Ramesh, one of the school’s first students, joined KSV in December 2002 when he was 11 years old. Ramesh is one of the few students who possessed musical experience prior to coming to the school. Ramesh’s family were carpenters and they were also very interested in folk music as a hobby. When he wasn’t working with his father, Ramesh attended the school in his village, Hulikheri, 25 km from KSV, and it was one of his teachers there who introduced him to KSV. Ramesh was then determined to go to KSV and asked his parents if he could attend; after many hours of discussion and arguments they eventually relented and allowed him to enter the school.
Ramesh possessed a strong determination and worked very hard so that he rapidly became established as one of the school’s best musicians. His willpower shows when he speaks about the future: an ambitious Ramesh dreams of becoming a renowned artist, like his teacher Pandit Somanath Mardur, and of giving concerts worldwide. This young man is very conscious of the vastness and diversity of the world and one of his desires is to show westerners the deep complexity of Indian classical music.
He wants people to know that KSV is an excellent school; he appreciates the value that is given to education and time at the school. This knowledge-thirsty young man is glad of the fact that at KSV – contrary to the situation in the school of his village- knowledge is not sold, but offered and shared with pleasure.
Mathieu, Agathe and Blaise are like parents to KSV students; they give us affection. Everyone at the school is nice, and the boys and girls are treated equally. My friends in my village sometimes waste their time; they don’t do their homework or practice yoga; they don’t go to class. At KSV we show great respect for time. We learn not to waste it.”
Ansuya Lamani
Born in the gypsy community (Lambani), Anasuya arrived at the school in the spring of 2003 when she was 11 years old. Serious and hard-working, she is blessed with modestly educated parents who give her much support. Her case is quite unusual in her village. Dindur, near the city of Gadag, about 120Km away from KSV, is a rural village. Before coming to the school, Anasuya worked in the fields and learned tailoring skills from her father. She thinks she would still be doing this type of work if her brother Shivkumar hadn’t told her about KSV.
Clearly, KSV is more than a school for Anasuya. It is a family, an environment where she finds friends and adults who affectionately take care of her. But more than anything else, KSV is the place where Anasuya accessed academic and musical knowledge. This young lady profoundly understands the value of knowledge. She considers learning is a privilege and this is exemplified in the efforts she puts in and the results she achieves, both in academic and musical studies. Her teachers already consider her a good musician. In a more modest spirit, and with a big smile and in perfect English, she says that after her studies she wishes to become a music teacher and performing artist.
”Before coming to KSV I didn’t know the alphabet or any music. I had never been to school. Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya is unique. Here all children are like my brothers and sisters.
Sharda Lamani Sharda arrived at the school in the spring of 2003, aged 6. She is from the same village as Anasuya. Before coming to the school, she was taking care of the house while her parents worked in the fields. When two girls from her village came back from KSV for holidays, their descriptions of the school aroused Sharda’s interest.
Still a young child, Sharda only knew her village school, which she attended twice a week, and she had never touched a music instrument in her life. She nevertheless asked her mother on her own to be sent to KSV to learn music and get a good academic education. Extremely serious and devoted to her studies, her young age does not prevent her being able to perform unaccompanied for one hour. Sharda is also at ease with English, and her favourite school subject is singing. She dreams of becoming an academic and music teacher, as well as giving music performances.
Dullu Adolkar
Dullu has been at KSV since its beginnings in December 2002; he was then 10 years old. His secluded village is only 3 Km away from Kalkeri. Located in the forest, television still hasn’t arrived there. All its inhabitants are dairy farmers, and none of them are literate. Dullu discovered KSV by accompanying his father, who sold milk to the school. There he saw his friends learn music, and sing and play tabla. His name appeared on his village school’s lists, even though he never attended class.
Dullu is a teasing yet excessively brilliant child. Since his arrival at KSV, he has shown tremendous perseverance. During his first three years at KSV he took singing lessons. Since sitar classes have been introduced at the school, Dullu practices hard and shows promising advancement. Although he dreams of becoming an artist, (sitar player and teacher), the urge to give back what he has received at KSV is particularly strong in Dullu.
