Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions

The Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions  (CHiTra) at the University of Florida, is delighted to sponsor a talk by Sudha Ragunathan (recipient of the Padma Bhushan and Sangeetha Kalanidhi Awards;, Senior Fulbright Scholar, Nova Southeastern University, Florida).   Ms. Ragunathan’s talk, “Tradition and Innovation in Carnatic Music” will be held at Music 101 on Sunday, February 25^th, 2018, 7:00 pm.  The talk is co-sponsored by the UF School of Music/ Musicology Colloquium Series.

Sudha Ragunathan is one of the best-known vocalists in Carnatic music, and in 2013, the Madras Music Academy gave her the “Sangeetha Kalanidhi” award, the highest recognition for classical musicians. In 2015, the Indian government decorated her with the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award.  In addition to these, she is also the recipient of over 110 awards from all over the world. She is currently at the Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida as a senior scholar of the Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence program.

Sudha Ragunathan was trained under the legendary Padma Bhushan Dr. M.L. Vasanthakumari and has the distinction of being the only Carnatic musician, after M.S. Subbulakshmi, to be invited to sing at the United Nations.

Sudha Ragunathan has participated in many international music festivals and has performed in many countries, giving hundreds of concerts in America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. She has the distinction of performing at the Theatre De la Ville in Paris and the Global Vocal Meeting (organized by the ‘BURGHOF,’ an Academy of Music and Arts at Lorrach, Germany, and produced by Stimmen Voices International Vocal Festival). She has also performed in Switzerland, France (Les Voix de Silvacane), and in the presence of the King and Queen of Norway. Under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Sudha had concerts at Tunis, Israel, and Myanmar.

Fusion music and film music are also an important part of Sudha’s repertoire. Along with jazz wizard Amit Heri, she has toured the United States and Singapore. Having sung some very popular numbers in Tamil and Malayalam language films, she is currently composing music for two Tamil films.

In 1999, Sudha Ragunathan started a charitable organization, the Samudhaaya Foundation, which provides financial resources for many causes including pediatric care, muscular dystrophy, and children’s and old-age homes. Samudhaaya Foundation is associated with the Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI) and has undertaken several projects across the state of Tamil Nadu in an effort to conserve fresh-water ponds and combat the drought situation. The project was launched on April 22, 2017 on World Earth Day.