Shobana Vignesh

Dr. Shobana Vignesh is a Classical and Devotional Vocalist. She is popularly known as ‘Mahanadhi’ Shobana due to her stint as a child actor and singer in the National award-winning film, Mahanadi.

Early life

Dr. Shobana Vignesh was born in Kumbakonam (Tanjore District of Tamil Nadu) to N. Kumar and Revathi Kumar and raised in Chennai. Shobana has a rich musical lineage from both the maternal and paternal families. Shobana’s maternal side family has rendered decades of service to preserve and nurture the rich Bhagavatamela tradition in the Village Tepperumalnallur in the Tanjore District of Tamil Nadu. She did her entire schooling in the reputed Padma Seshadri School in Chennai.

Carnatic vocalist

Dr. Shobana started training in Carnatic Music at a very young age. She has been trained by stalwarts like Sri. P.S. Narayanaswamy, Prof. T.R. Subramaniam and Sri. Swamimalai Janakiraman. Dr. Shobana regularly performs during the Chennai December music season across major venues and Television channels. She regularly performs at ‘Narada Gana Sabha’, ‘Sri Krishna Gana Sabha’, ‘Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha’, ‘Bharat Kalachar’, ‘Chennayil Thiruvayaru’, ‘Margazhi Mahotsavam,’ among others.

Dr. Shobana makes her annual pilgrimage to Saint Thyaragaraja’s Samadhi at Thiruvaiyaru and participates in the Thyagaraja Aradhana festival.

As an internationally renowned artist, Dr. Shobana has performed in several parts of India, United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai and Sri Lanka. She is often featured by leading Television channels in India and other countries and has been performing concerts for the past 2 decades.

Education
  • PhD in Music, Mother Teresa University, India, 2011(Highly Commended Thesis)
  • M Phil in Music, Mother Teresa University, India (Highly Commended Thesis)
  • Masters in Music, University of Madras, India
  • M.A Mass Communication & Journalism, Alagappa University, India
  • B.A Music, University of Madras, India
  • 8th Grade in Theory of Western Classical Music, Trinity College of Music, London
  • 6th Grade in Practical Solo Piano, Trinity College of Music, London

Albums

Dr. Shobana made her recording debut through the film, ‘Mahanadhi.’ She released her first solo album at the age of 12 and has since then released more than 150 albums ranging over 1,500 songs and had stunned millions with her prodigious talent by the time she touched her teens. She has rendered albums in different languages like Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Sanskrit, Braj, Marathi, Hindi, English and Baduga. Many of her albums like ‘Kandha Sashti Kavacam’, ‘Namo Name Sree Narayana’, ‘Lalitha Sahasranamam’ etc. are super hits. Shobana was nominated for the Global Indian Music Awards, Mumbai in 2010 for her Album, ‘Shobana Live in Concert – Bharat Kalachar’.

Playback Singer

Shobana has sung in several movies like Mahanadhi (Tamil), Mahanadhi (Telugu), Aravindan, Punniyavathi, Kannedhire Thondrinaal, Azhagana Natgal, Kanave Kaliyadhe, etc.

Awards
  • Received Tamil Nadu Kalaimamani award in August 2019.
  • Received ‘ISAI SELVAM’ title from Muthamizh Peravai in May 2015.
  • Received 'TAMIL ISAI PEROLI' title from the New York Tamil Sangam in April 2014 in appreciation of her exemplary service to Classical Music and particularly for her dedicated service in promoting Tamil Music across the globe.
  • Received 'ISAI ARASI' title from the Trinity Arts Festival of India in recognition of her exceptional accomplishment as a Carnatic Vocalist in December 2013.
  • Received 'TAMIZHISAI VANI' from Greater Atlanta Tamil Sangam for excellence in spreading Thamizhisai across the globe in May 2011.
  • Received the 'INDIVIDUAL ARTIST AWARD' from the Maryland State Arts Council, USA for the year 2010 for excellence in Carnatic Music.
  • Shobana has been chosen as the 'YOUNG ACHIEVER' in the field of Carnatic music by the India Today magazine in 2007.
  • Awarded the 'YUVA KALA BHARATHI' title by Bharat Kalachar in 2003.
  • Received the 'YOUNG ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR 2002' award from The Cosmopolitan club of Madras.
  • Awarded the fellowship for 'OUTSTANDING YOUNG ARTISTE' by the Department of Culture, Government of India from 2003-2005.
  • Awarded the title of PANNISAI ARASI by Thamizh Isai Sangam, Thiruvaiyaru in 1997.
  • Was conferred the title of EZHIL ISAI VANI by Vani Vilas Sabha, Kumbakonam in 1996.

Social Service Programs

Shobana is associated with various non profits and charities in India, US and Malaysia and has contributed in the form of performing concerts for fund raising events and annual conventions. Some of the concerts include:

  • Fund raising concert for free eye camps conducted by Arvind Eye Hospital, India,
  • Concerts for the Tamil Nadu Foundation across the United States.
  • Fund raising concert for the EWRF (Educational, Welfare and Research Foundation) as part of the No Student Left behind campaign (NSLB), Malaysia.
  • Performance for the relief of Tsunami victims at Chennai, India.
  • Concert at the Music Academy for the Cancer Institute, Chennai.
  • Performance for an AIDS Awareness album
  • Charity concert at Malaysia for the welfare of spastic children and many such events.
  • Shobana has performed songs for raising knowledge of legal rights, women's rights and government legal help. Shobana was honored for these services by the State Legal Services Authority on Indian Independence day 2003.
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References
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