| |
Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar
|
Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar (1890–1967) or more popularly simply called as Ariyakudi was born in Ariyakudi a town in the Karaikudi district of Tamil Nadu, South India in the year 1890. Ariyakudi was a Carnatic Music vocalist and is known for his unique style. He made his debut at Tyagaraja Aradhana in 1918. His unique style of singing came to be known as The Ariyakudi Tradition and is followed by his students.
The doyen of Carnatic Music, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer is known to have remarked "I was greatly influenced by Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. I do not want another life. But if there is one, I want to be able to sing like Ramanuja Iyengar". And another maestro G N Balasubramaniam, a contemporary of Ariyakudi is known to have prostrated in front of him out of respect. With Palghat Mani Iyer, the Mridangam maestro, he formed a formidable partnership on the concert platform and a remarkable friendship born out of mutual respect. Palghat Mani Iyer is to have said Anaa (Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar) and Iyengarval (Ariyakudi) are like my two eyes. Free Download Mp3 » |
Dr.Balamurali Krishna
M.Balamurali Krishna Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna pronunciation (help·info) (born July 6, 1930) is an Indian Carnatic vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, playback singer, composer and actor. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour, for his contribution towards Indian Art. He was made Chevalier of the Order des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 2005.
Balamurali Krishna was born in Sankaraguptam, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh state. His father was a well known musician and could play the flute, violin and the veena and his mother was an excellent veena player. His mother died when he was an infant and Balamuralikrishna was raised by his father. Observing his inner penchant towards music, his father put him under the tutelage of Sri Parupalli Ramakrishnayya Pantulu. Sri Pantulu was a direct descendant of the sisya parampara of Saint Thyagaraja.
Under his guidance, the young Balamuralikrishna learnt Carnatic Music. At the age of eight, Balamuralikrishna gave his first full fledged concert at a Thyagaraja Aradhana, Vijayawada. Musunuri Suryanarayana Murty Bhagavatar, a distinguished Harikatha performer, saw the musical talent in the child and gave the prefix 'Bala' (child) to the young Muralikrishna. This title has stuck ever since and Balamuralikrishna has been known so.
Free Download Mp3 » |
|
Aruna Sairam
|
Aruna Sairam received vocal training from her mother Rajalakshmi Sethuraman, who was a disciple of the Alathur Brothers and Thanjavoor Sankara Iyer. She later received training from prominent vocalists, Madurai Somasundaram and T. Brinda. She also learnt the art of pallavi singing from T. R. Subramaniam.
Aruna Sairam collaborated with many Indian artists apart from internationally acclaimed artistes, like Dominique Vellard, the French Gregorian singer.
Aruna Sairam has presented her concerts in all major sabhas in India, as well as many destinations across the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Le Théâtre de la Ville in Paris and the Festival of World Sacred Music in Morocco. Free Download Mp3 » |
Bombay Sisters
The Bombay sisters, C. Saroja and C. Lalitha, are a Carnatic music singing duo.
Bombay Sisters were born in Bombay. They have been trained by H. A. S. Mani, Musiri Subramania Iyer and T.K.Govinda Rao.
Part of the trend of duo singing in Carnatic music, which started in the 1950s, with performers like Radha Jayalakshmi, and Soolamangala, Sisters,they have been singing since 1963 when they started with light classical music, subsequently progressing to classical music; they sing in multiple languages including Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu,Tamil,Malayalam, Hindi and Marathi.They are also known for promoting young musicians through endowments and scholarships.
Free Download Mp3 » |
|
Bombay Jayasree
|
The Bombay Jayasree Jayashri Ramnath (popularly known as Bombay Jayashri) is an Indian Carnatic music vocalist and academy award nominated music composer. She is a disciple of violin maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman
Jayashri was born in Kolkata, into a family of music connoisseurs and musicians. While growing up in Mumbai, she started training in Carnatic music under the guidance of her parents Seetha and N. N. Subramaniam. She attended St. Anthony's High School in Chembur. Soon, she went on to learn with T. R. Balamani, and trained under her for a period of 10 years. Jayashri was also initiated into Hindustani music and trained under Mahavir Jaipurvale and Ajay Pohankar for about six years. When she moved to Chennai, she came under the guidance and mentorship of her guru Lalgudi Jayaraman. She also learnt the veena from G. N. Dhandapani Iyer. Jayashri has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from R.A. Podar College, Mumbai. She also has a Diploma in Music from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, New Delhi.
Jayashri performed her first concert in 1982. She has performed at various festivals and venues all across India and in over twenty different countries. In India, she has performed in all the major cities. In New Delhi: The Rashtrapati Bhavan, Vishnu Digambar festival, Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Sri Shanmukhananda Sabha, India International Centre and Bhakti Utsav. She has performed also at Saptak, Ahmedabad; The Music Academy and Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai; ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata;NCPA and Sri Shanmukhananda Sabha, Mumbai; Chowdiah Memorial Hall and Vasantha Habba, Bangalore; Kuthira Malika and Soorya Festival, Trivandrum, The Palace of Mysore and at the Matrimandir Amphitheatre at Auroville. Across India, she has performed for the Spirit of Unity Concerts for National Integration, SPIC MACAY Festivals and All India Radio's Sangeet Sammelan.
Free Download Mp3 » |
Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar
| The Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar (1896 – October 16, 1974), was a Carnatic music singer from Palakkad (state of Kerala,India). Known by his village name Chembai, or simply as Bhagavatar, he was born to Anantha Bhagavatar and Parvati Ammal in 1896, at Kottayi near Palakkad on Janmashtami day, with Bharani star in the month of Chingam. Chembai was noted for his powerful voice and majestic style of singing. His first public performance was in 1904, when he was nine. He was a recipient of several titles and honours. He was known for his encouragement of upcoming musicians, and also for his ability to spot new talent. He was responsible for popularizing compositions like Rakshamam, Pavana Guru, among others.
The music critic 'Aeolus' describes him as "the musician who has meant the most to Carnatic Music in the first fifty years of the 20th century" Some of his prominent disciples include Yesudas, T. V. Gopalakrishnan, V.V.Subramaniam, P.Leela, among others.Many memorial music festivals are held in his honour annually since his death in 1974, the most important being the annually celebrated Chembai Sangeetholsavam.
Free Download Mp3 » |
|
Charulatha Mani
|
Charulatha Mani is a popular young Carnatic and Cine Playback singer. Charulatha has been performing Carnatic concerts since 1999. She has also sung for movies. Charulatha has appeared in numerous TV shows and radio programmes, in India, and overseas. She has recorded many, CD and DVD albums. Her Isai Payanam TV show, aired on Jaya TV, deals with Ragas in Carnatic and film music and has completed more than 80 episodes.
Charulatha Mani is a leading Carnatic music vocalist and has a huge fan following in India and abroad. Gifted with a rich, melodious voice, and amazing creativity she has a vast repertoire of compositions of various genres, and this has made her one of the most popular and renowned artistes of today. She initially trained under her mother Smt Hemalatha Mani, Veena artiste, and later trained under vidwans Sri Sandhyavananam Srinivasa Rao, and Calcutta K. S. Krishnamurthy. She regularly performs all over the globe, and has won several prestigious awards including the Yuva Kala Bharati from Bharat Kalachar, the Isai Kurasil from New Delhi and M S Subbulakshmi Endowment Award from Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai,Best Ragam Tanam Pallavi award from Krishna Gana Sabha.
Free Download Mp3 » |
D.K.Pattammal
Damal Krishnaswamy Pattammal (28 March 1919 – 16 July 2009) was a prominent Carnatic musician and a playback singer for film songs in many Indian languages. She along with her contemporaries M. S. Subbulakshmi and M. L. Vasanthakumari were (and still are) popularly referred to as the Female trinity of Carnatic Music. This trio initiated the entry of women into mainstream Carnatic Music. She has been appreciated all over the world by Carnatic music lovers.
