MusicalNirvana - Articles on Sudha Raghunathan

Articles on Sudha Raghunathan

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Reproduced here for educational purposes only

Press Reviews

A Scholar

In Sudha's lecture-demonstration in the morning session ,she revealed that she is not a mere vocalist but a scholar of high repute.

Subbudu, The Statesman 3-1-99

Youthful urge and buoyancy

Sudha Music reflects a youthful urge and buoyancy. She keeps an even balance between raga and swara and with varied repertoire brings freshness to her concerts.

Deccan herald 15-3-99

Spring music festival

Sudha Raghunathan dazzles " Whether in the mandara sthayi or in the top register, her raga sancharas were dazzling and the delineation had also an intellectual touch in her sruti bheda"

The Hindu March 5-99

Music gives peace of mind

The charm of Sudha Ragunathan's voice is easier felt than described. It comes straight from the heart flows gently like a stream, leaving no aspects untouched and missing no beauty along its way in all three octaves.

The New Indian Express March 5, 99

Could draw more on voice power

Poorvikalyani made its grand entry,like a royal elephant.Sudha developed the raga with great care. Karuvais were more sustained here with many sancharas in the style of MLV, who must have loved this raga.

The Indian Express 30-12-98

A superb performance

Sudha gave a scintillating vocal recital . Sudha was at her best. In her lecture demonstration in the morning session, Sudha revealed that she is not a mere vocalist but a scholar of high repute.

The Stateman March 1, 99

Blending voice and vidwat

Sudha Raghunathan is always supremly sure of herself, of her technique and depth of taste in her music, all of which have enabled her to shine from the pedestals of Carnatic music.

The Indian Express.14-12-1997

Taken from The Hindu
Reproduced here for educational purposes only

Interview

With the death of many senior vidwans in a short span of a few years, the future of Carnatic music looked bleak. But many young musicians came on the scene to preserve its heritage. Starting this week, the Friday Review will carry every week the profiles of artistes who have made a mark.

"Looking back I am even today surprised as to how I strayed into the Carnatic music field as a professional performing artiste. I am a post-graduate in economics and music as a career was far from my mind, " Sudha Raghunathan reminisced with both surprise and satisfaction, when she received a telephone call. She spoke in good Kannada over the phone.

So, you know Kannada?

Yes, because I was born in Bangalore and spent the first ten years there. Somehow I have a knack of learning languages. I can also speak Telugu.

Do you remember your early days?

Puttaparthi Sai Baba used to stay on the first floor of our house in Kumara Park before he moved on to Whitefield. In fact, Sai Baba did the namakaranam, ashtarabhyasam and even the ear boring ceremony. He named me Geetha Sudha, telling he would call me Geetha and I would be Sudha for the rest of the world'' she smiled. ``Because of his stay there, bhajans would be conducted quite frequently and I could sing many bhajans at a tender age.

Who initiated you into music?

My mother Choodamani. She was a student of Manakkal Varadarajan and later Manakkal Rangarajan. Also my elder sister was a disciple of Selvapillai Iyengar. This environment created awareness of music in me.

Are you an ardent devotee of Sai Baba?

I gave a performance in Puttaparthi last year when Sai Baba recognised me and remarked, "you are Venkataraman's daughter".

For how many years were you learning from your mother?

About seven or eight years, say till I was about 14. Then for two or three years I learnt from T. V. Viswanathan. Then we came to Madras and were staying in Montieth Lane. For three years B. V. Raman and B. V. Lakshman guided me.

What brought you under M. L. Vasanthakumari and when?

In 1977 I got a Government of India scholarship. I had attended MLV's performances during the Ramanavami celebrations in Seshadripuram in Bangalore. Her music appealed to me. When I got the scholarship my mother suggested I should learn from a woman artiste and that brought me to MLV. Before that I had won several prizes in the Indian Fine Arts Society, Music Academy, inter- collegiate competition in music. In Madras, I was studying in the Ethiraj College majoring in Economics. Since the Government of India scholarship insisted on full attention to music I took my post-graduate degree by correspondence course.

So from 1978 onwards till MLV's death in 1990 you were her student?

Then MLV suggested I should take up music as my profession. For four or five years she wanted me find a footing. It was in 1982 I got married.

Did you find any difficulty in pursuing your career after your marriage?

I was fortunate in my in-laws who were very accommodating to the demands of a musical career. But once children are born, it is difficult to take to this field. The special circumstances in my life helped me. My first child, a son, was born in 1984. He is now studying in the Don Bosco school. He stays with my father and mother in Egmore. In 1991 a daughter was born. She isnow in LKG. My husband and I are living in a flat. It is of course difficult to manage both the career and household responsibilities. If both of us are away who will look after the child? I am managing somehow.

Did you start singing with M. L. Vasanthakumari from the beginning.

Yes, from 1979.

Would she teach the songs to enable you to be the voice support.

She had not taught us any songs. She would sing, mostly in performances from which I had to learn. By following her in all her performances, I came to learn the songs.

Would there be perfect coordination in such a system?

Sometimes when I faltered on the dais she would turn her head and I would realise where I had gone wrong. Also after the cutcheri she would gently point out my lapses.

How did you learn new songs, then?

My guru would contact musicians like for instance T. M. Thiagarajan and tell him that she would like to learn a particular song from him. MLV would send either me or Kanyakumari to TMT's house. He would teach us or we would record the song on tape. My guru would polish the new songs in her inimitable way and as she was doing it we would learn. I have not seen MLV practise at home any song which she proposed to sing in a cutcheri. She had such a strong foundation that she did not need any homework.

So your training under MLV was mainly by what is called Kelvi and lakshya gnanam.

Mostly.

Singing with your guru for nearly 13 years must have given you enough performing experience.

Certainly.