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Gayathri Echampati

Gayathri was born on 9th November 1959 in Chennai to Mrs. Kamala Aswathama, a veena artist of A.I.R (All India Radio) Madras and late Mr. G.Aswathama, a popular film music director. When Gayathri was six, she`d spend hours in the `Pooja` room playing the veena. Gayathri`s father noticed her fondness towards the veena and immediately put her to regular practice with her mother. When she was nine, she performed before the Kanchi Paramacharyal (Senior Sankaracharya) who blessed her by placing a sandalwood crown on her head...something which she preserves with care even today. In 1969 , she won the first prize in music-veena competition held by the Sangeet Natak Academy. Her break came when she was invited to take part in the Thyagaraja festivals by Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, Triplicane. Extremely happy with her performance, she was again invited in 1970 and gave a full concert. In the same year, she received the award for `Child Prodigy` at the hands of Prof. P.Sambamurthy, eminent musician, musicologist and teacher. In 1971, when she was only twelve, AIR admitted her to `A` grade without audition. Fame and recognition came to her in no time... there was no looking back. She performed in several music festivals and concerts all over India. In 1988, Gayathri came under the expert guidance of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri. T.M Thiagarajan. Today Gayathri has admirers of her music present all over India and abroad. She has 1500 concerts to her credit. She has recorded extensively, and some of her most memorable titles are `Veena Gana Vinodhini`, `Veena Vani`, `Veena Bharathi`, `Amutha Geetham`, `Veena Selvi`, `Mahati Ragni`, `Nadha Sudharnava`, `Veena Gana Visarada`, `Veena Saraswathi`, `Yazh Isai Selvi` and `Kalaimamani`. Can sing western pop, play guitar and write fiction in Telugu. It is no mean tribute to her knowledge, training and merits. Gayathri recently proved her abily to sing when she worked with music director Mahesh and released an album on light music called `Butterfly`.