Vocalist RK Padmanabha turns 75
Stepping into RK Padmanabha’s home is akin to entering a museum for music. Books, albums, instruments and sound systems share space with photos and awards the maestro has received over the years. “I wanted a sacred space to savour music. My practice sessions and bonding with students happens here with the blessings of Maa Saraswati,” says the Carnatic vocalist. A Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, Padmanabha or RKP as he is affectionately known in music circles, turns 75 this week. His enviable range defies his age and at smaller concert venues, he rarely uses a mic, say senior students who travel with him. Soul callBorn in 1949, it has been 70 years since RKP began singing. “I was born in Rudrapatna, a small village on the banks of River Cauvery in the Arkalgud taluk of Hassan district in Kar...