It is not difficult to find the house of Venkappa Ambaji Sugatekar, the veteran Gondhali artist. One has to get down at the Nava Nagar Bank Circle and ask for directions to the house of the Padma Shri awardee. The people of the area are very proud of ‘Gondaliger Yankappa’ living amidst them.
A young shop-keeper pulls down the shutters and walks you to his house. The first thing one notices about the man who received the Padma award for his contribution to the folk art form is how fit he is. At 82, he walks upright, remains free of most lifestyle diseases, his hearing is intact, and he does not need spectacles.
A few minutes into the conversation with him, you are floored by his elephantine memory and the wide knowledge base. The real treat, however, is seeing him perform. His high-octane voice is captivating.
He has a wide range and uses varied styles for different types of songs — Bhajans , Abhanga , Dasara Pada and Lavani . He seems to effortlessly switch between his singing voice and normal voice, when he stops to tell mythical tales. A typical Gondhali (or Gondala in districts like Bagalkot and Vijayapura) performance lasts for around five to seven hours.
It starts with the first aarati around 9.30 p.m.
and ends at daybreak with the fifth aarati . The artists start by singing praises of deities Amba Bhavani and Saundatti Yallamma. Venkappa Ambaji Sugatekar with his family memebers at his home in Bagalkot.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT A bouquet of several flow.