Sri. Jayateerth Mevundi
Vocalist
Considered to be the doyen of Kiraana Gharaana by connoisseurs of music, Sri Jayateerth Mevundi hails from the musical land of no snitch, Hubli-Dharwad of Karnataka.
Sri Mevundi, the gem was unearthed and gifted to the realm of music by Pt. Arjunsa Nakod and chiseled by Pt. Shripati Paadegar, who himself was the prime disciple of the legend Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi.
An efficient singer with melodious voice, Sri Jayateerth Mevundi is credited with ‘A’ grade by All India Radio and Doordarshan. One of the most sought after young artists of the country, Shri Mevundi has set his own scales of standard in the Hindustani classical, Santavaani and Daasavani streams. His live concerts are mind blowing, recorded CDs provide an excellent panacea for frustration.
Sri Jayateerth Mevundi is role model for the wannabe musicians, thanks to his of talent and hardwork. This melodious singer was awarded with “young maestro in music” by the past president of India, Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalaam besides the recognitions akin to Pt. Jasraj Gourav Puraskar, Pt. Basavraj Rajguru Puraskar and Aditya Birla Sangeet Kala Kiran.
The glitterati among these is the “Swar Bhaskar Puraskar” the first ever award given in the name of Bharth Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi.
Probably Sri Jayateerth Mevundi is the only young vocalist who is blessed by 3 legendary musicians Bharath Ratna Pt. Ravishankar, Bharath Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi and Bharath Ratna Lata Mangeshkar after listening to Jayateerthji’s singing.
In 1995, When Sri Mevundi was a staff artist of All India Radio, Goa, a thrilling moment for him was when Pt. Bhimsen Joshi himself called over telephone and offered him the chance to perform in the prestigious Sawai Gandharva Mahotsav at Pune. A mesmerizing performance by Sri Mevundi in that festival is a cherishable memory for music lovers who witnessed his concert in that Mahotsav.
The most popular music director A.R. Rehman recently appreciated Sri Mevundi’s singing in a an exclusive interview conducted by Peoples Magazine. When asked by journalists “Have you ever been awestruck while meeting another famous personality? Then A.R replied “Among musicians, there is Hindustani Classical singer Jayateerth Mevundi from Hubli who sings like electricity. He can put any one to shame. He is that great (cf: People’s Magazine dated 22nd Feb 2013 – Page number 42).
Recently legendary singer Bharath Ratna Lata Mangeshkar herself called Sri Mevundi appreciating his talented singing and invited him to sing for a CD to be produced by her recording company. Sri Jayateerth Mevundi admits this to one of the most unforgettable moments of his life.
“Indian music is safe as long as singers like Jayateerth exist” as was said by legendary musicians like Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. What more is needed to make a talented Jayateerth Mevundi to be more confident to march forward to become a legendary musician?