This child is highly conscious of the importance of education. He speaks with great passion of the differences between his daily activities and those of his friends from his village. He is passionate about teaching and communication, and has a strong desire to learn, be it music or languages. Dullu also speaks enthusiastically of the love and affection he receives from Mathieu, Agathe, Blaise and the volunteers.
Ramesh Rathod Born to the gypsy community, Ramesh lived in an urban environment before his arrival at KSV in the summer of 2003, at 11 years old. He was working as a coolie with his father in the city of Hubli. Because their house had been built illegally, his family received no compensation when it was torn down to enable the building of a new road. After that, the family lived in a tent on the same spot where their house used to be.
Ramesh is one of the school’s best tabla players; he is also learning to play the sitar. His brothers, Manju and Laxman, are also students at KSV. Ramesh dreams of becoming an artist, a professional musician and a music teacher. He appreciates very much the help and affection he receives at the school.
SukanyaBadiger Sukanya arrived at KSV in 2004 at the age of 11. She grew up in Bailholgal village in Belgaum district, about 80 km from the school. This young lady has a hoarse voice which is highly appreciated for classical Indian singing.
Sukanya used to help her mother in the house and attended the local school only sporadically. However, her parents are music lovers, and when she heard about KSV and showed interest in going there, her father, a wood worker and harmonium player, gave his consent. Today Sukanya practices singing and dancing, and dreams of performing on the stage, in India and around the world.
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Meet the KSV children
Ramesh Kedarji
Ramesh, one of the school’s first students, joined KSV in December 2002 when he was 11 years old. Ramesh is one of the few students who possessed musical experience prior to coming to the school. Ramesh’s family were carpenters and they were also very interested in folk music as a hobby. When he wasn’t working with his father, Ramesh attended the school in his village, Hulikheri, 25 km from KSV, and it was one of his teachers there who introduced him to KSV. Ramesh was then determined to go to KSV and asked his parents if he could attend; after many hours of discussion and arguments they eventually relented and allowed him to enter the school.
Ramesh possessed a strong determination and worked very hard so that he rapidly became established as one of the school’s best musicians. His willpower shows when he speaks about the future: an ambitious Ramesh dreams of becoming a renowned artist, like his teacher Pandit Somanath Mardur, and of giving concerts worldwide. This young man is very conscious of the vastness and diversity of the world and one of his desires is to show westerners the deep complexity of Indian classical music.
He wants people to know that KSV is an excellent school; he appreciates the value that is given to education and time at the school. This knowledge-thirsty young man is glad of the fact that at KSV – contrary to the situation in the school of his village- knowledge is not sold, but offered and shared with pleasure.
Mathieu, Agathe and Blaise are like parents to KSV students; they give us affection. Everyone at the school is nice, and the boys and girls are treated equally. My friends in my village sometimes waste their time; they don’t do their homework or practice yoga; they don’t go to class. At KSV we show great respect for time. We learn not to waste it.”
Ansuya Lamani
Born in the gypsy community (Lambani), Anasuya arrived at the school in the spring of 2003 when she was 11 years old. Serious and hard-working, she is blessed with modestly educated parents who give her much support. Her case is quite unusual in her village. Dindur, near the city of Gadag, about 120Km away from KSV, is a rural village. Before coming to the school, Anasuya worked in the fields and learned tailoring skills from her father. She thinks she would still be doing this type of work if her brother Shivkumar hadn’t told her about KSV.
Clearly, KSV is more than a school for Anasuya. It is a family, an environment where she finds friends and adults who affectionately take care of her. But more than anything else, KSV is the place where Anasuya accessed academic and musical knowledge. This young lady profoundly understands the value of knowledge. She considers learning is a privilege and this is exemplified in the efforts she puts in and the results she achieves, both in academic and musical studies. Her teachers already consider her a good musician. In a more modest spirit, and with a big smile and in perfect English, she says that after her studies she wishes to become a music teacher and performing artist.