Pattammal was born in an orthodox Brahmin family in Kancheepuram of Tamil Nadu, India.She was named as Alamelu, but fondly called "Patta" as a child prodigy. Her father, Damal Krishnaswamy Dikshithar, who was deeply interested in music, inspired her to learn Carnatic music. Her mother, Kanthimathi (Rajammal), although a talented singer herself, was not permitted to sing even for friends or relatives in line with strict orthodox tradition. Despite her orthodox background, Pattammal sang and showed considerable music talent at an early age. Free Download Mp3 » |
|
D.K.Jayaraman
|
D. K. Jayaraman (1928, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India - 1991, India), the renowned brother of D. K. Pattammal, was a Carnatic music singer.After learning music from his sister, he furthered his musical skills under many known masters in the field, including Muthiah Bhagavathar and Papanasam Sivan.Like his sister, Jayaraman was known for his moving krithi renditions, especially of Muthuswami Dikshitars compositions. Jayaraman also sang Tamil songs such as those of Papanasam Sivan. Free Download Mp3 » |
G.N.Balasubramaniyam
G.N.Balasubramaniyam (6 Jan 1910 - 1 May 1965), popularly known as GNB, was a legendary vocalist in the Carnatic tradition.He became the first superstar of Carnatic music, innovating the art through emphasis on laya control & reducing the gamakas which eventually made Carnatic music appeal to the lay and the learned alike.
Balasubramanian was born in Gudalur,a small village near Mayavaram in Tanjore, India. He was the son of G. V. Narayanaswamy Iyer, who was a keen student of music. Throughout his younger years, he observed with utmost attention the techniques of the musicians of his day. Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar became his manasika guru and inspiration.While his father dreamed of living in a villa at Luz Church road through GNB becoming a successful lawyer. The young musician in G.N.B made way for greater goals in life.He completed his B.A.(Hons) in English Literature at the prestigious Christian College, Chennai, and took up a short music course at Annamalai University.under the guidance of Sri T.S. Sabesa Iyer, but discontinued due to ill health. However, he joined the diploma course in music under Madras University in the first batch and Sri Tiger Varadachariar was the Principal . Within 2 years, he was ready for concert performances. With his debut in 1928, his climb to the dizzying heights of Carnatic music was almost meteoric.Free Download Mp3 » |
|
Jon B.Higgins
|
Jon Borthwick Higgins (September 18, 1939 – December 7, 1984), also known in India as Higgins Bhagavatar, was an American musician, scholar, and teacher known principally for his rare skill as a non-Indian in the field of Carnatic music. He lived much of his student and professional life at Wesleyan University.
Born in Andover, Massachusetts, Higgins had his high school education at Phillips Academy, where his father taught English and his mother taught music for many years. He attended Wesleyan University and received all three of his degrees from there: a B.A. as a double major in Music and History in 1962, an M.A. in Musicology in 1964, and a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology in 1973.Free Download Mp3 » |
K.V.Narayananswamy
Palghat Kollengode Viswanatha Ramanarayanan (November 15, 1923 - April 1, 2002), often referred to as KV Narayanaswamy was an Indian musician, widely onsidered to be among the finest Carnatic music vocalists of the 20th century. He was described as the "Gentle Perfect Knight" of Carnatic music, a phrase from Geoffrey Chaucer, by V. K. Narayana Menon, prominent art critic of India and recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
KVN was born to Kollengode Viswanathayyar and Muthulakshmi Ammal in Palghat, Kerala, to a Palakkad Iyer family, a district renowned for its cultural and musical traditions, on the 15th of November, 1923. Narayanaswamy was born into a family of illustrious musicians and artists. His great-grandfather Viswam Bhagavatar was renowned for his evocative Ashtapadis and rendered services for Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal, ruler of the princely state of Travancore from 1860 to 1880. In return Viswam Bhagavatar was bestowed with government aid and hereditary royal privileges. Viswam Bhagavatar's son, Narayana Bhagavatar continued his father's legacy. His son was violin maestro, Viswanathayyar (soon came to be known as 'Fiddle' Viswanathayyar), KVN's father. K.V.Narayanaswamy learned basic music lessons under his father and grandfather. After studying in Palghat till the fifth form, he moved to Coimbatore, where he briefly dabbled in theater. KVN even managed a role as the young Kanappan in the movie Kannappa Nayanar. The movie bombed at the box office.Free Download Mp3 » |
|
K.J.Yesudas
|
Kattassery Joseph Yesudas (born 10 January 1940) is an Indian classical musician and playback singer.
Yesudas sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music. He has recorded more than 50,000 songs in many languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Marathi, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tulu, Malay, Russian, Arabic, Latin and English during a career spanning five decades.He has performed in most Indian languages except Assamese, Konkani and Kashmiri. He also composed a number of Malayalam film songs in the 1970s and 1980s. Yesudas is fondly called Gana Gandharvan (The Celestial Singer).
Yesudas has won the National Award for the Best Male Playback Singer seven times (the most by any Indian singer) and the State Award for the Best Playback Singer 43 times, which consists of awards by the state governments of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and West Bengal. He was awarded Padma Shri in 1975 and Padma Bhushan in 2002 by the Government of India for his contributions to the arts.Free Download Mp3 » |
Madurai Mani Iyer
Madurai Mani Iyer (October 25, 1912 – June 8, 1968) was a Carnatic music singer, who was famous for his unique style. He was one of the most highly celebrated carnatic vocalists during the first half of the 20th century. He was renowned for his adept skills at singing kalpana swarams, neraval, and raga alapana. His music continues to be highly regarded today.
Madurai Mani Iyer, whose original name was Subramanian, was born to M. S. Ramaswamy Iyer and Subbulakshmi in Madurai on October 25, 1912. His father, a Sub-court Clerk, was the brother of the famous Vidwan Pushpavanam, who was a great classical musician himself.
Mani Iyer's tutelage in music started at the age of nine. His first guru was Sri Rajam Bhagavathar who was Disciple of Ettayapuram Ramachandra Bhagavathar. Through Rajam Bhagavathar, he came in close contact with the great musician and composer, Gayakasikhamani Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar who founded Shri Thyagaraja Sangeetha Vidyalayam, a music school at Madurai and became an early disciple of the School.Free Download Mp3 » |
|
Madurai S Somasundaram
|
Madurai S Somasundaram is one of the most popular musicians from Tamilnadu. Madurai Somu, as he was affectionately known, had his early training under Sesha Bhagavatar, Abhirama Sastri and Sundaresa Bhattar. Later, he went to the great master, Chittoor Subramanyam Pillai. He gave his first public performance in 1934 at Tiruchendur. His music was highly appealing because of its rich emotional content and very soon, Somu became a household name in Tamilnadu. He popularised plenty of Tamil songs. The Annamalai University conferred upon him an honorary doctorate during its golden jubilee celebrations.
Madurai Somu was universally acknowledged as the greatest interpreter of Chitoor school of music. A great innovator, Somu, who became a legend in his lifetime, irked the die hard purists by taking liberties with form and style. It is undeniable , though, that his efforts injected vivacity into the entire tradition of Carnatic Music.
The music of Somu was possibly the best conceivable blend of technique and appeal. His voice was so unique in its expressiveness that it could afford anything from a mere quiver of resonance to a flood of melody. Added to this potential for infinite musical expression was a vivid imagination that reveled in a variety of stylizations and improvisations, all within a larger framework of the Carnatic tradition. He adopted his medium to render fluent raga alapanas, complex Pallavis,Tamil sprituals and soulful bhajans with an artistry all his own. Free Download Mp3 » |
M.D.Ramanathan
Manjapara Devesa Ramanathan(May 20, 1923 – April 27, 1984) affectionately called MDR was a Carnatic music composer and vocalist.
MDR was born in Manjapara, Palakkad District, Madras Province(Present Kerala) on 20 May 1923. His father Devesa Bhagavathar was a music teacher by profession. MDR did his schooling in Palakkad and graduated with a BSc degree in Physics from Victoria College, Palakkad. On completion of his studies, he travelled to Madras along with his father to improve his musical talents.
