Aparna S in conversation with Dr. Ravindra Gururaj Katoti.
The high-spirited boisterousness and energy beautifully contrasts with the peace of the Harmonium, when I hear Dr. Ravindra Gururaj Katoti speak with great enthusiasm about the wonderful instrument, its opportunities, possibilities and future, here and worldwide. In an in-depth conversation with Dr Katoti, I discover the journey he has made in the world of the Harmonium and how he continues to play a critical role in moving the Harmonium from the ‘background’ to ‘foreground’.
Dr Katoti is a Hindustani player and has been playing the instrument since the age of eight and has been at it for over thirty-five years now. He has learned the art from the doyen Pandit Rambhau Bijapure and is also the founder of the Bijapure Harmonium Foundation, which is dedicated to the development and promotion of the instrument. He recalls being wonderstruck by the instrument at a very young age and decided to take it up seriously as an art. Dr. Katoti is very grateful to his guru for the training and imparting, for his eternal guidance and for being his source of inspiration.
I asked Dr Katoti about the challenges one faces with an instrument like the Harmonium and he gave an answer that went straight through my heart. That is, the Harmonium is considered an instrument of accompaniment; to produce music, to produce a raga, create an environment of music from that is the biggest challenge. This needs tremendous amount of physical and mental grit. Amazing isn’t it? Imagine the years of dedicated practice that has gone into making this transition from an accompaniment instrument to a musical rendering. He also brings to note an interesting point that a serious musician has to elevate his own performance to the expected music levels, the levels and standards that is set by the music form itself. This transition from a technical performance to a musical performance, to communicate to our audiences is tough. A serious artist must know that there is a new and big world beyond technicality – there is novelty, innovation and aesthetics and emotion, which remain to be discovered. This is the real challenge, he says.
Dr. Katoti is an Assistant Professor of Commerce in the Government Degree College and has been teaching for the last sixteen years. He manages a fine balance between the two worlds, its evident to me. He says fondly that all his achievements and success would not have been possible without the efforts and support of his Guru and family. He is grateful to and the son of Sri Gururaj (retd. English Professor) and Smt Kumudini. He recalls fondly that his mother kept his interest and passion for music alive. He is also thankful to his elder brother Raghavendra (flutist) for always encouraging him and molding his musical thinking, and his wife Sharada for encouraging him. He has two children Tejas and Rashmi.
He has been fortunate and blessed, he says to perform with stalwarts and doyens like Dr Bhimsen Joshi and Dr Gangubai Hanagal. He says beyond being great musicians they were truly wonderful human beings. They gave him a platform to perform and it used to be a humbling experience to perform with them, to even be on the same stage as them. We agree, completely. It’s unbelievable in a way that I got to perform with them, he says.
The unique thing about playing the Harmonium is that there are two types of performances, one solo and one as an accompaniment. Both experiences, performances, requirements and presentations are mutually exclusive. If it’s a solo performance, the thought, the possibilities and the expression is unique to the solo performer. When playing as an accompaniment, the frame and structure are aligned to the group or the lead performer. Being highly intuitive is a key requirement while performing as an accompaniment. The musical continuity needs to get established with the performer and it has to synchronize into one harmonious whole.
While speaking about this essential difference between solo and accompaniment, he highlights a key difference in the Hindustani and the Carnatic styles. In the Carnatic, the composition is central and in Hindustani the thought flow of the main performer is central. When asked about the role of organizations like Ananya, he is highly grateful and has immense respects to its founder, Dr. Raghavendra. He says he has done instrumental and exemplary work for the cause of music and this needs to be replicated and popularized across the country. He also says with immense gratitude that Dr. Raghavendra is a key element of all his initiatives and continues to encourage him in his musical endeavors. Dr Raghavendra has provided lot of support to his Harmonium foundation, he says.
Dr. Katoti has founded the Bijapure Harmonium Foundation in 2003. It was essentially formed with a mission to explore and discover the untapped potential it had as a solo musical instrument. Originated in France and entered into India as an accompaniment instrument, the Foundation takes several steps and measures towards its identity as a rich and independent instrument. Many experiments related to the indigenous production of metal reeds and others have been taken up in this Foundation.
