The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Befitting honour for Susheela

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 26, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Befitting honour for Susheela

Special Correspondent

Mridangist Yella, social worker Surya Rao, artist Chetty get Padma Shri

P. Susheela K. Surya RaoJ. Gurappa Chetty

Yella Venkateswara Rao

HYDERABAD: Melody queen Pulipaka Susheela (Padma Bhushan) heads the list of four Padma awardees belonging to Andhra Pradesh whose names were approved by the President on the eve of Republic Day this year.

The other three who were awarded the Padma Shri are: ‘Mridangam’ maestro Yella Venkateswara Rao of Hyderabad, Kootikuppala Surya Rao, a physician of Visakhapatnam and Jonnalagadda Gurappa Chetty of Srikalahasti who has won acclaim for his Kalamkari art style. In the previous two years too, four awards each were given to persons of distinction from Andhra Pradesh.

Ms. Susheela (73), who was born in Vizianagaram district, has rendered songs in Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada and Sinhalese. She first sang for a Tamil film ‘Edhukku Azhaithaai’ in 1950. Her first Telugu song was in ‘Lakshamma Katha’ and she subsequently reached the pinnacle through her solos and duets. She received the prestigious Raghupathi Venkaiah Award in 2004 and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

Versatile Yella

Yella Venkateswara was a child prodigy who gave a public performance at the tender age of seven, without any formal training in using the ‘mridangam’, South Indian classical percussion instrument. His adopted father and guru, Yella Somanna, taught him the art. A 30-hour non-stop performance got him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Born into a family of musicians in 1947, Yella is adept at playing the violin and veena apart from being a vocalist too, but his forte is mridangam.

He currently runs the Yella International Institute of Mridangam and Other Percussion Instruments.

‘Tribute to Kalamkari’

Jonnalagadda Gurappa Chetty began learning the art of Kalamkari from his father at the age of 13. He perfected this art and carried it to new horizons and even depicted legends from the Puranas. His works have been taken to several foreign locations including Vienna, UK, Australia, China, and Canada.

Mr. Gurappa was honoured with the title of ‘Shilpa Guru’ in 2002 by the Crafts Council of India. He won the Presidential National Award for Crafstmanship in 1976, Kamaladevi Vishwa Karigar Award and Tulasi Samman from Bharat Kala Bhawan, Bhopal.

“The award is a tribute to the recognition of Indian Art,” is how Gurappa Chetty reacted when The Hindu contacted him over phone in Srikalahasti.

“It is not an award for Chetty but for the entire art,” he said and added that though the award came a little late but it always gave satisfaction to artistes.

People’s doctor

Dr. Kootikuppala Surya Rao, who was born in Srikakulam district in 1954, had his early education in his native village and did medicine from Andhra Medical College.

He has been providing medical services to the poor and slum dwellers at a nominal fee of Rs.3 for the past 20 years at his clinic in Kancharapalem.

When HIV surfaced in India in 1986, he took great pains in educating the youth about its prevention.

He had served as an Executive Council member of Andhra University and Vice-Chairman of the Jan Shikshan Sansthan and a National Committee member of the AIDS Control Organisation. He won the World Health Organisation award in 1989.

CM congratulates

Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy congratulated External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee for being awarded Padma Vibhushan on the occasion of Republic Day.

Dr. Reddy described Mr. Mukherjee as a veteran parliamentarian, able administrator, senior political leader who had handled all the important portfolios in the Union Government. He wished him many more years of healthy and happy life to lead the nation at a crucial juncture.

The Chief Minister also complimented the other Padma awardees especially those from the State like veteran playback singer, P. Susheela (Padma Bhushan), Mridangam exponent Yella Venkateswara Rao, social worker Kooti Kuppala Surya Rao and Kalamkari artist Jonnalagadda Gurappa Shetty (all Padma Shri).

In another statement, Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu also congratulated the award winners from the State.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh