The eternal songstress: Carnatic vocalist Sudha Ragunathan

Carnatic vocalist Sudha Ragunathan, who was recently conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar, opens up about future projects
Sudha Ragunathan
Sudha Ragunathan

CHENNAI : Sudha Ragunathan is beaming. She has just received the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) Puraskar. “The SNA recognition is from the fraternity, so it is special,” says the Chennai-born Carnatic vocalist, whose repertoire is marked by shruti shuddham (pitch purity), flawless laya (rhythm), highly creative manodharma (improvisations), and a mellifluous voice that traverses effortlessly over the different sthaayis (octaves).

“She has a vibrant style of singing. I admire her energy levels, which she effortlessly maintains throughout her concerts. Her pitch clarity and the instant rapport she strikes with the audience are inspiring,” says S Sowmya, vice-chancellor, Tamil Nadu Dr. J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University. One of the biggest crowd-pullers in Carnatic music, she is known for her scintillating concerts. A Padma Bhushan-recipient, Ragunathan says she owes her achievements to her guru, the legendary musician ML Vasanthakumari (MLV).

Purists commend the chaste classicism of her renditions. “Her in-depth training, mesmerising voice, intricate musical skill, combined with her rich repertoire and have placed her among the most adored artistes of all times. Ragunathan shines like a full moon, spreading joy and peace with her soulful music,” says Nandini Ramani, Bharatanatyam exponent and executive board member of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.

As someone who loves to delineate different ragas and sing a selection of rare lyrics from different vaggeyakaras (composers), the compositions that feature regularly in Raghunathan’s concerts are Annamacharya’s Brahmamokkate (Telugu, Bhouli ragam) because of its lilting tune, Kandanal Mudhalai (Tamil, Madhuvanti ragam), Bharathiyar’s Chinnanchiru Kiliyae (Ragamalika) and, of late, Kurai Onrum Illai (Ragamalika) too for its words and mood.

Like many of her generation, Ragunathan’s initial years were busy with recording projects, even as she gave countless critically appreciated performances. With over 200 audio-CD releases, which album does she cherish the most? “Each was interesting. Among the most challenging was Dance of Shiva where we had to find rare compositions in Tamil along with well-known ones. These projects were during the early phase of my career (the 1990s mostly), the golden phase of music recordings,” says the 66-year-old.

The only Indian classical musician to have performed at the United Nations in New York (on October 2, 2016) after Carnatic doyen MS Subbulakshmi, Ragunathan believes in paying it forward. “As someone blessed with a great guru and appreciation of countless music lovers, I have been ever-conscious of the need to give back to society,” says the artiste. The need to contribute more prompted her to start her own charitable organisation, Samudhaaya Foundation, in 1999, which focuses on the needs of the underprivileged.

“She carries forward the legacy that of the great MLV, but has also created a distinct ‘Sudha style’. She is always in command when performing. That control is so poetic on stage and has zero arrogance. She makes a statement on stage. She has also adapted to the changing times without compromising on the values and basics of her practice,” says Subashree Thanikachalam, creative head, Maximum Media.

This Carnatic singer has collaborated with global artistes during her performances abroad. Recalling one of such moments in Norway, she says, “There was a concert at a festival in a village. The performance saw the participation of nine or 10 artistes, so one can imagine how tough and time-consuming the sound-check was. Even the performance with so many diverse elements coming together was a big challenge. But it was all exciting and musically rewarding,” says the vocalist, who appreciates the fact that musicians today like to step across the borders to try and create newer content, giving rise to an array of fusion music. “I like how it makes us draw ideas from other artistes just as we share our ideas with them and arrive at a new sound which is different from what one renders otherwise,” she remarks.

The veteran performer rues the fact that younger aspirants today are eager to ascend the stage, even before they have mastered their art. “They must realise that once you turn performer, the time for sadhana (meditation), addressing learning issues, shaping one’s voice…everything becomes reduced
or limited,” says Ragunathan, who would advise the younger generation to take it slow.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com