Tiruchi, July 16, 2013: With a mellifluous voice that captivates the audience, has them glued to their seats spellbound during a concert that lasts nearly three hours, it is no surprise that Sudha Raghunathan is an immensely popular Carnatic singer.

The Padmashri and Kalaimamani awardee was in the city on Saturday to render a vocal concert to celebrate the 2^nd anniversary of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Tiruchi Kendra.

Speaking about her love for jasmine flowers, she said that she never liked flowers.

“My husband thought that it reflected the true tradition of the south when you sat with jasmine for the concert. Over time, people started identifying the jimiki and jasmine as my trademark look. Younger artistes too emulate it”.

Speaking about her huge collection of Ganesha idols, she said that she has about 700 Ganeshas in the house!

“He is everywhere. Wherever you see He will be in some form. Initially a friend gave us a gift of a sandalwood Ganesha. Soon, I bought a few in jade, crystal, amethyst and other materials. Every month I would buy one but once people knew my collection, they started gifting me. All these Ganesha idols give energy to me”.

About her Guru M.L. Vasanthakumari, she has this to say: “She never really taught music. You had to observe her to be inspired to learn music.”

She recollected that learning from MLV taught her to face obstacles not only professional but personal challenges too. “When I perform in Europe, especially France and Germany, a lot of foreigners attend the concert. I interacted with them at the end of concerts and got their feedback about solace and satisfaction they derived through my voice and concert. They felt my singing was meditative and comforting. Some of them even cry,” she said.

She particularly remembers a standing ovation at Masei near Aztec province. “That’s a very rewarding experience, after all the effort you put in singing,” she added.

“Singing is not easy, though it might appear so. The whole body has to function; you have to be alert, remember the lyrics, sing in the right pitch, maintain rhythm, and still be presentable.”

“You have to be creative each time. Everyday you sing to a different audience, so it’s a challenge, everyday. So the best feeling that someone can give you is, when they say it was wonderful and that they were transported to a different world,” she said.

Thankful for her supportive family, she said that her family is her strength.

“Definitely it is not easy to have an artiste at home, because we are in a space of our own. So definitely we need support. I think my two children Kaushik and Malavika, are very supportive. They were initially upset but after a while they understood. My husband had to make up for the lacuna that I left. On the whole it was a win-win situation; they supported me and now with me in the limelight, they also share the honour.”

Sudha Raghunathan also began talking about her charitable side:

“I started small by donating for Kargil relief fund, Gujarat earthquake relief fund, Orissa flood relief and then moved towards children. It was like a chain reaction when people praise you. God has given me strength to do it, given me direction and capacity. Everyone is not touched with this grace. I believe in karma and want to do good things,” she said.

Source: The Hindu, DT. July 16, 2013.