Team
Bharatanatya
Guru Smt. Deepa Kamath (HoD)
Guru Smt. Deepa Kamath is a dedicated exponent of Bharatanatya. She holds a prestigious Vidwat in this divine art form, alongside an academic background in Electronics and Communications and a postgraduate degree in Business Management with a specialization in Marketing.
Her journey seamlessly bridges the worlds of technology and tradition, having served in IT companies for nearly a decade before following her true calling—the propagation of Indian classical and folk dance. As the co-founder of Arohana Academy of Performing Arts, she has been instrumental in training and nurturing students, ensuring that India’s rich cultural heritage continues to flourish.
Guru Smt. Deepa Kamath’s vision goes beyond performance; she believes in uniting and uplifting people through art, fostering deeper cultural appreciation and personal growth. Her exceptional contributions have been recognized globally, earning her the prestigious International Aryabhatta Award.
Deepa Kamath leads the dance wing at Sangeeta Bharati America as the Head of the Department, where she has played a pivotal role in shaping the Bharatanatya certification program by developing its syllabus. Her relentless dedication to preserving and promoting Indian art forms has made a profound impact on the global dance community.
Hindusthani Shastreeya Sangeeta
Dr. Anjali Sharma Tiwari (HoD)
Dr. Anjali Sharma Tiwari is a London-based Indian classical vocalist, composer, and teacher. She did her training under the guidance of Smt. Dr. Chetna Pathak has pursued her master’s (Hindusthani classical vocal) and Ph.D. in Rajasthani folk music. She has performed on various national and international stages. After giving her 3 years of service at Banasthali University, she has been teaching Indian classical music at Geetanjali Academy of Fine Arts in London for 7 years.
Karnataka Shastreeya Sangeeta
Shri K.N. Shivakumar (HoD)
Kalanahundi Naganna Shivakumar (born June 22, 1975) began learning Karnataka Sangeeta at 28 under Venu Vidwan A.V. Prakash in Mysuru. Because of shifts in location and employers, he could spend just over a year pursuing it. Though his learning stopped at this level, he remained cordial with his Guru, who even gave a flute concert at his wedding reception four years later. He restarted his learning at 37, when he could spend his weekends at his Dallas home. He spent a little over a year learning the flute from him via Skype and took the junior examination in October 2013, conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board.
Around this time, his four-year-old daughter, Jahnavi Shivakumar, was also initiated into music. Creating music scripts for her in English and organizing them into a book titled Sangeeta Bharati is how the concept for today’s incorporated organization, Sangeeta Bharati America, was born, and many of his other books were published.
Shivakumar was born and raised in Gundlupet, a pleasant small town in the remote south of Karnataka. During middle school, he made flutes by imagining what they would look like rather than how they would sound. His father was a Forester in the Bandipur National Park, and he used to give his son little bamboo reeds. As firewood stoves were the only means of cooking in those days, he used one to heat an iron rod until it glowed red-hot and then drilled holes in the bamboo reeds. This somehow looked like a flute. This child’s game continued, filling the attic with flutes. Only when he was 28 did his musical ambition sprout.
Known by his pet name Madhu in Gundlupet, Shivakumar practiced typewriting and passed senior examinations in Kannada and English with high grades. With the monthly pocket money from his father, he bought and read books by Beechi, BGL Swamy, Kailasam, Poornachandra Tejaswi, and others, and read almost every book in the town library on a wide range of topics. The Kannada book “Nanna Elgege Naane Shilpi” by Ramakrishna Mission greatly influenced him. He kept this book with him throughout his student life.
Failing three times in 12th grade and unable to proceed, Shivakumar worked as a typist in a local store and as an insurance agent at a local post office, selling savings certificates. Finally completing 12th grade in the midterms and with enough time and a solid command of Kannada, he joined a Kannada daily in Mysuru as a reporter and subsequently worked as its sub-editor. But he had to leave this job to return to his studies. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electronics and his master’s in computer applications from the University of Mysuru. He taught computer science for a year at Mangaluru University College in Madikeri before starting a career in Information Technology.
Founding secretary of Sangeeta Bharati America, Shivu, also oversees the Karnataka Sangeeta department.
Mrudanga
Vidwan P. Sreenivasa Murthy (HoD)
Vidwan Bengaluru Shri P. Sreenivas Murthy (born May 29, 1966) is accredited as an All India Radio B-High grade Mrudanga artist and a renowned Guru. He ranked 3rd in the state-level Mrudanga proficiency examination conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB), under the guidance of Mrudanga maestro Vidwan Shri M. Vasudeva Rao. In addition to Mrudanga, he is proficient in various talavadya instruments (saha pakka-vadya, or supporting percussion instruments), such as Ghata (an earthen pot), Morsing (Jew’s Harp), Tavil, and Konnakkol (vocalization of Mrudanga syllables).
