మా గురించి – గానకళ – సంగీత మాసపత్రిక

Gaana Kala (The Art of Music) is a periodical devoted to Carnatic Music, and is the oldest periodical of its kind in South India.
It was founded in 1962 by the late Sri Munuganti Srirama Murthy, and is now in the fiftysixth year of its publication.
This publication, another aspect of the late luminary’s multidimensional personaliy, has provided music lovers with knowledgeable essays by musical scholars and practicing musicians, including reproductions of remarkable essays on some vaggeyakaras (composers).
It has also published musical notations of some compositions for the benefit of aspiring musicians. And every issue carries on the front and back covers pictures of happenings in music sabhas in Andhra Pradesh and elsewhere in India. It should be amply clear by now that this periodical covers a vast field of musical knowledge and research. And in the true spirit of seeking knowledge, it has also provided a forum for discusssion among scholars in the form of mail from readers.
The editorial board which includes eminent scholars and practicing musicians, is hospitable to all views, appreciative as well as critical of the articles published in Gaana Kala. Thus, over the years, Sri Munuganti nursed the periodical spending a large part of his personal property to keep it going, and shaped it into a journal of international standards. Today Gaana Kala is a preeminent music periodical, esteemed by music lovers as well as practitioners.
It would be proper here to say a few words about the late luminary who founded and made the journal what it is today. Sri Srirama Murthy was born in 1925, and was educated in the then Pithapuram Rajah’s College, at that time one of the premiere education institutions in Madras state. Among his contemporaries at college were the poets Avantsa Somasundar, Ismail, and Ramshaa—who became leading lights in the field of Telugu literature later. He was involved in national politics even as a student and was President of All India Student Congress. Several personalities who later became eminent politicians and were ministers in the Central Government were volunteers under his supervision. However, he gave up active politics after India became free.
At the age of 19, Sri Srirama Murty established a body which was named the Sangita Vidwatsabha by his father Sri Venkata Rao Pantulu in collaboration with his friends Peri Subbarao, Kilambi Rangacharyulu and others, with the aim of conducting monthly music concerts. He also devoted his energies to continuing the Sri Rama Samajam, started by his grandfather, as its hereditary trustee.
Most importantly, however, Sri Srirama Murty devoted himself to nursing Gaana Kala, and brought it up to international standards. This periodical has managed to win and retain the appreciation of readers for the past 20 years and more, with Sri Venkata Rao, his eldest son, helping out as Assistant Editor.
Among the main features which have won the loyalty and admiration of its readers of this journal are:
Introductions to emerging artists
News of music events of interest to music lovers
Essays on great composers and comparative studies of their works
Notes about various music sabhas
Essays on musicology, on notations for certain compositions, essays by noted musicians,
And not the least important, a Readers’ Forum where readers can freely express their views, agreeing or disagreeing with views expressed in the articles. All constructive criticism is welcomed by the editors.
It needs no explicit statement that running a music periodical or any periodical of a learned and technical nature is a thorny business. All expenditure and little income. Still Sri Srirama Murty nursed this brainchild of his spending a large part of his inheritance on running it. With the assistance of his son Sri Venkata Rao as Associate Editor, he established it as a leading journal in the field.
Sreeramamurty’s demise in Kakinada at the age of (90) is a great loss to the music lovers of this city as well as the state. It is upto lovers of music and music research to support this journal in whatever way they can. This would be a true homage to the memory of its worthy founder.