KOCHI: K Omanakutty aka Omanakutty teacher, who dedicated her entire life for music, bagged this year’s ‘Sangita Kala Acharya’ award of the Madras Music Academy. She was awarded the honour for her overall contribution to the concert platform. The award will be presented to her on January 1 at the Madras Music Academy.
Talking about her love for music, she says, “I was brought up in a family where music gained topmost priority in our conversations, so it was natural for music to be my life.” Omanakutty finished her degree and post graduation in music from the Kerala University with first rank and completed her PhD on ‘Origin and the Evolution of Kathakali Music’ from the same university.
The plethora of laurels she received are witness to her love for music. She has played a major role in introducing popular singers to the music industry including K S Chithra, B Arundhathi, K S Harishankar, Ranjini Varma, Manjari, K S Resmi and K R Shyama. She is the founder chairman and secretary of Thiruvananthapuram-based Sangeeta Bharati. The institute has more than 250 students trained in various platforms, namely, light music, classical music, violin and veena. “A lot of students ask if they can learn music at an affordable fee."
The singer makes it a point to research before taking classes, “Music has two values - entertainment and scientific. Music therapy comes under the scientific value and I love the therapeutical effect it provides,” she says.Omanakutty is also active with various government projects. “The current project I’m working on popularises classical music and the music composers in Kerala,” she says.
Sangeeta Bharati and Bharath Bhavan organised ‘Gana Kairali’ in Thiruvananthapuram last week The second part will be held on December 9 at Thycaud. The veteran musician has a piece of advice for music aspirants: “Do not learn music for fashion; learn it only if you have passion or else it is a waste of money and energy.”