Mysore Ananthaswamy has been regarded as one of the illustrious singer of Kannada Sugama Sangeetha who became the household name in the Indian state of Karnataka. Today the work that he has done has been reckoned as `monumental` specially in cases of light music. For the last 40 years, this astonoshing personality aims at spreading the songs of famous Kannada poets in the nook and corners of the state. He has fetched great achievement in this regard. In its true sense he can be ornamented as the "king" of light music.
Mysore Ananthaswamy has been counted as the first amongst the few people who attempted to instill the literature to the heart of not-so-erudite people. He was born to a family of musician. Vidwan Chikkarama Rao was his grandfather who was regarded at that time as "Taala Bramha". It was quiet imperative for Mysore Ananthaswamy to follow the footstep of his grand father. He has sharpend his music skills that he imbibed through a natural process first by classical music and later by rehearsing with the likes of P. Kalingarao.
Mysore Ananthaswamy in an usual manner depicts music to the poems of D R Bender, K V Puttappa, K S Narasimhaswamy, G S Shivarudrappa, Nissar Ahmed and Lakshminarayana Bhatta and exhibited the asseveration of his natural talent. He has been magnetized with his rendering of D.V.G.`s Mankutimmana Kagga and Rajaratnam`s Ratnana Padagalu. The unique identity that Mysore Ananthaswamy has established through his composition is that he can cognizance the essence of the poem. He used to compose the music incorporating the mood of that poem as she possesses extreamly extraordinary sense of blending different style of music into poetry no matter whether it is Carnatic or Hindustani or western.
Poets, singers and listeners who loves his music standing out to a point that `his works stood out for its melody and meaning`. Kurigalu Sir Kurigalu, Ede Tumbi Haadidenu, Tenavina, Madikerili Manju etc., are very celestial which offers the idea to the listener that music is indeed an elementary base of the poem.
Whoever has experienced the rendering of Mysore Ananthaswamy all will agree to the point that it is indeed a nice experience to hear him. `His voice had the strength of meditation that could enchant the listener`. Before applying it in music form he always experimented and assigned each and every word of the poem. The outcome undoubtedly will be a fine blend of literature and music.
Apart from being a good musician, Mysore Ananthaswamy was also a good human being. Ananthaswamy was married to Shantha and they were seemed to be made for each other. This simple man loved laughing and making others laugh. Always in his lifetime he has paid importance to his artistic decorum, which overtake his popularity. Apart from an accomplished singer, he also had a large student abiding by in light music. He has always given support to them from the bottom of his heart and took active plume in their achievement.
Mysore Ananthaswamy expressed a child-like enjoyment when he used to unfold his new composition before his close friends. Even though today he has left us, but Ananthaswamy`s voice is still alive. It has been said that `the koyal is gone but the song remains, it has no death`. Through his students and his children- Sunitha , Raju and Anitha his music will go forward to live.
