Sangeetha Katti


Sangeeta Katti Kulkarni, her married name, Sangeeta Manmohan Kulkarni, is an Indian playback singer, Hindustani classical vocalist, musician, music composer from Karnataka and She is awarded the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2006 by the Government of Karnataka.

Introduction

Sangeeta Katti was born in Dharwad, Karnataka. She is a daughter of Dr. H. A. Katti and Smt Bharati Katti, Sangeeta Katti was born in Dharwad, an abode of Music, significantly on the Saraswati Pooja day of Dasara as a child prodigy in music, on 7 October.
Sangeeta Katti has a rich performance experience in Hindustani Vocal as well as Bhajans, Vachanas, Dasavani, Abhangs, Bhavageet, Folk Music and Playback singing.
Sangeeta Katti is graduate in Chemistry and well versed in several languages like Kannada, Hindi, English, Marathi etc.
Sangeeta Katti won several meritorious awards for her melodious compositions and albums. Leading recording companies like Master Rec. Co., Chennai, HMV, Lahari Rec. Co, Sangeet Sagar and several others have released a good number of Audio Cassettes and CD's of Sangeeta in Classical, Devotional, Light, Film and Folk Music.
Sangeeta Katti has the privilege of having worked with the leading Music directors like Upendra Kumar, M.Ranga Rao, Vijay-Bhaskar, MM Keerawani, C Ashwath, Hamsalekha and Others and sung with leading maestros of India like Dr. M Balamurali Krishna, Dr. K.J. Yesudas,.S.P.Balasubramanyam, Dr. K.J. Yesudas, Dr. Rajkumar, Dr. P.B Srinivas and others. Sangeeta is a 'A' grade artist in Classical and Light Music both on AIR and television, as a rich experience of singing nine different languages.
Having successfully toured abroad, all over UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Gulf and Canada, Sangeeta is the most popular figure there too.
Sangeeta Katti is residing in Bangalore, India with her husband Sri. Manmohan Kulkarni and her two kids Chi. Savani Kulkarni and Chi. Ninad Kulkarni, musing on music.

Childhood

Sangeeta Katti received initial lessons from her father. At the age of four, she met Naushad Ali which she considered a turning point in her life. Naushad Ali asked her to sing some ragas and was impressed by the child prodigy and since then she became his student. Trained initially under Sri Sheshagiri Dandapur and Pt. Chanderashekhar Puranikmath, Sangeeta received advanced training in classical vocals from Padmabhushan Pt. Basavaraj Rajguru of Kirana & Gwalior Gharana for about 12 years. She is presently under the tutelage of Padmavibushana Gana Sarswati Smt Kishori Amonkar of the Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana

Parampara-the Era

The evolution of different styles of Music in India. A concept that showcases the various genres of Music with narration on music evolvution from the traditional court music to a popular form of art among masses. The showcase involves nostalgic popular Thumris, Dadras, Bhakti Sangeet ,  Ghazals, Bhaavageete, Lok Sangeet, Cinema in Hindi, Kannada, Marathi languages.

Others

Sangeeta Katti to date has over 5000 + concerts to her credit, her very first performance being at the age of four. She has also performed in the United States, UK, Newzealand and Canada. She is a regular feature in most of the important music festivals in India. She was a teaching faculty in Hindustani Vocal music at Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Bengaluru.

Playback singing

Sangeetha Katti has sung several songs and her songs in the film Nagamandala like Ee Hasiru Siriyali and Kambada Myalina Bombeye have been widely acclaimed.

