My parents Anuradha and Venkatachalam, inculcated music in me, by regularly playing music on the radio (AIR Chennai and by luck few times Ceylon Radio), buying cassettes (Lalgudi Jayaraman’s Thillana, Bhimsen Joshi’s bhajans, Annamacharya songs) and taking me to LIVE kaccheris from a very young age, K J Yesudas, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, Mandolin Srinivas, Maharajapuram Santhanam, K V Narayanaswamy, T N Seshagopalan, to name a few memories.
After initial induction into music by Smt Sharadha as part of my school extra curricular activities, I came under the training of Neyveli Sri R Santhanagopalan in 1983. I’m thankful to my maternal grandparents (ammamma and appappa) who were instrumental in making me join ‘PAATTU CLASS’ with Neyveli Sir, who has spared an enormous amount of his valuable time and energy in grooming the musician that I am today. Till date, the genius musician guides me, inspires me and encourages me to pursue this art and explore it to its fullest.
I got the opportunity to learn few padhams and jāvalis from one of the proud representatives of the Dhanamma bhāni – Smt. Mukthamma, introduced to, by my father’s friend Sri. Sekhar Raghavan. I fondly cherish the one and only time Mukthamma and Neyveli met at a private gathering, she commented to Neyveli sir, “நல்லா சொல்லி வெச்சிருக்கீங்க அவளுக்கு”
With a voice of a cuckoo, laded with devotion and love, Smt. Leelavathi Padmanabhan lovingly taught me select self-tuned Dhāsa Sāhithyas, thereby sowing the seed of the great tradition of the kannada language treasured compositions, in my mind, which later on led me, to tune few dhāsa sāhithyas. I am very grateful to Smt. Veena Ananth (daughter of Smt. Leelavathi) who introduced me to Leela māmi.
I enjoy training aspirants of music, to nurture their talent, capability and interest in music. My students and their families form a major part of my life.
My husband Bangalore Ramanath (January 1973-June 2023), who was a performing mridanga vidwan, continues to support and encourage me in my full time engagement to this fine art, in spirit.
Ever since my guru, Guruji Viswanath (Manava Seva Kendra) pointed out to me –
NĀDHAN NĀMAM NĀMUM PĀDUVOM
let’s sing the name of the creator
NĀDHA SWARANGALUL NĀMUM ADANGUVOM
let’s be bound within the harmonious notes
NĀDHA MANDHIRATTHUL NĀMUM VASIPPOM
let’s dwell in the abode of harmony
NĀDHA BRAHMATTHUL NĀMUM LAYIPPOM
let’s merge with the absolute,
I feel I have a purpose to sing !! I now act as the Director, Dept of Music at Manava Seva Kendra, spreading therapeutic music to all.
music and srividya 