know your composer – paidala gurumurthi sastri, chennai times on Dec 10, 2014

Dec 10 2014 : The Times of India (Chennai) KNOW YOUR COMPOSER – PAIDALA GURUMURTHI SASTRI -Dr M Lalitha (The writer is a violinist and an academician) Period: 17th Century Born: Kayatar, Tirunelveli District Family Name: Paidala, a Telugu Brahmin belonging to the Murikinati sect.Mother Tongue: Telugu Music Teacher: Sonti Venkatasubbayya Contemporary: Young contemporary of Sri Ramaswamy Dikshitar Signature: Gurumurthi Languages Used: Sanskrit and Telugu Theme: Devotional, mainly on Rama and Siva Contribution: He was one of Contribution: He was one of the first Carnatic musicians to settle in Madras and who played a crucial role in making Madras a seat of music. He is the composer of Lakshana Gitas that illustrate the characteristic features of the ragas be it Mela or Janya, highlighting the aspects of the raga focusing on the graha svara, nyasa svara, amsa svara, varja, vakra, etc. He was a composer of kritis in Rakti ragas, and had a vast knowledge of sastras and Vedas. It is said that Paidala Gurumurthi was the first to mention that raga Sahana as a derivative of raga Kambhoji.He is known as Veyigita Paidala Gurumurti, meaning one who composed thousand gitas. Also referred to as Naluvadi Vela Ragala, meaning, one who had a vast knowledge of 40,000 ragas. He refers to himself as Ghana Naya Desya Samsthapanacharya (one who systematized the ghana-naya and desya margas), Sastrajna (master of the science of music), Raga Bheda Dureena (one who is an expert in raga and its varieties) and Gita Sastra Parina.Disciple: Kanchipuram Gudala Seshayya Sastry , a composer of many kirtanas and svarajatis.Popular Compositions: Amarikapari, Mandaradarare, Re Re Sri Ramachandra, Kamsasura, Neeraja Nayana, Sadapathim  http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31807&articlexml=KNOW-YOUR-COMPOSER-PAIDALA-GURUMURTHI-SASTRI-10122014106034