List of concerts

  1. Mysore Dasara festival in 1983, 1987, 1999, 2005, 2008, 2014.
  2. 51st Sawai Gandharva Sangeetotsav, Pune – December 2003.
  3. Hampi Utsav – 1989, 1993, 1998, 2004, 2007, 2010.
  4. Other important state festivals like:-- Sahyadri utsav in 1998, Navsarpur utsav in 1991, Hoysala utsav in 2004, Kittur Utsav in 2004
  5. The Spirit of Unity Concerts for Universal Integration – 1998 2000.
  6. Mahakumbha Mela, Haridwar, Uttaranchal April 2010.
  7. Several other important places like Mumbai, Goa, Delhi, Nasik, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Mantralayam and others.
Concerts in abroad
UK:
  1. Vishwa Kannada Sammelana, Millennium Meet at Manchester – Aug 2000, Aug 2008.
  2. Young Kannadigas at London, Rajyotsava celebrations, Nov 2008.
  3. UKKV Ugadi at Cardiss, April 2011.
USA:
  1. AKKA Conventions at Houston, Texas, – Sep 2000, Detroit Michigan – Sep 2002, Orlando Florida, Sep 2004, Baltimore, MD, Sep 2006
  2. Basant Bahar, California.- 2002,2004. NA Kannadigas – 2000, 2002. Kannada Kuta LA & Sandiego – 2002
  3. Sri Venkateshwara Temple, Pittsburgh – 2002 and Purandara dasa day, June 2004.
  4. Kannada Sangha Atlanta – 2000. VSNA Convention, Atlanta – July 2004.
  5. Kannada Kuta, Hindu Temple & Other associations at Chicago – 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008
  6. Sai Baba Temple, Aurora, IL- 2004
  7. HTGC, Lemont IL – 2002
  8. Pampa Kannada Kuta at MI, 2002, 2004. Michigan Symphony, Detroit, MI. Music Community of Greater Metropolitan Detroit, MI 2002
  9. Kaveri Kannada Kuta, MD – 2000, 2002, 2004...West Virginia & Washington DC
  10. Music Community of greater Metropolitan Detroit, MI – Sep 2002
  11. Triveni Kannada Sanga at NJ and NY – 2000, 2002, 2004
  12. CVHTS, Connecticut – 2002, 2004
  13. Annual Music and Dance Festival, ICHS, Dallas, TX – 2004. Mallige Kannada Kuta, Dallas, TX – 2000.
  14. Kannada Association of Northern California and Los Angeles – 2000, 2002
  15. Kannada Association St. Louis – 2004
  16. Mallige Kannada Sangha at Clarion Hotel Auditorium, Indianapolis, Indiana – 2004. Gita Mandal Indianapolis, Indiana – 2004
  17. Swanranjali – Columbus, Ohio- 2000, 2004
  18. VMS Sri Jayathirtha Aradhana Day Allentown, Pennsylvania, 2004
Canada:
  1. Kannada Association – Toronto – 2000, 2004
  2. Rendered Vande Mataram at The Panorama India – Indo – Canadian Cultural Fest. Toronto – 2004
Australia:
  1. Successful tour in 2009 – Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide etc.
New Zealand:
  1. APKO in 2009 – Auckland. Sangeeta Sarita in 2010 – Auckland
Hong Kong:
  1. APKO – India Association, 2009
Bahrain:
  1. SAARTHA Foundation in Nov 2010
Other Associations like:
  1. Sunnyvale Temple, California, Birmingham – Alabama, Sandiego, Evansville – IN, Louisville – KY, Hindu Temple, Detroit etc.

    Awards & recognitions

Sangeeta has won numerous awards. The list follows
Awards & Recognitions
A recipient of the Suvarna Karanataka Rajyotsava award 2006–2007.
Described as " Wonder in Music " by Sangeet Samrat Naushad Sahab, when Sangeeta was just 4 years.
Performed Classical Music as a child prodigy on children's day through 'Akash wani' in November 1975.
Received the unique blessings of Mother Teresa in the year 1977.
Recorded the first Bhajan Album Dasamanjari at the young age of 13.
1st rank to the State in Junior, Senior and Vidwat exams in Hindustani Classical Vocal.
Recipient of the AIR annual awards in Hindustani Classical and Light Music.
Represented the state of Karnataka at the National Music Festival, South Central Zone, Nagpur −1987.
Represented the state in Hindustani Classical Vocal for the "National Integration Camp" held at CCERT – NEW DELHI in 1990.
Represented Karnataka at the AKKA Conventions, UK and US.
Sung with Maestros like Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, K. J. Yesudas, P. B. Sreenivas, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Rajkumar.
Worked with the renowned music directors of South India Like Upendra Kumar, M Ranga Rao, Vijay Bhaskar, Rajan Nagendra, C. Aswath, M. M. Keeravani, Hamsalekha, Manohar and Others.
Received great words of appreciation and blessings from Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar for singing his Thumri Compositions for Akashawani Bengaluru.
Personally Congratulated by Smt Sonia Gandhi, President AICC for rendering "Vande Mataram" at the 62nd AICC plenary session held at Bengaluru.
Lecture demo presented on the role of Women in Music and Significance of Indian Music at The OHIO State University,US.
Worked as a Composer for several Albums and Shows, researched on the project Sangeet – Sarita, an introduction of Indian Classical ragas through Indian Cinema and successfully rendered these shows all over the world.