Happy Birthday to the Classical Singer, Sudha Ragunathan

Sudha Ragunathan is an Indian Carnatic vocalist, singer, and composer. She has been awarded Padma Bhushan in 2015. Let us wish her a very Happy Birthday. 

Sudha Ragunathan was born in Chennai on 30 April 1956 and later shifted to Bangalore. She received her initial training in Carnatic music from her mother V. Choodamani. From the age of three, she began to learn bhajans, Hindu devotional songs. In 1977, she received an Indian government scholarship to study music under a doyenne of Carnatic music, Dr. M.L Vasantha Kumari. She remained her disciple for 13 years. 

Sudha Ragunathan has performed at the Madras Music Season every year since 1990, after the passing of her guru. Sudha is considered one of India’s leading Carnatic performers. Sudha Ragunathan has performed and collaborated with other artists all over the world. She has performed at the United Nations, and the Théâtre de la Ville, Paris. Sudha performed at the Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Centre, at New York Broadway to commemorate 50 years of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Sudha is the only Indian vocalist to have participated in the Global Vocal Meeting organized by the ‘Burghof,’ an Academy of Music and Arts at Lorrach, Germany, and produced by Stimmen Voices International Vocal Festival. Sudha Ragunathan has also performed as a playback singer in the Tamil cinema.

Following Carnatic musicians, Sudha Ragunathan has also taught the tradition to her students. Sudha launched her own school Sudhaarnava Academy for Musical Excellence in 2017.

She was awarded Padma Shri in 2004. In 2013, she was awarded the Sangita Kalanidhi of the Madras Music Academy. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honor, in January 2015.

– Staff Reporter