Letting his deft fingers do the talking as they work magic on the strings, vainika Bonala Sankara Prakash is the walking, strumming proof that hard work pays. His music mirrors a rare blend of technique and aesthetics, strength and tenderness, creativity and accountability within the framework of tradition. The artist shares his thoughts on the present and future of the veena in the cutcheri milieu and the discipline that goes into the making of an artist.
Initial Steps…
I began playing the veena at age of five and gave my first full length concert at 9. My mother Ramani and father Bonala Jagannathan are veena and vocal vidwans. My father, who is my guru, remains my greatest source of inspiration. He imparted the subtleties of sampradaya sangeetham with emphasis on the techniques of veena playing. He was a disciple and close associate of the late Vasa Krishnamurthi, a legendary veena vidwan of the Bobbili tradition, renowned for four centuries. My maternal grandfather, trained in classical music, was also a mridangam artist in the bhajana sampradaya. He ensured that I stayed constantly tuned to musical thought.
Fostering the listening habit…
My father often took me to vocal and instrumental concerts of stalwarts, particularly the annual series in Vishakapatnam. Immersed in music at that impressionable age, I experienced immense joy. Those unforgettable cutcheris have been an everlasting source of inspiration for the contemplation and analysis of the myriad intricacies of melody, rhythm and technique, then and now.
Reaping harvest through sadhana…
Following the example of my father and guru who put in at least 10 hours of practice daily, I followed this schedule diligently for 25 years. Today, this sadhana stands me in good stead. Initiated early into manodharma aspects in a natural and phased manner, I find that its boundless creative scope gives me the highest satisfaction as an artist. Technique is a means to an end. Once command over technique is achieved, the musician tends to devote more time to contemplation. This inner communion leads to manifestation of greater bhava.
Evolving a style…
An artist’s style evolves as the result of years of experience, assimilation and absorption. I work towards an ideal combination of heavy gamakas and ravai sangatis through coordination of right and left movements to realise the maximum potential of the veena as well as sahitya bhava sans unnecessary meetu. This approach has contributed to my handling of ragam, tanam, pallavi and niraval. Singing whatever I learnt before playing it has ensured that my instrumental expression closely shadows the vocal.
Responsibility as an artist…
The celestial timbre (naadam) of the veena strings has filled my waking hours and been my mainstay since childhood. The Saraswathi veena has been revered since ancient times and the vainika aims for closest possible adherence to vocal expression. Every artist carries the responsibility of enhancing the quality of music and the aural experience and garnering greater exposure for quality music. I believe in one putting one’s shoulder to the wheel to produce ennobling music. I leave no stone unturned in this endeavour.
The role of AIR…
As a staff artist, I have received great encouragement from AIR right from the beginning. The awards I won at AIR annual competitions spurred me on to translate my passion into my profession. My participation in South Zone concerts, National Programmes, RTP specials and award-winning musical features such as ‘Ekoham Bhavishyami’ on AIR as well as Doordarshan programmes were enriching experiences. The opportunity of listening up close to AIR concerts of great musicians has been a steady source of inspiration, ideas and insight.
The current scenario with regard to the veena…
Nowadays, few students opt for the veena due to the hard work, late rewards and difficulties involved in portability of the instrument. We need new entrants with the commitment to take it up as a full time profession. While it is heartening to note that some organisations have begun convening veena fests, it would be a fillip to see more vainikas featured in regular concert series. As an artist, I look forward to performing opportunities on a wider platform to create and sustain audience interest.
Performance chart…
In addition to solos, I also give jugalbandhis and have performed with Hindustani musicians such as Purbayan Chatterjee and Janardhan Mitta.
Awards and recognition…
I got the gold medal from the Vishaka Music Academy (1996) and Best Performance award for three consecutive years from Navya Nataka Samithi (1984-86). I have received Sankranthi Puraskar from the Pushpagiri Peetam and to have been honoured as Asthana Vidwan of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam (2008). In 2006, at the request of the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams, I tuned devotional songs for the Bhajana Yagna project and conducted the music for 108 songs in an audio release.
