An Insight into the Life and Work of the Famous Singer Ghantasala
If you want to look into the contribution of South Indian music to Indian culture, you will come across several eminent singers and music directors. One of the pioneers in the field is Ghantasala Venkateshwara Rao. He has sung several songs in different languages, which attracted the immensely large fan base that he still has even after his death. However, most of his songs are composed for the Kannada and Telugu industry.
Ghantasala Venkateshwara Rao is popularly called Ghantasala. Apart from being a playback singer, he is also a renowned composer. His songs are collectively called the Ghantasala songs. Like his fans, if you want to listen to some Ghantasala hit songs, you must know the right place to search for them. The Saregama website has made several collections of his songs. You will get the original versions of all Ghantasala songs on this website.
Early Career of Ghantasala
Ghantasala was born to a Telugu family. He received formal education on music and culture from a very young age. Even before becoming a known figure through his famous Ghantasala audio songs, he was already an established Carnatic singer. However, he started as a singer on All India Radio. In the film world, he debuted as a chorus singer, from which he was recognised by stalwart music directors of that time, C. R. Subbaraman and Gali Penchala.
Ghantasala first worked as a music director for the movie Mana Desam; this movie was the first one for the director N. T. Rama Rao. Krishnaveni was the producer of the movie. Ghantasala directed six songs for the movie and sang two of them. He also involved some known figures in the South Indian film music industry, like M. S. Rama Rao, Krishna Vevi, and Sarojini, for playback singing.
If you want to know about the versatility and musical experience that Ghantasala had, you can find it quite evident even from his first movie. In these six Ghantasala songs, he showed two to three genres of music pertaining to the mood depicted in the movie. For example, if you hear the song Chalo Chalo Raja, you will find that it is filled with fun and frolic. The song is based on a fast beat with the use of several instruments and voice modulations. The song Vedalipo Thella Dera will have a similar effect on you. However, when you hear the Emito Ee Anubandham song, you will find it starkly different from the previous two. This song is on a slow beat, focusing more on the nuances and the mood of the song. Ghantasala used the right voice for the song when he hired M. S. Rama Rao. The song is still etched in the memory of all Ghantasala fans as one of the best Ghantasala hits.
The entire album for this movie is available on the Saregama website. So, if you wish to obtain these Ghantasala songs, download them onto your system.
The famous Ghantasala album Rahasyam
If you want to search for Ghantasala hit songs, you will find that most websites will recommend the songs from Rahasyam. He is the music director for this movie, in which he directed fourteen tracks. He has also sung a majority of these Ghantasala songs. Amongst these fourteen tracks, you will find his Carnatic skills in the Dheeni Bhavamuneeke song. He was ably supported by Indian instruments like the table and the flute.
In the Magaraya Valaraaya song, Ghantasala collaborated with the great singer, P. Susheela. P. Susheela has been a known face in the Telugu industry for a long time. This Ghantasala song is supported by a groovy track with classical touch to it. It is one of the best choices amongst different Ghantasala hits for those who wish to dance to classical music.
However, if you wish to listen to his prowess in Carnatic and classical music, the Thirumala Girivaasa song is the best example of all Ghantasala hits. This Ghantasala song is his solo performance. It is based on a high-speed track, which is a rarity back in those days. He ensured he had the best instrumental support for this Ghantasala hit song. People still prefer to own this Ghantasala audio song and listen to it to relieve its moments.
Rare Achievements of Ghantasala
Ghantasala is not just a name in Telugu and the Kannada industry; it is a sensation. Apart from winning several awards throughout his career, he has some unthinkable records that are yet to be surpassed by any other singer. He won the award for the best playback singer in Andhra Pradesh for a continuous stretch of 30 years.
Apart from the saint Annamacharya, Ghantasala got the chance to sing devotional songs in front of Lord Mooli Virat in the Tirumala Venkateswara temple. Even his recording of Bhagavad Gita can still be heard in the same temple. People love to listen to this Ghantasala song in the temple.
If you ever visit Andhra Pradesh, you will find his statues in several places. The government of Andhra Pradesh celebrated the 25 years of his film career in 1970. The government of India has released a postage stamp dedicated to him. The US Postal department has also done the same. His family still continues organising the Kala Pradarshini Ghantasala Puraskar award. The famous singer, S. P. Balasubhramanyam, is one of the notable recipients of this award.
He was so dedicated to his work that his last Ghantasala song was recorded on his hospital bed the day before his death.
Conclusion
Ghantasala is famous for his works in various film industries. Several Ghantasala songs still echo in different languages like Kannada, Telugu, Tulu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi. His fans are distributed worldwide and are the main reason he had performed in front of a packed audience in every country he had gone to. Although his singing career was cut short due to his untimely death, he still lives through his famous Ghantasala songs. If you wish to listen to these Ghantasala audio songs, download them from the Saregama website.
