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Mangaluru
Renowned saxophone exponent Kadri Gopalnath died at a private hospital here early on Friday, family sources said. He was 69 and had been ailing for some time.
Gopalnath is survived by wife, two sons and a daughter.
A Padma Shree awardee and one of the pioneers of music in the saxophone in the country, he had the distinction of being the first Carnatic musician to be invited to the BBC Promenade concert in the Royal Albert Hall at London in 1994.
Gopalnath’s son, Manikanth Kadri, is a noted music director.
Family sources said he was admitted to hospital here on Thursday after a complaint of back pain and breathed his last early on Friday following a cardiac arrest.
Apart from the sobriquet ‘Saxophone Chakravarty’ (Emperor of Saxophone), Gopalnath was bestowed with many awards such as Kendriya Sangeet Natak Akademi, Kalaimamani of the Tamil Nadu government, Karnataka Kalasri, Gana Kala Bhushana and Naada Gandharva just to name a few.
He had played the saxaphone for Tamil film ‘Duet’ helmed by late director K Balachander with musical score by AR Rahman, popularising the otherwise lesser known instrument among audience in Tamil Nadu.
Condoling his death, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa tweeted: “Kadri Gopalnath’s death is an irreparable loss to the music world. I’m deeply saddened with his demise.”
The funeral will be held on Saturday after his elder son Guruprasad, who works in Kuwait, reaches here.
Gopalnath’s body will be kept at the town hall here for the people to pay their last respects, sources said.