”Before coming to KSV I didn’t know the alphabet or any music. I had never been to school. Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya is unique. Here all children are like my brothers and sisters.
Sharda Lamani
Sharda arrived at the school in the spring of 2003, aged 6. She is from the same village as Anasuya. Before coming to the school, she was taking care of the house while her parents worked in the fields. When two girls from her village came back from KSV for holidays, their descriptions of the school aroused Sharda’s interest.
Still a young child, Sharda only knew her village school, which she attended twice a week, and she had never touched a music instrument in her life. She nevertheless asked her mother on her own to be sent to KSV to learn music and get a good academic education. Extremely serious and devoted to her studies, her young age does not prevent her being able to perform unaccompanied for one hour. Sharda is also at ease with English, and her favourite school subject is singing. She dreams of becoming an academic and music teacher, as well as giving music performances.
Dullu Adolkar
Dullu has been at KSV since its beginnings in December 2002; he was then 10 years old. His secluded village is only 3 Km away from Kalkeri. Located in the forest, television still hasn’t arrived there. All its inhabitants are dairy farmers, and none of them are literate. Dullu discovered KSV by accompanying his father, who sold milk to the school. There he saw his friends learn music, and sing and play tabla. His name appeared on his village school’s lists, even though he never attended class.
Dullu is a teasing yet excessively brilliant child. Since his arrival at KSV, he has shown tremendous perseverance. During his first three years at KSV he took singing lessons. Since sitar classes have been introduced at the school, Dullu practices hard and shows promising advancement. Although he dreams of becoming an artist, (sitar player and teacher), the urge to give back what he has received at KSV is particularly strong in Dullu.
This child is highly conscious of the importance of education. He speaks with great passion of the differences between his daily activities and those of his friends from his village. He is passionate about teaching and communication, and has a strong desire to learn, be it music or languages. Dullu also speaks enthusiastically of the love and affection he receives from Mathieu, Agathe, Blaise and the volunteers.
Ramesh Rathod
Born to the gypsy community, Ramesh lived in an urban environment before his arrival at KSV in the summer of 2003, at 11 years old. He was working as a coolie with his father in the city of Hubli. Because their house had been built illegally, his family received no compensation when it was torn down to enable the building of a new road. After that, the family lived in a tent on the same spot where their house used to be.
Ramesh is one of the school’s best tabla players; he is also learning to play the sitar. His brothers, Manju and Laxman, are also students at KSV. Ramesh dreams of becoming an artist, a professional musician and a music teacher. He appreciates very much the help and affection he receives at the school.
SukanyaBadiger Sukanya arrived at KSV in 2004 at the age of 11. She grew up in Bailholgal village in Belgaum district, about 80 km from the school. This young lady has a hoarse voice which is highly appreciated for classical Indian singing.
Sukanya used to help her mother in the house and attended the local school only sporadically. However, her parents are music lovers, and when she heard about KSV and showed interest in going there, her father, a wood worker and harmonium player, gave his consent. Today Sukanya practices singing and dancing, and dreams of performing on the stage, in India and around the world.
c as a hobby. When he wasn’t working with his father, Ramesh attended the school in his village, Hulikheri, 25 km from KSV, and it was one of his teachers there who introduced him to KSV. Ramesh was then determined to go to KSV and asked his parents if he could attend; after many hours of discussion and arguments they eventually relented and allowed him to enter the school. 
port. Her case is quite unusual in her village. Dindur, near the city of Gadag, about 120Km away from KSV, is a rural village. Before coming to the school, Anasuya worked in the fields and learned tailoring skills from her father. She thinks she would still be doing this type of work if her brother Shivkumar hadn’t told her about KSV. 
sion still hasn’t arrived there. All its inhabitants are dairy farmers, and none of them are literate. Dullu discovered KSV by accompanying his father, who sold milk to the school. There he saw his friends learn music, and sing and play tabla. His name appeared on his village school’s lists, even though he never attended class. 
Badiger 