Music director Hamsalakha speaks, after inaugurating Mysuru Dasara atop the Chamundi Hill, in Mysuru, on Sunday.
Credit: DH Photo/Anup Ragh T
Mysuru: Music director Hamsalekha, who inaugurated Mysuru Dasara, atop the Chamundi Hill, in Mysuru, on Sunday, mooted the celebration of I-Dasha or five decades of the naming of Karnataka State.
It has to be noted that Mysuru State was renamed as Karnataka on November 1, 1973, when D Devaraja Urs, also a Mysurean, was chief minister. I or ‘aidu’ in Kannada means five, while ‘dasha’ means 10 or a decade.
Hamsalekha drew parallels of I-Dasha of Karnataka with his career, as he has also completed 50 years in cinema. Hamsalekha, original name Gangaraju, 72, is a native of Hosakannambadi village on the banks of Krishnaraja Sagar Dam, in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district.
Born and brought up in Bengaluru, Hamsalekha started his musical career in professional orchestra and went on to become music director in Kannada cinema. He has also given music to movies in other languages, including Tamil. He is also addressed as ‘Nadabramha’, meaning the ‘god of tunes’.
Hamsalekha is also a writer and used to pen lyrics to the songs, to which he provided music. Of late, he is popular as a judge in music-related reality shows on television channels.
He thanked many, including his parents Govindaraju-Rajamma, his guru Neelakanta, ‘Naada’ or music, theatre, Sandalwood or Kannada movieland, government, Constitution, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, DCM D K Shivakumar, Minister H C Mahadevappa, who proposed him for the event, his wife, children, his fans, his Bheema parivara, meaning the followers of B R Ambedkar for his achievement and the consequent honour.
“Finally I thank mother Earth. If I thank the Earth, it is like thanking all those who played a role in my life and career,” Hamsalekha said.