Many people have a liking to whistle popular tunes from films in a casual manner. But gifted artiste K.Siva Prasad has perfected whistling to an art to give a full-fledged carnatic music concert, winning acclaim from both critics and connoisseurs of art as well.
It was renowned musician Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna who trained him to give concerts.
Spurred by the success of the music album ‘Mera Bharat Mera Saas (My Nation My Breath)’ released by Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya on the Independence Day last year with songs of, among others, Nobel laureate Rabindranth Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Muhammad Iqbal, the whistle wizard now plans to come with a video album with songs of noted freedom fighter and social reformer from Tamil Nadu ‘Mahakavi Bharathi’, that kindled patriotism and love for nature.
Mandolin, Saxophone and Shehnai were not so popular in the yesteryears, unlike now, he adds.
On a mission
Mr. Sivaprasad, who had etched his name on the Limca Book of World Records in 1991, was also on a mission to popularise the genre by bringing out a video album on the Ghazals of Mehdi Hassan, Jagjit Singh and Pankaj Udhast. He was here in connection with the Thyagaraja Aradhana.
A disciple of Balamuralikrishna, Mr. Sivaprasad, who has given more than 10,000 concerts in India and abroad, wants people to take to whistle or any other fine art to get relief from stress associated with modern way of living.
Many take interest in whistling popular film songs of the likes of A.R. Rahman, Ilayaraja. “I want to kindle interest in them to mature into whistle artistes,” adds the artiste who has floated Bharatha Bharathi Music Trust for the purpose.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Ongole – March 01st, 2016