“Passion is the strongest driving force and age cannot hold you back if you want to achieve something”S. SowmyaCarnatic vocalist
The C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation honoured S. Sowmya, Vice- Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University, for her contributions to Carnatic music. The award was presented to her by veteran Bharatanatyam dancer Vyjayanthimala Bali and Justice Prabha Sridevan, former judge of the Madras High Court.
Nanditha Krishna, president, C.P Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation, said the award recognised personalities who had conserved and continued to spread the country’s culture. “Our current and previous recipient have both been associated with this foundation for many years and Dr. Sowmya is deserving of this award. She has beautifully married science and music in her research work on the tonal stability of the mridangam,” said Sumathi Krishnan, trustee of the Foundation.
In her acceptance speech, Dr. Sowmya remembered her first performance as a young student when she had accompanied her guru S. Ramanathan. “Passion is the strongest driving force and age cannot hold you back if you want to achieve something,” she said.
The Sarawathi Puraskaram award was instituted in 2011 in honour of Saraswathi Pattabhi Raman, who donated the current foundation’s property along with her husband C.R. Pattabhi Raman.
The ceremony concluded with a musical concert by Dr. Sowmya’s students.
