Padma Bhushan and Sangeetha Kalanidhi recipient, Sudha Ragunathan’s list of awards and accomplishments can fill several pages, yet she has stayed grounded in her art and is not just a star on the Karnatik music firmament, but is well on her way to becoming a legend, like her guru M L Vasanthakumari.
Her flawless rendition of Kritis and elaborate ragam alapanai has won her admirers from around the world, leading her to perform at various prestigious venues, including at the United Nations, 50 years after another legendary musician, M S Subbulakshmi. Sudha has composed music for films as well as collaborated with various artistes and taken her music to prisons, government schools and remote villages. Excerpts from an interview
You have trained under MLV under the Gurukulam style...how different was that experience compared to how students learn remotely and digitally today?
MLV Amma’s teaching was very different. There were no formal classes. Much of my learning was from her old records that I would listen to and notate, and the rest was while watching her perform. She always kept you on tenterhooks and made you hang on to her words and learn every little drop of music that came from her. Today’s students have a far more amenable platform for learning. They have the internet and technology at the click of a button — gurus and referral material are all so much more accessible and available and they are more equipped to learn, even if it is at their own pace!
You have composed music for films and collaborated with several other artistes. How would you describe that experience? What are your future projects?
My experiences with film music gave me a lot of insights when working with greats like Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja and many others — each had their own dimension and exploring it was interesting. I have worked on many other projects with world musicians — from Mali, Madagascar, Switzerland, Hungary, and USA. To me, the success of such collaborations lies in each musician being able to understand the emotional underpinnings of each other’s oeuvre. It is only then artistes can match moods and present something truly exceptional.
I am, at present, composing music for a project with about 10 skeletal tunes. I can speak more about it once the project comes through.
You have performed at the UN and several other prestigious venues, yet you are known for how grounded you are...
Singing at the UN, no doubt, was a proud and memorable moment — to have sung in the same venue as MS Amma after 50 years. That said, all the awards and recognitions are transient…of course, they bring me joy and I celebrate for some time with family and friends. But then I move on…there is so much more to do! I feel very normal about all this. Recognition brings in accountability — it means I have to ensure that I remain a worthy representative of this very great art. I don’t see any reason why any artiste should not be humble or grounded just because we present our craft and win awards.
Today, everything depends upon creating a social media presence, and you have been able to steer this journey quite well!
Social media presence today has become part of an artiste's growth. It helps me stay connected to my rasikas across the world…especially during the pandemic where I had to think of newer concepts to bring in some cheer and smiles. I use the medium to express my sincerity. And I choose to believe it is being perceived that way. I do not use any additional means to promote my pages. Those who are my followers join in on their own. At the end of the day, the warmth in the responses gives me happiness — it makes me satisfied that I was able to reach the right set of people and share my feelings!
Your charitable trust is doing a lot of work around childcare. Are you also working on music as therapy with these children?
While my Samudhaaya Foundation primarily focuses on education and health for underprivileged women and children, work on music therapy is on the anvil and I have been speaking to like-minded people. You can expect more on this soon.
You have performed all over the world — can you relate some interesting incidents from your concerts abroad?
Jet lag, forgetting lines for a split second because you are still in a daze, and then recovering, and baggage loss are all constants! I always feel the audience in Europe is a delight — wholesome and appreciative of all kinds of music. I have had some beautiful experiences. One was aboard a boat house in Lake Trubsee, Switzerland. It was a very intimate audience of just 50 with no microphones — a pristine atmosphere with just music and nothing else. I closed my eyes while singing a kriti and as I finished, there was silence — no claps, no appreciation, nothing whatsoever. When I opened my eyes, everyone had their eyes closed, simply absorbing the music…and far away, the Alps were shimmering in the rays of the sun. It was indeed a sight to behold! In the lap of nature, no acoustics and an amazing set of people who just drank in our music and were lost to the world! A long-standing ovation after the performance made the experience surreal.