During the same time, the legendary Rukmini Devi Arundale initiated a new course on Sangeeta Siromani at Kalakshetra. MDR auditioned for the course and was the only student to be selected for the first batch commencing in 1944. Soon, MDR emerged as Tiger Varadachariar's favorite and was his closest disciple when the latter died in 1950.Free Download Mp3 » |
|
MS Subbulakshmi
|
Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi 16 September 1916 – 11 December 2004), also known as M.S., was a renowned Carnatic vocalist. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor. She is the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay award, Asia's highest civilian award, in 1974 with the citation reading "Exacting purists acknowledge Srimati M. S. Subbulakshmi as the leading exponent of classical and semi-classical songs in the Karnataka tradition of South India.
Subbulakshmi (Kunjamma to her family) was born in Madurai, Madras Presidency, India to Veena player Shanmukavadiver Ammal and Subramania Iyer. Her grandmother Akkammal was a violinist.
She started learning Carnatic music at an early age and trained in Carnatic music under the tutelage of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and subsequently in Hindustani music under Pandit Narayanrao Vvas. She also learned Sanskrit and Telugu under Dr. Nedunuri Krishnamurthy.Free Download Mp3 » |
ML Vasanthakumari
Madras Lalitangi Vasanthakumari(popularly referred to as MLV) (July 3, 1928 - October 31, 1990), was a Carnatic musician and playback singer for film songs in many Indian languages. MLV and her contemporaries D. K. Pattammal and M. S. Subbulakshmi were popularly referred to as the "female trinity of Carnatic Music. A prime disciple of the G. N. Balasubramaniam, she was the youngest among the established musicians of that era, and was the youngest female awardee of the Sangita Kalanidhi award.
As well as being a much sought-after playback singer for films, MLV popularised unfamiliar ragas and her Ragam Thanam Pallavis were considered cerebral. Additionally, she popularised the compositions of Purandara Dasa (and other Dasas), and was responsible for popularizing his compositions Baarokrishnayya, Innu daya barade, among others. Her most famous disciples include Srividya (her daughter), Sudha Raghunathan, A. Kanyakumari, Charumathi Ramachandran and Meena Subramanian.Free Download Mp3 » |
|
Musiri Subramania Iyer
|
Musiri Subramania Iyer (April 9, 1899 - March 25, 1975) was a Carnatic vocalist who's stage performing career spanned the 1920s to the 1940s. After retirement from the stage, he remained an iconic figure in Carnatic music as a dedicated teacher and leader in the Carnatic community. His bhava-laden renditions of Carnatic songs have become the measuring stick for generations of Carnatic vocalists. Musiri Subramania Iyer is one of the giants of Carnatic music in this century.
Musiri, as he was universally known, was born in Bommalapalayam in the Trichy district of Tamil Nadu. His father, Sankara Sastry was a Sanskrit pandit. One of three siblings, he lost his mother, Seethalakshmi, as a boy and his sister Rajathi passed when she was but a child. His family was poor—in later life Musiri seldom spoke about those early years. He married Nagalakshmi when he was 14 years old. Musiri learned to fluently speak, read and write in English when he was 17. Inspired by the singing of a popular acting star of those days, S. G. Kittappa, he decided to become a musician. Like Kittappa, Musiri had a strong vocal range in the higher octaves, and could imitate the former's hit songs with ease.Free Download Mp3 » |
Maharajapuram Santhanam
Sangeetha Kalanidhi Maharajapuram Santhanam(December 3, 1928-June 24, 1992) was one of the great Carnatic music vocalists of the 20th century. He was born in Sirunangur, a village in the state of Tamil Nadu. He followed the footsteps of his father Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer who was also a Carnatic singer.
