Rama Swamy Annavarapu

Annavarapu Ramaswamy is a senior Carnatic violinist whose musical life has stretched into an eighth decade, and who stands fifth in a direct line of disciples from the saint-composer Thyagaraja. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2021 in the field of art, from Andhra Pradesh ^[1].

Training in the gurukula way

Annavarapu was born on 23 March 1926 into a family of musicians in Andhra Pradesh ^[2]. He learned first from Maganti Jagannadha Chowdary in his home village of Somavarappadu, and then from the renowned guru Parupalli Ramakrishnaiah Pantulu of Vijayawada, in the strict gurukula tradition ^[2]. From the start of All India Radio’s Vijayawada station in 1948 until 1986 he was a staff artist there ^[2].

The accompanist’s art

He has accompanied almost every great musician of his time: Carnatic masters such as Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, G. N. Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer and M. Balamuralikrishna, and Hindustani singers such as Vinayakrao Patwardhan, Bhimsen Joshi and Pandit Jasraj ^[2]. His command of pitch and rhythm, and his gift for helping the main artist give their best, made him a favourite on stage ^[2].

He has also given many solo concerts on violin and viola in India and abroad, including the United States, Canada, Britain, France, the Gulf, Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka ^[2]. He has composed varnams and kritis and conducted orchestras for radio and television ^[2].

A free teacher

For about seven decades he has taught students without taking any fee, in cash or kind ^[2]. He taught vocal music, veena, flute and nadaswaram as well as violin, and encouraged each student to find a style of their own ^[2]. Many of his students are now top-graded artists ^[2].