The Foundation trains young artists, conducts workshops, seminars and lectures. There is also an annual festival or Harmonium Habba. Many concerts are organized and artists are given platforms to bring the art to bigger and larger audiences. There is a documentary, biography and CD collection of Sri Rambhau Bijapure in whose name the Foundation is instituted. There are other experiments done in the Jugalbandi format where the Harmonium is performed with the Flute, Sarangi, Hawain Guitar, Sitar, Mandolin and so on. Establishing this Foundation was a dream come true and he is grateful to advocate K G Kamath and Professor M Sridhar Murthy for their efforts in this direction.
Several first prizes, scholarships and awards have come in search of Ravidndra’s talent and art. Karnataka Sangeet Nritya Academy awarded him three years’ scholarship (1986-1989). He was honoured at the hands of His Excellency Dr. P. C. Alexander, Governor, Maharashtra State , for his top performance in Yuva Sangeetotsav held at Ujjain (M.P.), organised by South Central Cultural Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur (1993). Bhatkande Lalitkala Academy Raipur, M.P. conferred upon him the title, Sur Ratna (1994). He is Sangeet Alankar from Akhil Bharateeya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Miraj (1995). Ravindra is a regular performer on AIR and DoorDarshan. Many of his performances are also broadcast by private TV channels, FM radios and internet radios. He has performed throughout the country and abroad, both as a soloist and an accompanist.
Ravindra has a very unique and creative approach as a composer. He has set tunes to a number of devotional songs and bhava geete. He has composed two ‘Raaga Malas’ with unique features. He has also given a creative touch, as a music arranger, to a number of light music albums.The latest addition to his creations has been, ‘Harmonium Compositions’, which explore the rich and varied possibilities on ‘Harmonium’, with altogether a different angle.
The greatest challenge is to forget oneself in this world and yet be conscious of everything you do, Katoti recalls the wise words of Keramane Shambu Hegde on performing arts. It’s indeed a different world, a world of depth, width and soul as Dr. Katoti enters and strives for a deep unification with the Harmonium to create music, rhythm and harmony. We acknowledge this musician’s endeavors and views with great admiration. God bless.
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Aparna S in conversation with Dr. Ravindra Gururaj Katoti.
The high-spirited boisterousness and energy beautifully contrasts with the peace of the Harmonium, when I hear Dr. Ravindra Gururaj Katoti speak with great enthusiasm about the wonderful instrument, its opportunities, possibilities and future, here and worldwide. In an in-depth conversation with Dr Katoti, I discover the journey he has made in the world of the Harmonium and how he continues to play a critical role in moving the Harmonium from the ‘background’ to ‘foreground’.
Dr Katoti is a Hindustani player and has been playing the instrument since the age of eight and has been at it for over thirty-five years now. He has learned the art from the doyen Pandit Rambhau Bijapure and is also the founder of the Bijapure Harmonium Foundation, which is dedicated to the development and promotion of the instrument. He recalls being wonderstruck by the instrument at a very young age and decided to take it up seriously as an art. Dr. Katoti is very grateful to his guru for the training and imparting, for his eternal guidance and for being his source of inspiration.
I asked Dr Katoti about the challenges one faces with an instrument like the Harmonium and he gave an answer that went straight through my heart. That is, the Harmonium is considered an instrument of accompaniment; to produce music, to produce a raga, create an environment of music from that is the biggest challenge. This needs tremendous amount of physical and mental grit. Amazing isn’t it? Imagine the years of dedicated practice that has gone into making this transition from an accompaniment instrument to a musical rendering. He also brings to note an interesting point that a serious musician has to elevate his own performance to the expected music levels, the levels and standards that is set by the music form itself. This transition from a technical performance to a musical performance, to communicate to our audiences is tough. A serious artist must know that there is a new and big world beyond technicality – there is novelty, innovation and aesthetics and emotion, which remain to be discovered. This is the real challenge, he says.
Dr. Katoti is an Assistant Professor of Commerce in the Government Degree College and has been teaching for the last sixteen years. He manages a fine balance between the two worlds, its evident to me. He says fondly that all his achievements and success would not have been possible without the efforts and support of his Guru and family. He is grateful to and the son of Sri Gururaj (retd. English Professor) and Smt Kumudini. He recalls fondly that his mother kept his interest and passion for music alive. He is also thankful to his elder brother Raghavendra (flutist) for always encouraging him and molding his musical thinking, and his wife Sharada for encouraging him. He has two children Tejas and Rashmi.