Besides studying with his father, he was also a disciple of Melattur Sama Dikshitar. Maharajapuram Santhanam was also a distinguished composer. He wrote many songs on Lord Murugan and Kanchi Shankaracharya, His Holiness Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamigal (Maha Periyavar). He was the Principal of Ramanathan College in Sri Lanka.Later he came and settled in Chennai. The songs which were popularised by Maharajapuram Santhanam are,"Bho Shambo" (Revati), "Madhura Madhura" (Bagheshri), both composed by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, "Unnai Allal" (Kalyani Raga), "Sadha Nin Padhame gathi, Varam onnru" (Shanmukhapriya), "Srichakra Raja" (Ragamalika), "Nalinakaanthimathim" (Ragamalika),"Ksheerabdi kannike" (Ragamalika) among others. The Maharajapuram Santhanam Day is celebrated on the 3rd of December every year..Free Download Mp3 » |
|
Smt. Mathangi Satyamoorthy
|
Smt. Mathangi Satyamoorthy has inherited her flair of music from her mother Santha Subramoniam, which was later refurbished by the stringent training she got during her childhood days at Tiruvanaikoil ( Tamil Nadu), from Sri K.S Subramoniam, of the Chembai fold. An ardent devotee of Lord Ganesh, she spend her leisurely hours in teaching young aspirants of the carnatic music in the traditional style. For Carnatic music to her is tantamount to worship of the Almighty. Mathangi took her B.A Degree in English literature. She is an ‘A’ Grade AIR Trivandrum. Mathangi satyamoorthy, the veteran musician is a strict follower of the traditional style of Carnatic music, at the same time she is an innovator as well.She had her training in carnatic music under Sri K.S. Subramoniam of the Chembai family of Tiruvanaicoil for long 10 years.Free Download Mp3 » |
Neyveli Santhanagopalan
Neyveli Santhanagopalan (b. 1963) is a noted, respected Indian Carnatic vocalist.He has distinguished himself with numerous concerts worldwide, and is the recipient of many awards from music associations in India and overseas. He is known for his traditional and purist styles of rendering ragas, musical compositions and swaras. Currently, Santhanagopalan acts as anchor for the Jaya TV program "SaRiGaMaPa".
He is one of the comparatively young amongst Carnatic vocal musicians and his style is distinguished by his adherence to strict raga interpretation, especially in his rigorous manodharma (creative interpretation) and raga sancharams (bringing out the essential elements or qualities of a raga). This quality of his is evident in his deep mastery of neravals and lack of ostentation in ragam-tanam-pallavis. As a consequence, he is often favorably compared by musical connoisseurs as following the more "purist" and academic vocal traditions of K. V. Narayanaswamy, Ramnad Krishnan and Nedunuri Krishnamurthy. His conformity and respect for the traditional approach to carnatic vocal music is equally evident in his orthodox manner of concert attire (the panchagacham and namam).Free Download Mp3 » |
|
Nithyasree
|
Nithyasree, (born August 25, 1973) also previously referred to as S. Nithyashri, is an eminent Carnatic musician and playback singer for film songs in many Indian languages. Nithyashree has performed in all major sabhas in India and has presented her concerts in many destinations around the world. She has received multiple awards and honours, and has released more than 100 commercial albums.Padmashree Nithyasree was born to Lalitha Sivakumar and I. Sivakumar. Her paternal grandmother, D. K. Pattammal, and her granduncle, D. K. Jayaraman, were prominent Carnatic vocalists who were established disciples of Ambi Dikshithar, Papanasam Sivan, Muthiah Bhagavathar, and others. Her maternal grandfather was the mridangam maestro, Palghat Mani Iyer. Her mother, Lalitha Sivakumar, was her first guru (teacher). Like her mother, Nithyashree was also the disciple of D. K. Pattammal, and would accompany her in concert. Nithyashree's father, an accomplished mridangist and disciple of Palghat Mani Iyer, would constantly show his support and accompany Nithyashree when she performed.
