2017-02-06 Mon

The essence of music throbs in the Indian air, since Vedic vocal tradition of chanting hymns to the modern Indian music.

In India at every step the style of composing music changes but its aroma remains the same. These different styles of composition come from different composers who adorn the music with their own vocabulary. One such musician was Shyama Shastri, eldest in the Trinity of Carnatic Music.

Shyama Shastri was born at Tiruvarur in a Brahmin family (1762). He was educated in Sanskrit and Telugu, his passion for learning music came from the influence of a Sanyasi Sangitha swami with whom he mastered the art of music and enlarged his knowledge later with the help of a court Musician Pachchimiriyam Addiyappayya.

Shastri had his own style of composing music with a slow tempo. His presentation of ragas captured the “Raga Bhava” or the moods of the raag with apt use of words set beautifully in “chhandas” or meters. He was the master of rhythm (laya) and developed a beautiful musical form of ‘Swarajati’.

His compositions mostly praised Goddess Kamakshi and Minakshi, and were composed in Sanskrit, Telugu, and Tamil. He passed away at the age of 65 on 6th February 1827.

To respect and celebrate the life of this great musician and artist India Post has issued a commemorative stamp in 1985.