He has articulated the indelible art of vocalism under the tutelage of his mother, Smt. Suvarnamma, and later had the opportunity to advance his vocal talent under Vidwan Shri N.S. Raman and learned to assimilate the grand compositions of the trinity along with the dasa sahitya of Karnataka Sangeeta for conducive accompaniments. In 2007, he released a collection of rare Krutis dedicated to Bhagawan Ganesha, titled Lambodaraya Namaste, on a digital CD.
Sreenivas Murthy is a recipient of the Junior Fellowship Award (2004-2006) from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, for the research work on Ghata manufacturing, where his work included the method of adaptation for achieving tonal quality, stability, resistance to varying weather conditions, and attainment of uniformity in shape and shruti (pitch/tonic note). He also worked for the Song and Drama division of the Information and Broadcasting Department, Government of India, from 1999 to 2001. He served as a joint secretary of Bengaluru Gayana Samaja for four years, a reputed cultural organization in India, and a board member of KSEEB, serving as an examiner since 2000 for the talavadya disciplines of Karnataka Sangeeta.
To promote the joyful learning of Karnataka Sangeeta, Murthy established Guru Smruti Kala Kendra (Guru Smruti meaning “Tribute to Wisdom”) in Bengaluru. This institution trains students in various disciplines, including Vocal, Violin, Flute, and percussion instruments (Mrudanga, Ghata, Khanjira, and Morsing) by artists and exponents of repute. In addition to honoring versatile artists every year during the Sangeeta Aradhana Mahotsava (annual day function), this institute has taken a unique initiative since 2015 to honor parents for their commitment and continued support in nurturing the great Indian heritage. Also, Murthy has initiated a percussion ensemble called Laya Sourabha. It is staged under the same banner and has successfully showcased talent across various platforms.
Laya Sourabha is also a textbook on Mrudanga written in Kannada and English by Sreenivas Murthy and was first published in 2014. In 2020, he permitted Sangeet Bharati to publish it digitally on its platform, making it available to a broader audience at no cost. This book will immensely help the students learn percussion instruments in Karnataka Sangeeta as per the syllabus prescribed by the KSEE Board, Bengaluru. Sangeet Bharati permits other institutes and organizations to use and benefit from this book.
Tabala
Pandit Gurumuthy Vaidya (HoD)
Gurumurthy Vaidya, fondly called “Tabala Guru”, is one of the leading musicians in the world of rhythm. He belongs to the rich traditions of Ustad Ahmed Jan Tirakhwa Saheb.
Born into a musically inclined family, Gurumurthy hails from the culturally rich Yallapura region in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. At a tender age, Gurumurthy showed a keen interest in music. Gurumurthy recalls his childhood spent trying to understand the complex rhythmic patterns of Yakshagana. He began his musical journey at age 12. He started his Classical Tabala lessons with Pandit G G Hegde in Yallapura and later received additional training from the renowned Pandit Basavaraj Bendigere of Dharwad. Later became a disciple of the legendary master Pandit Ravindra Yavagal and continues to receive guidance from him.
Gurumurthy is a graded Tabala artist of AIR and DOORDARSHAN. While Gurumurthy has performed on several prestigious stages worldwide, he has accompanied eminent artists such as Vidushi Ashwini Bhide Deshpande and Pt. Ulhas Kasalkar, Pandita N.Rajam, Pt. Ramarao Naik, Pt. Brijbhushan Kabra, to name a few.
He has been performing on prestigious platforms across the country and abroad. To name a few, Sawai Gandharva Festival Pune, Pt.Vishnu Digambar Paluskar Sageeth Sabha, Pt.Taranath Foundation, Pt. Vasanth Rao Deshpande Smrithi Sangeeth Samaroh Nagpur, USA, Muscat.Dubai and Bahrain
Gurumurthy popularised Laya Vinyasa, an ensemble of Tabala, Pakhawaj, Yakshagana maddale, and Chende, which has gained popularity on many prestigious stages.
Being musically adept, Gurumurthy also has in-depth knowledge of Ragas. He has composed for many commercial CDs and participated in musical seminars and workshops. As a technology enthusiast, he understands the nuances of recording and has contributed to many commercial projects.
Gurumurthy continues to train and guide talented students through Guru-Shishya Parampara. His students receive high-quality training through dedicated instruction, resulting in many achieving professional grades.