Free Download Mp3 » |
O.S.Thyagarajan
| O.S.Thyagarajan – the name says it all!! This great musician is a classicist of traditional outfit who paints in glorious colours the fine shades of raga, krithi and swara in his numerous concerts. He had his earlier training under his father Sangeetha Bhooshanam O.V.Subramanian, Padma Bhushan Lalgudi G. Jayaraman and Sangeetha Kalanidhi T.M. Thyagarajan. An ‘A- Top’ graded artist of the All India Radio and of Doordarshan, he has been giving a large number of concerts well appreciated and relished. The Titles won by him are "Sangeetha Choodamani” (Sri Krishna Gana Sabha), Sangeetha Kala Sagara (Kalasagaram, Hyderabad), "Nada Gana Kala Praveena”, "Sangeetha Samrajya” Madurai, "Nadha Booshanam” Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha, and New Delhi. He is regularly featured by all leading sabhas in Chennai as well as throughout India and has toured many countries, including USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Middle East, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Africa, and many cities in Europe. He worked as Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts, and Annamalai University for 5 years. He has trained many disciples too.
Free Download Mp3 » |
|
O.S.Arun
|
O.S. Vaidyanathan or Arun, as he is more popularly called, is undoubtedly one of the most gifted Carnatic Musicians in the Country. He is known for his sonorous voice that he wields with much confidence and musical personality and which he employs in tandem with his superior stagemanship.
Arun inherits the mantle of singing from a family where music has been a way of life. Arun was given to Carnatic Music in the Parivar Parampara, and he began his music lessons under the careful ear of his father Vidwan O.V. Subramaniam. Arun later qualified Alankar Purna from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. He also topped the Sangeetha Shironmani diploma course in Carnatic music conducted by the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts at Delhi University. Known for its vitality, Arun’s Music has combined grace of sound grammar and warmth of feeling. He also has a wide repertoire of songs, which has earned him a keen following.
Free Download Mp3 » |
Priya Sisters
Shanmukhapriya and Haripriya, popularly known as the Priya Sisters, are eminent Carnatic music singers.hey hail originally from Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.They started learning Carnatic music from their father, Sri V.V.Subbram, at an early age.
In order to nurture their musical talent, their father shifted base to Chennai. Later they became the disciples of the renowned duo Radha and Jayalakshmi who were disciples of the legendary G.N.Balasubramaniam. They learnt many nuances and subtleties of music during the five-year tenure under them including the advice that the singing should be so clear that the listener should be able to notate the entire kriti.
Improving their repertoire was a major project and learning, a continuous process. Hence they joined Professor T.R.Subramaniam. They learnt many pallavis and kritis from him.Currently, Shanmukhapriya and Haripriya are under the guidance of T. R. Subramaniam.
They are part of the trend of duo singing in Carnatic music, which started in the 1950s, with performers like Radha, Jayalakshmi, Soolamangalam Sisters and later continued by Bombay Sisters.Free Download Mp3 » |
|
Ranjani and Gayatri
|
Ranjani and Gayatri are Carnatic concert vocalists and violinists, and sisters.Ranjani and Gayatri were born to N. Balasubramanian and Meenakshi (a Carnatic vocalist as well). Born into a Palakkad Iyer family deeply involved in classical music, Ranjani and Gayatri's musical talents were discovered at a very early age. They started their violin training at the early age of nine and six respectively from Sangita Bhooshanam Prof. T.S. Krishnaswami at the Shanmukhananda Sangeeta Vidyalaya, Mumbai.
Ranjani and Gayatri beg an their music career as violin duet artistes even before they reached their teens. Through their intense training from Sangita Bhooshanam Prof. T. S. Krishnaswami, they quickly established themselves as top-class violinists of international repute. The sisters achieved success as violin duet performers, and subsequently they also proved successful as violin accompanists. Both Ranjani and Gayatri have accompanied various artists on the violin, including D.K.Pattammal.
The sisters have given vocal concerts since 1997, after they became students of Padma Bhushan Sangeeta Kala Acharya P.S.Narayanaswamy. They have learnt quite a few Bhajans from vocalist Seetha Narayanan. Their chance meeting with an amateur Hindistani vocalist in Chennai, Vishwas Joshi, an official of the World Bank working in Washington, from whom they learnt a few abhangs and gavlis, paved way for further learning from Manek Bhide and Appasaheb Deshpande of Kolhapur.Free Download Mp3 » |
Sanjay Subrahmanyan
Sanjay Subrahmanyan (born January 21, 1968) is a Carnatic Music singer from India. He performed in many concerts in India and overseas and has won many awards for his excellence. He believes that listening takes a musician closer to perfection.He is very simple and very open. He is a strong cricket fan.
