted interest in music, he developed a keen interest in it and followed his father. His  interest in music grew and watching this, his father got him enrolled under the guidance of Sri Raju guru, famous Mridangam player who used to play the instrument in Varada Rao’s residence during bhajans. He began learning under his supervision and emerged as a fantastic musician.

Later, he joined the University of the Varanasi Sastry originated from Rajahmundry. He entered his father’s crew and started to perform at various concerts and shows in Rajahmundry. They both still received guidance from Sri Yella Somanna garu and perfected themselves under his surveillance. Later, Somanna  joined the All India Radio Station at Vijayawada. Kamalakara used to visit him once in every week to learn from him. Seeing his immense and extraordinary talent, he advised him to join Mridangam expert in Palghat. After 3 years, he joined Gurukulavasa Paddhati, the skills sharpened and he was carved to become an artist. He grabbed huge fan following and people started to know about him. Initially, the judges at the AIR listed him a ‘B’ grade during his first audition but later he was promoted as an ‘A’ grade artist but in 1990 with his talent growing with everyday hard work he soon was listed as a top class artist.

Kamalakara soon became a renowned artist all over India. He became a part of Doordarshan and started to entertain the masses in the black and white era. He did concerts for them and also held many programs for the channel. With his help, DD National hiked its TRP ratings and soon witnessed the new era of entertainment. His fascinating music and soulful performance captivated the audience. His excellence became incomparable and people started to tune into radio and television to witness it. His music is a part of our rich cultural heritage and the works he created are precious. He is an inspiring and a genuine person, a precious gem whose worth has increased with time.