| Sudha inherited an interest in music from her mother Smt Choodamani. She started formal training from Smt. Choodamani right from the age of nine. She later learnt from Sri. T. V Viswanathan and studied from Sri. B.V. Lakshman for a brief period. |  |
| Sudha came under the tutelage of the illustrious Padmabhushan, Sangeetha Kalanidhi, Dr. M.L Vasantha Kumari in 1977, when she won a Govt. of India Scholarship given to young artistes for advanced training in music. It was only with Dr. M.L. V's encouragement that Sudha pursued music as a career. Sudha had the golden opportunity of providing vocal support to Dr. MLV for a decade. She is considered as Dr. M.L.V's "vaarisu" by all music lovers. |  |
| Sudha considers learning to be a life long process and strives to improve her knowledge and repertoire by training with Sri. Calcutta Krishnamoorthy and others. She is a quick learner and is research oriented which is very evident in her lecture-demonstrations, very popular among her fans. |  |
| Sudha has performed concerts in all the major cities in India. Besides, she has undertaken concert tours all over the world at the invitation of prestigious institutions abroad. She is regarded highly by other reputed musicians from the Carnatic and the Hindustani music circles. |  |
| Sudha is a Top Ranking artiste of the All India Radio, Chennai and performs
regularly on AIR and Doordharshan. She has also performed on various other TV networks.For
the Radio Sangeeth Sammelan series of concerts conducted by the AIR,Sudha performed at Hassan,Karnataka on October 10,1992. Sudha has to her credit
commercial Academically,Sudha
is a Post Graduate in Economics,and has the distinction of being awarded the Most Sudha has the
unique privelge of being the 'ASTANA VIDUSHI' of |
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| In continuing tradition, despite her tight schedules and frequent trips Sudha trains a handful of talented and aspiring young students. |  |
 Gaana Sudha Amrithavarshini,
Kaanchi Mutt, 17/3/99 MLV Memorial
Award, 25/12/98 Vasantha Gaana Vaarithi
26/9/98 Bharat
Jyoti, Bharathiya Vidhya Bhavan, New York, 18/9/98 Gaana Kuyil,
Valmiki Manram, Madras, 5/4/98 Woman of Golden Substance,
Rotary club, Madras 14/2/1998 Udhavum Oli,
Vasantha Memorial Trust for Cancer Cure & Care, Coimbatore, 1/2/98 Bharatha Sangeetha Bhushana, Sri Bharathalaya, Madras 17/11/97 Sangeetha Choodamani,
Sri Krishna Gaana Sabha, Madras 2/8/97 Yogam Nagaswamy Award, The Music Academy, 1/1/97 Ariyakudi Ramanujam
Iyengar Award, Sri Ragam Fine Arts,Madras, 3/4/96 Sangeetha Bhushani, Indian Fine Arts,Austin, Texas, USA October '96 Thennisai Thilakam 4/7/96, The Federation of Tamil Sangams, North America & Tamilnadu Foundation - USA, Tamil Conference, Stamford, Connecticut. For the Sake of Honour Award25/10/95 Gana Kala Bhushani, Sankarabharanam Trust 7/9/95 Swara Raga Laya Ratna, The Academy of Indian Music, Melbourne, Australia, October '94 |
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"Gaana Sudhakara" form
Sakthi Arutkoodam",24th March
1999'Vasantha Gaana Vaarithi'
by the Carnatic Music Association of Ohio, Michigan,U.S.A on September 6th,1998 "Rasika Kala Ratna" at
Sydney."Isai Kalai Illavarasi" at Canberra. "Lalitha Swara Gana Varidhi" at Perth Saptaswara
Vani, Saptaswara Sabha, Karaikal, September 94"TOYI" (Ten
Outstanding Young Indians) Award, The Indian Junior
Chamber, '94Rasika Priya Ratnam, Jagadguru Sri
Chndrasekharendra Saraswathi Spiritual
Centre, Madras, 3/6/93Sangeetha Saraswathi, The Mahasannidhanam of Sringeri,
13/5/93Youth
Excellence Award, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer Trust,
April 92Ugaadi
Puraskar Award, The Telugu Academy, March 92V.S.T Award For Excellence and the title Isai Peroli, Kartik
Fine Arts, Madras, December 1991Yuva Kala Bharathi, Bharat Kalachar, Madras 1989Amudha Isai Vani, Tamil Sangam, New York,1988 |
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Offstage, Sudha is like any other career woman,
balancing between her professional and personal lives. She is ably supported by her
husband Ragunathan and the children Kaushik and Maalavika. Sudha is a very down-to-earth
person with no airs despite her fame and is easily approachable.
She is very friendly, optimistic, outgoing and has a very good sense of humor. When she is
not on tours, Sudha spends time helping her children with their school work and playing
word games with them just like anyother working mom. She finds time to watch TV with the
family, entertain the numerous visitors who ring her door bell and occasionally goes for a
movie with the children. Whenever she gets a little break from her otherwise hectic
schedule the foursome take small trips with friends.
Sudha has many talents besides her music and has won prizes throughout her school and
college days for debates, writing and drawing. She is very fluent in several Indian
languages including Hindi, Telugu and Kannada besides Tamil.
Sudha launched a Trust for social welfare activities on July 20th,1999.The Trust has been
named the
"SAMUDHAAYA FOUNDATION" for which Sudha is the Managing Trustee.The Trust covers
a wide spectrum of activities ranging from Music to Education,so also many charitable
causes.As the first project Samudhaaya Foundation collected Rs.5 lakhs and donated it to
the KARGIL DEFENCE PERSONNEL RELIEF FUND.This target was achieved through a concert of
Sudha Ragunathan on the inagural day.
As the second project,Samudhaaya Foundation donated a sum of
Rs.1 lakh to the cyclone stricken victims of Orissa in December 1999.
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