Mysore/Mysuru: As part of its 154th Cultural Outreach Programme, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB), Mysuru, in association with BVB Bengaluru and Infosys Foundation, Bengaluru, has organised a ‘Laya Raga Samarpanam – Sthree Thaal Tharang’ programme by  Vidu. Sukanya Ramgopal and team — Vidu. Srividya Ramanath (vocal), Vidu. Vani Manjunath (flute), Vidu. Lakshmi Rajasekar (mridanga) and Vidu. Bhagyalakshmi M. Krishna (morching) — at BVB Mysuru Kendra in Vijayanagar 1st Stage at 6 pm on Oct. 18.

Sukanya Ramgopal is one of the frontline musicians of India and the first woman ghata artiste of the country. Over the past 50 years, she has mastered the art of playing ghata in Karnatak music. 

Born on June 13, 1957, in Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu, Sukanya initially began training in the mridanga at the tender age of 12 at Sri Jaya Ganesh Talavadya Vidyalaya in Chennai, under the tutelage of T.R. Harihara Sharma. She also learnt the violin under Gurumurthy. However, it was the ghata that was her true calling. Under the able guidance of Harihara Sharma and later under Vikku Vinayakram, Sukanya trained rigorously on ghata. Over the last five decades, Sukanya has mastered the unique ghata fingering techniques and is today considered as one of the true torch-bearers of the Vikku baani of ghata playing.

She is also a proficient performer on the Konnakol (vocal percussion). Sukanya hails from a family of musicians and Tamil scholars. She is the great granddaughter of Mahamahopadyaya Dr. U.V. Swaminatha Iyer, fondly known as ‘Tamil Tatha’ (grand old man of Tamil). Ghanam Krishnaier, the famous vocalist of the Ghanam Margam is also in her family tree.

The Ghata Tharang is a unique idea conceptualised by Sukanya. Her commitment to breaking new ground has inspired her to play the Ghata Tharang with 6-7 ghatas of different shruthis, thereby creating melody on a percussion instrument. This is the first time that a percussion instrument has come to occupy the centre-stage in a Karnatak concert. Sukanya was awarded the best lecture-demonstration award by the reputed music institution The Madras Music Academy for a presentation on this concept. 

Sukanya has provided ghata accompaniment to several senior Karnatak musicians and has performed across prominent venues in India and other countries. Sukanya leads an all women’s instrumental ensemble called Sthree Thaal Tharang.

Sukanya is an ‘A top’ grade artiste of All India Radio and is also empanelled by the ICCR as an ‘Outstanding Artiste’ – the topmost category for performing artistes of the country. She has received numerous awards and recognitions including the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar-2014.