BANGALORE: At the Dattatreya Temple at Tyagarajanagar, during the recent 30th annual celebrations organised by Gunda Shastri's tabla school Sangeetha Krupa Kuteera, Hindustani vocalist Pandit Nandakumar Kurudi was honoured with the title Sangeetha Kalaravinda.
His father, Kurudi Venkannachar, among the senior-most Carnatic musicians of the state, was honoured exactly a decade ago on the same platform.
A former SBI employee, Nandakumar switched to Hindustani music after being trained for nearly 10 years in the other Indian classical form by his father. While he has said picking up the Hindustani style proved to be quite a challenge, his familiarity with the two forms has helped him in some achievements as a musician. He has, for example, introduced a few Karnatak ragas into Hindustani.
"I haven't really changed anything around, I've just adopted it into the khayal system," he says, unaffectedly.
Nandakumar learnt Hindustani music from Pandit Mahendra Kishore for 20 years before he went to Pandit Rama Rao V Nayak of the Agra gharana.
He describes his style as a blend of the Agra, Indore and Patiala Gharanas. He has introduced his own raga Madhu Varshini into the tradition. Like his peers, he too swears by the gurukula system, and discipline and dedication. Neither he nor students who seek him out look towards music examinations to prove their talent and learning.
"I'm not against the system. My gurus and other great musicians, including Bhimsen Joshi, didn't feel the need for it. You don't need to pass an examination to be a performer, you only need it as a teacher," he explains. He began singing as the supporting second voice alongside his father when he was 13. "That was Karnatak, and the two systems are different. But I learnt stage techniques from him and also became accustomed to singing in the charged atmosphere of live concerts," he reflects.
At his residence near South End Circle, both forms of Indian classical music dwell side by side: here's where both the father and son conduct their one-on-one classes. "My father is 86 now. Still, his students don't let go of him," he chuckles and adds, "But I've noticed that music provides relief in old age."
(Nandakumar may be contacted on 98455 10833)