Sudha Raghunathan

Sudha Raghunathan

Full Name Sudha Raghunathan
Also known as  M.L.V. ‘varisu’
Profession Vocalist(carnatic music)
Date of birth April 30.
Birth place Bangalore
Father Venkatraman
Mother Choodamani
Brother Prasad Venkatraman
Husband Raghunathan(got married in 1982)
Children
  • Son: Kaushik
  • Daughter:Malavika
Contact address 8/1c , Baskarapuram,
East Abhiramapuram, Chennai – 600 004.
Phone : 91 44 499 6600, Fax : 91 44 499 6800
Email : sudaragu@vsnl.com
Education   College -Ethiraj college M.A.( Economics)
 Gurus   Mother, Mr.B.V.Lakshman and M. L. Vasanthakumari(started singing    with her from 1979)
Tutelage with MLV 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. “
Career started    At the age of 19
Best performance Lincoln Centre in New York.
playback singing  Has rendered three songs in the film ‘Ivan’
Singing style  Spontaneous
Music she likes to hear  Soothing, sometimes something adventurous music
Secrets to 
  • her voice: talk in lower volume, and sometimes even complete silence.
  • her success: absolute dedication
Favourites
  • Singer- MLV
  • Accompaniments: violin, mridangam, morsing, gadam
  • Western: electric guitar
  • Dish:-vendhiya kozhumbu and of course the all fav aalu (potato).
  • Song: baro krishnayya
  • Ragas:subapantuvarali, kalyani, hameer, kapi
  • Composers: Tyagaraja and Purandaradasa and Sivan, among others.
Facts
  • Top Ranking artiste of the All India Radio, Chennai and performs regularly on AIR and Doordharshan
  • unique privelge of being the ‘Astana Vidushi’ of The Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetam, Sringeri, The andavan ashramam, Srirangam the Ahobila Mutt.
  • she exceled in debates, quiz, drama and essay writing during her student years
Opinions  Subbudu(critic):“If I were left deserted on a lonely island, and if I  were granted permission to hold three products that I liked very much, I would list the following in order of my preference:
A. An audio-visual cassette of singer Sudha Ragunathan;
B. Betel leaves and tobacco to chew on while I listen to the music
C. Poet Kannadasan’s works.
Hobbies  Reading fictional and inspirational books
Charity  “SAMUDHAAYA FOUNDATION” was founded for social welfare activities on July 1999. The trust has donated money to

  • KARGIL DEFENCE PERSONNEL RELIEF FUND.-1999
  • cyclone stricken victims of Orissa in December 1999.
  • Gujarat Earthquake Relief Fund 2001
Advice to aspiring  youngsters  To be loyal to guru, and be focused in practice.
Future goals
  • a school which will represent her style of music
  • taking carnatic music from thousands to millions of people.
  • to do research on what music can do in the field of medicine
Awards and
Honors
        AWARDS

  • Woman of Golden Substance Award 1998-99
  • MLV Memorial Award, 1998
  • Bharat Jyoti, Bharathiya Vidhya Bhavan, New York, 1998
  • Sangeetha Choodamani, Sri Krishna Gaana Sabha, Madras 1997
  • Senior Musician Award, the ‘Yogam Nagaswamy’ award at the Sadas of the Music Academy 1997
  • Bharatha Sangeetha Bhushan —1997
  • Sangeetha Bhushini 1996
  • ‘Kalaimamani’ award from the govt of tamilnadu-1993
  •  Sangeetha Saraswathi from The Mahasannidhanam of Sringeri, 1993
  • Junior Fellowship for two years ( 1993 to 1995), from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, given to outstanding Artistes in the field of Performing Arts.
  • Sri T. S. Rajam award for ‘Talented Outstanding Musician’ -1992
  • Received ‘Most Outstanding Student’ for three years in succession while studying in the Ethiraj College .

      HONOURS

  • Honour of performing  at the Theatre de la Ville, Paris, France – 2000.
  • She sang the ‘Vande Mataram’ at the Central Hall of Parliament, New-Delhi on 27th January, 2000 to a full house in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries to honour the completion of 50 years of the Indian Republic.
  • Honour of performing at the Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Centre, New York Broadway in 1998 for Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New York to commemorate 50 years of its inception.
  • The only Asian to perform at the ‘International Festival – ECHTERNACH’ at Luxembourg – 1995
  • Sang in the 8th World Tamil Conference held in Thanjavur in January 1995
  • Honour of participating in the 22nd I.T.C. Sangeeth Sammelan organised by the S. R. A. Calcutta held at Siri Fort, New Delhi in -1993.

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