Sanjay Subrahmanyan was born in Chennai Tamil Nadu, India. He began learning music at the age of seven. Initial training was under V. Lakshminarayana on the violin as well as in vocal music. He later switched to vocal music and was trained by Rukmini Rajagopalan for a period of almost eight years. His skills were further sharpened under Calcutta K.S Krishnamurthy and the training under him led to innovations and blending of tradition and modernity. Sanjay continues to learn from Nadaswaram maestro Semponarkoil SRD Vaidyanathan.Free Download Mp3 » |
|
Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
|
Semmangudi Radhakrishna Srinivasa Iyer (July 25, 1908 - October 31, 2003) was a Carnatic vocalist. He was the youngest recipient of the Sangeetha Kalanidhi awarded by the Music Academy in 1947 and has received many awards including Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India, Sangeet Natak Academy award (1953), Isai Perarignar from Government of Tamil Nadu and Kalidas Samman from Government of Madhya Pradesh. He was affectionately addressed as "Semmangudi Maama" (Semmangudi Uncle) by his disciples. He was also considered the "Pitamaha" or the grand sire of modern Carnatic Music. He was conferred with an honorary doctorate by University of Kerala in 1979.
He was born in Semmangudi, Tiruvarur District as the third son of Radhakrishna Iyer and Dharmasamvardhini Ammal. He lived with his maternal uncle Tirukkodikaval Krishna Iyer, a violin maestro, until the age of four and after his death, moved back to his parents' home in Semmangudi, Tiruvarur District. At the age of eight he started learning music from his cousin Semmangudi Narayanaswamy Iyer. This was followed by some rigorous training under Thiruvadaimaruthur Sakharama Rao, a famous Gottuvadhyam exponent, an event considered by Semmangudi as a turning point in his life. This was followed by another training stint with Narayanaswamy Iyer, during which time he learnt a lot of varnams and keerthanams. Free Download Mp3 » |
Sikkil C. Gurucharan
Sikkil C. Gurucharan (born on June 21, 1982) is among the foremost young performing musicians of Carnatic music in India today. He is the grandson of Sikkil Kunjumani, elder of the internationally acclaimed flautists the Sikkil Sisters. Gurucharan has been under the tutelage Vaigal Shri S. Gnanaskandan and is currently being mentored by Shri B. Krishnamurthy. He is an 'A' grade All India Radio artist. The magazine India Today featured him among 35 Game Changers Under (the age of) 35 in India, a list of young achievers from different walks of life.
Around 1987, as a 5-year-old, Gurucharan was casually coaxed by his grandmothers, the Sikkil Sisters, to sing some tune. After a little cajoling, he sang a popular film song. The sisters, especially Smt. Neela, were amazed at the "sruthi sudhham" or tonal perfection in his singing and also the near-perfect alignment of the notes. Together they decided that he must pursue vocal music. Almost every second member in the family had been trained in flute. But they were insistent that this boy should pursue singing, especially since he had shown immense promise at that age.Free Download Mp3 » |
|
Sudha Raghunathan
|
Sudha Raghunathan is a Carnatic music singer from Sount India. She was awarded a Padma Shri for excellence in singing. She was born in Bangalore and went to Good Shepherd Convent. She did higher education at Bangalore, Karnataka and obtained a Masters Degree in Economics.She started singing at nine years of age. Later, she received her training from her mother Choodamani, and continued the training under B. V. Lakshmanan. She has received the Artistes for advanced training in Carnatic music. In 1977, through the success of her first performance, she got a scholarship to study music under Padma Bhushan, Sangita Kalanidhi Dr.M.L.Vasantha Kumari, Dr MLV encouraged her to pursue music as a career. She is married to Ragunathan and they have two children.Free Download Mp3 » |
| |
|
