Renowned Carnatic vocalist Vidwan D. Seshachari passes away at 67

Seshachari’s last rites will be performed at the Bansilalpet crematorium on Sunday evening, the family said.

His elder brother Vidwan Raghavachari, said of his music partner of over five decades: “Our journey was one of the wonderful musical times. That was a blessing. For me this is the biggest loss.”

Vidwans Seshachari and Raghavachari, who have presented vocal recitals across the globe, last performed on January 30 at the Sri Venkateshwara Swamy Temple at Srinagar Colony during the Thyagaraya Aaradhana festival and presented the saint-composer’s Pancharatna Keertanas.

The Vidwans belong to a family of traditional classical musicians. Born in Yakutpura in the city, they got their initial formal training from their father Daroor

Ratnamacharyulu. Vidwan Seshachari was born in October 1956, and his brother Vidwan Raghavachari in June 1952.

The Hyderabad Brothers had received the Best Young Talent Award in 1977 and 1978 from the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Hyderabad, as well as by the Madras Music Academy for three consecutive years from 1990, 1991 and 1992. In 1993, The Music Academy presented them the Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer award for the best rendering of Thyagaraja kritis. In 1992, the duo was nominated as aasthana vidwan of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham and bestowed with title of ‘Senior Outstanding Vocalists’ award by the Music Academy in Chennai. In 2012, the then AP government had conferred the Hyderabad brothers with the Kalarathna award.

Seshachari was known for his robust, deep and resonant voice.