He has been fortunate and blessed, he says to perform with stalwarts and doyens like Dr Bhimsen Joshi and Dr Gangubai Hanagal. He says beyond being great musicians they were truly wonderful human beings. They gave him a platform to perform and it used to be a humbling experience to perform with them, to even be on the same stage as them. We agree, completely. It’s unbelievable in a way that I got to perform with them, he says.
The unique thing about playing the Harmonium is that there are two types of performances, one solo and one as an accompaniment. Both experiences, performances, requirements and presentations are mutually exclusive. If it’s a solo performance, the thought, the possibilities and the expression is unique to the solo performer. When playing as an accompaniment, the frame and structure are aligned to the group or the lead performer. Being highly intuitive is a key requirement while performing as an accompaniment. The musical continuity needs to get established with the performer and it has to synchronize into one harmonious whole.
While speaking about this essential difference between solo and accompaniment, he highlights a key difference in the Hindustani and the Carnatic styles. In the Carnatic, the composition is central and in Hindustani the thought flow of the main performer is central. When asked about the role of organizations like Ananya, he is highly grateful and has immense respects to its founder, Dr. Raghavendra. He says he has done instrumental and exemplary work for the cause of music and this needs to be replicated and popularized across the country. He also says with immense gratitude that Dr. Raghavendra is a key element of all his initiatives and continues to encourage him in his musical endeavors. Dr Raghavendra has provided lot of support to his Harmonium foundation, he says.
Dr. Katoti has founded the Bijapure Harmonium Foundation in 2003. It was essentially formed with a mission to explore and discover the untapped potential it had as a solo musical instrument. Originated in France and entered into India as an accompaniment instrument, the Foundation takes several steps and measures towards its identity as a rich and independent instrument. Many experiments related to the indigenous production of metal reeds and others have been taken up in this Foundation.
The Foundation trains young artists, conducts workshops, seminars and lectures. There is also an annual festival or Harmonium Habba. Many concerts are organized and artists are given platforms to bring the art to bigger and larger audiences. There is a documentary, biography and CD collection of Sri Rambhau Bijapure in whose name the Foundation is instituted. There are other experiments done in the Jugalbandi format where the Harmonium is performed with the Flute, Sarangi, Hawain Guitar, Sitar, Mandolin and so on. Establishing this Foundation was a dream come true and he is grateful to advocate K G Kamath and Professor M Sridhar Murthy for their efforts in this direction.
Several first prizes, scholarships and awards have come in search of Ravidndra’s talent and art. Karnataka Sangeet Nritya Academy awarded him three years’ scholarship (1986-1989). He was honoured at the hands of His Excellency Dr. P. C. Alexander, Governor, Maharashtra State , for his top performance in Yuva Sangeetotsav held at Ujjain (M.P.), organised by South Central Cultural Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur (1993). Bhatkande Lalitkala Academy Raipur, M.P. conferred upon him the title, Sur Ratna (1994). He is Sangeet Alankar from Akhil Bharateeya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Miraj (1995). Ravindra is a regular performer on AIR and DoorDarshan. Many of his performances are also broadcast by private TV channels, FM radios and internet radios. He has performed throughout the country and abroad, both as a soloist and an accompanist.
Ravindra has a very unique and creative approach as a composer. He has set tunes to a number of devotional songs and bhava geete. He has composed two ‘Raaga Malas’ with unique features. He has also given a creative touch, as a music arranger, to a number of light music albums.The latest addition to his creations has been, ‘Harmonium Compositions’, which explore the rich and varied possibilities on ‘Harmonium’, with altogether a different angle.
The greatest challenge is to forget oneself in this world and yet be conscious of everything you do, Katoti recalls the wise words of Keramane Shambu Hegde on performing arts. It’s indeed a different world, a world of depth, width and soul as Dr. Katoti enters and strives for a deep unification with the Harmonium to create music, rhythm and harmony. We acknowledge this musician’s endeavors and views with great admiration. God bless.