On Saturday, the cultural organization Hamsadhwani staged its annual “Parampara Concert” at the historic Town Hall in Mangalore, dedicating the evening to the Malladi family’s contributions to Carnatic music. The program, organized by Hamsadhwani founder Dr. Ramesh Rao, featured senior artistes, emerging talents, and a special tribute segment that highlighted compositions popularised by the Malladi lineage.
Opening the concert, violinist S. Ramesh rendered a kriti composed by Malladi Sriramulu, setting a reverent tone for the night. Following the piece, vocalist Ananya Bhat performed a selection of ragas that have been central to the Malladi repertoire, drawing appreciative applause from the audience of music scholars, students, and longtime patrons.
The highlight of the evening arrived when the Malladi family members themselves took the stage. Smt. Malladi Venkata Lakshmi, a veteran vocalist, sang a rare composition attributed to Malladi Subbarama Sastry, while her son, Mr. Malladi Kiran, accompanied on mridangam. Their performance underscored the continuity of tradition across generations, a theme echoed in Hamsadhwani’s mission to nurture classical art forms.
Interspersed with the performances, brief talks by musicologists explained the historical context of the Malladi legacy, noting how the family helped popularise certain ragas in the coastal Karnataka region during the mid‑20th century. The concert concluded with a collaborative rendition of “Varnam” that blended the styles of both senior and junior artistes, symbolising the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next.
Organisers reported that the event attracted over 500 attendees, reflecting strong community interest in preserving Karnataka’s rich musical heritage. Hamsadhwani announced plans to continue the “Parampara” series next year, with a focus on other influential musical families from the state.
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📰 Source: The Hindu Entertainment