Rama Gana Kalacharya award for Aruna Sairam

Posted on 08/05/2016 in The Hindu

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  By Ranjani Govind

  The 78-year-old Ramaseva Mandali at Chamarajpet presented the Rama Gana Kalacharya Award to noted Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam on Saturday.

  Mr. Varadaraj, son of the Mandali founder, S.V.N. Rao, says, “This award is to recognise artistes whose expertise and experience in the field has been reaching out to youngsters. Their effort is in seeing a legacy being carried forward.”

  “This award is precious to me as it comes from a mandali that mirrors decades of cultural heritage,” says Aruna. Knowledge dissemination is part of spreading awareness, she says. “My students don’t get just what I sing, but from what I have been able to absorb all these years from a cross-section of eminent gurus. So the Rama Gana Kalacharya Award is meaningful as music and art travel to the next generation along with music academics gathered over the years.”

  Interestingly for Aruna, Kalacharya represents a larger perspective of an artiste that she herself is made up of. Aruna started off with her mother Rajalakshmi Sethuraman guiding her in her childhood, followed by the legendary T. Brinda.

  Later, she learnt from Veena K.S. Narayanaswamy who imparted nuances of instrument lineage, and then S. Ramachandra who familiarised her into the famed Chittoor Subramanya Pillai stream. It was A.S. Mani of Bengaluru who imparted the Tiger Varadachari schooling much later.

  “Although my performances started late in life, the variety in schooling that I was exposed to helped me absorb the finer gradations in each style. I hope my perception, a blend of all these, reaches several across the globe,” says Aruna, adding that special guidance from T.R. Subramaniam and Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna added more zing to her own style of presentation. “Kalacharyas carry a responsibility,” she says.

   

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