By Harshini Purushotham
Mysuru has had thick roots of art and culture since the Wadiyar times, creating a prodigious space for lineages of artistes to grow. The lasting effect of the anecdotes has inspired generations in making this heritage city, the Cultural Capital of Karnataka. The endeavour seems unabating with contemporary artistes like Vid. Manasa Nayana upon whom ‘Ananya Yuva Puraskara-2018’ was conferred recently. Vid. Manasa Nayana was initiated into the profound world of Indian Music by Vidu. S.K. Vasumathi in Karanataka style. His learning pursuit continued under the guidance of Vid. Vairamangalam Lakshminarayana, a disciple of the inimitable T.K. Rangachari School. Manasa gives the credit of shaping his career in music to Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. R.K. Srikanthan, whom he says taught him not just music but a whole gamut of a musician’s life. Currently, Manasa is under the tutelage of Sangeetha Kalanidhi R. Vedavalli. Apart from the conventional training, workshops led by eminent musicians helped him in assimilating the diverse attributes of music. Manasa was an achiever since the inception. He stood first in Senior, Vidwat Poorva and Vidwat Antima music examinations conducted by KSEEB. Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), Karnataka Sangeetha Nritya Academy and Department of Culture, Government of India, have aided his musical journey with scholarships.
