Udupi: Meenakshamma (92), wife of renowned singer Pandeshwara Kalinga Rao (1914-1981) and a resident of Moodukeri in Barkur in the taluk, passed away in a hospital in Manipal, following brief illness, on Sunday, Jan 25.
The last public function she had attended was her husband’s birth anniversary observance held under the aegis of the department of Kannada and culture of the state government in Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bengaluru on Sep 6, 2014. The event had been inaugurated by chief minister S Siddaramaiah.
Rao and Meenakshamma had four children, Prema, Vasant, Sharat and Santosh.
On P Kalinga Rao
Rao was reportedly a primary school dropout. But his command over six languages was regarded as stupendous.
He is still considered as having been the pioneer in the ‘bhaavageete’ genre. He is well remembered for his evergreen Kannada songs likeyaakaLuve ele Ranga, Yaaru hitavaru ninage, maaDu sikkadalla, nageyu barutide, baagiloLu kaimugidu, anthintha heNNu neenalla andiLidu baa taayi iLidu baa, and not forgetting udayavaagali namma cheluva KannaDa naaDu.
