Renowned Carnatic vocalist Ananthalaksmi Sadagopan passed away at her home on Wednesday. She was 85.
She is survived by daughter Sujatha Vijayaraghavan, musician, dance scholar and writer, and sons S. Srinivasan and S. Narayan.
Born in Madurai in 1928, she learnt music primarily under Sattur A.G. Subramaniam. and later under Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Nedunuri Krishnamurthi, V.V. Sadagopan and T. Muktha. Well versed in Hindustani music, she trained under Vaman Rao Sadolikar. She gave her first concert in 1938 at the age of 10 in the presence of Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar in Madurai. She married P. Sadagopan, who was a former commissioner of income tax.
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Ms. Sadagopan’s voice was powerful, yet sweet and could traverse effortlessly through the three octaves. She was a musician with a strong adherence to classical values and traditions. She has set to music the compositions of Ambujam Krishna, which have been brought out as a volume.
For nearly half a century she was an ‘A grade’ artist of All India Radio. She was also given the senior musician award by Narada Gana Sabha. Her records of ragam thanam pallaviSankarabharananai and the ragamalika song gaana mazhai are masterpieces that are popular even today.
She has composed music for dance dramas including Meenakshi Ammai Pillai Thamizh, Vallee Bharatham and Krishna Lila Tharangini and Kutrala Kuravanji.
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