R. K. Srikantan

Rudrapatna Krishnashastri Srikantan (14 January 1920 – 17 February 2014) was a vocalist of the Karnataka sangeeta tradition of South Indian music.

Srikantan was born to a Sanketi family in Rudrapatna, Hassan district of Karnataka, on 14 January 1920. His father R Krishnashastri was an orator, singer of Gamaka (storytelling), playwright, poet, and a harikatha vidwan. His grandfather, Narayanaswamy of Bettadapura, also known as Veena Narayanaswamy was a Veena instrumentalist and a contemporary of Veene Sheshanna and Veene Subbanna. Srikantan's mother Sannamma was also a good singer of her times but died when Srikantan was two years old.

Srikantan went to Sadvidya Pathashala and Banumaiah High School in Mysore. Later, he obtained his BA degree from the Maharaja College, Mysore.

His father Krishnashastri was Srikantan's first tutor and he moved to Mysore after his wife's death. Later, Srikantan was mentored by his brother R. K. Venkatarama Shastri. He also had the privilege of getting trained under the tutelage of veteran musicians like Veene Subbanna and Chowdiah

Guru-shishya tradition of R. K. Srikantan.

R.K Srikantan was an avid attendee at all concerts in Mysore during the era of the Wodeyars. Srikantan during those days was highly influenced by the Nadaswaram vidwans of his time. He was also highly influenced by maestros of the likes of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Musiri Subramania Iyer, G N Balasubramaniam and Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer.

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