THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Eminent singer, musicologist and writer Leela Omchery, 94, passed away in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Proficient in Carnatic, Hindustani, Sopanam and folk music, she was honoured her with Padma Shri in 2008. She is survived by husband, well-known playwright Omchery N N Pillai, and children Sreedeep Omchery (Sreeram Consolidated Chief Executive Director) and Deepthi Omchery Bhalla (Retd professor, Music Department, Delhi University).
Sister of yesteryear Malayalam singer Kamukara Purushothaman, Leela was born on May 31, 1929, in Kanyakumari district, now in Tamil Nadu. She had served as professor at Kamuakara School of Music, Dance and Research Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, and later as professor and principal of Trikala Gurukulam in New Delhi.
She was the president of Dakshina Bharati (South Indian Women’s Organisation), and vice-president of Swaralaya, New Delhi.
She had also worked as associate professor and head of Carnatic Music Section, Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, University of Delhi, in 1964-1994. She won the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi award in 1990.