Interview - Sudha Raghuraman: Abhinaya has to come through music as well as dance - Shveta Arora

Sudha Raghuraman is a renowned Carnatic classical composer and vocalist whom I have had the pleasure of hearing many times over the years, usually in dance recitals. Whether she is performing live or in a recording, Sudha's formidable command over her art, her controlled yet virtuoso style and her intelligent customization and innovation in dance programs leave an indelible impression on the viewer. Watching her perform live is a special experience and always a memorable one - I have found myself humming the refrains from her compositions long afterwards. One such refrain was 'Madhumati aushadhi' from the Bharatanatyam production 'Ratnagarbha', conceptualized and performed by Rama Vaidyanathan in Delhi last year. I spoke to her recently about that production, her career in Carnatic music and about singing for dance.

How were you initiated into music? When did you decide to make it a career?
I was born into a family of musicians. We lived in a joint family in Karol Bagh where my grandfather and guru, O.V. Subramanyam of the Tanjavur bani, gave Carnatic music lessons. He moved from the Tanjavur district to Delhi and made a huge contribution, especially in Delhi, to bring Carnatic music to this level, and created a legacy - he trained hundreds of students and several of them have further trained many other students. So it became exponential.

So it was a very natural call for me because the house was always reverberating with music and students coming in regularly. It was in the genes, obviously, and I used to be extra attentive in my guru's classes. 

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