Singer’s spiritual odyssey rewarded

Kalburgi: He may have been conferred a Rajyotsava award but  tatva-pada singer, Dadapeer Manjarla of Raichur is no less critical of the government for its failure  to protect and nurture the traditional art of singing  philosophical and spiritual songs that he is so famous for.

“We have already lost many tatva-padas as the singers are dying . But at least now the government or  universities should begin collecting and preserving them,” he says.

Born in a tiny village of Gadwal taluk  near Raichur,  Dadapeer is a household name in almost all villages in these parts. Hardly a day begins  without one or other villager listening to him sing  in his classical Hindustani style.

Fluent  both in Kannada and Telugu, Dadapeer has enthralled audiences at over a thousand concerts during the last three -and- a- half decades and  brought out 148 audio cassettes of tatva-padas.

He began singing at an early age  following in the footsteps of his late father, Khader Wali, popularly known as Khader Das, who was himself a tatva-pada  composer and singer.  

“The tatva-padas are not only rich in music, but also bhakti. They tell us in lucid, captivating terms what every individual should do to lead a righteous life .

But although they are popular in villages, they are hardly heard of in cities,” he regrets .