C. Aswath

C. Ashwath (Kannada: ಸಿ. ಅಶ್ವತ್ಥ; 29 December 1936 – 29 December 2009) was an Indian music composer and exponent of Bhavageete ("expressive poetry") in the Kannada language. He was also a singer, and had sung many of his own compositions. He was credited with singing Bhavageete songs and making sure that they reached the common man.

Early Life and Education

He was born on 29 December 1939. He was graduated in Science from Bangalore University and later worked in Indian Telephone Industries for 27 years before retiring as an Executive Engineer in 1992. He started his musical career as a disciple of Devagiri Shankara Joshi in Hindustani Music.

Movies

Some of his notable compositions include the composition of music for Mysooru Mallige – a classic work of noted poet K.S. Narasimhaswamy and his compositions of Kannada saint Santa Shishunala Sharifa's works.

L. Vaidyanathan met C. Ashwath during the recording of the film Kaakana Kote in 1976. This meeting led them on to a strong relationship of almost three decades. Vaidi provided the orchestra for many of Ashwath's compositions, but it was with the film "Yene Barali Preeti Irali" that the Ashwath-Vaidi duo became collaborators of great music.