Suguna Purushothaman

Suguna Purushothaman (1941–25 February 2015) was an Indian Carnatic music vocalist, composer and teacher. She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Carnatic music vocals in 2010.

Suguna Purushothaman
சுகுணா புருசோத்தமன்
Born1941
Ponvilainthakalathur, Chengalpattu, Madras Presidency, British India
Died(2015-02-25)25 February 2015 (aged 74)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
GenresCarnatic music
Occupation(s)Vocalist, composer and teacher

Suguna was born in Ponvilainthakalathur in Chengalpattu (now in Tamil Nadu) in 1941. In the 1960s, she received a Central Government scholarship and trained under Musiri Subramania Iyer, alongside students Mani Krishnasamy, Suguna Varadhachari, Padma Narayanasamy and Rukmini Ramani.[1][2] She also learned layam from the mridangist Thinniyam Venkatrama Iyer, who also introduced her to Musiri.[2]

Suguna trained several noted Carnatic musicians including K. Gayathri,[3][4] and Srinidhi Chidambaram.[5]

Suguna died aged 74 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on 25 February 2015 following a long battle with cancer. According to Rajeswari Thyagarajan, a family friend and wife of Thyagarajan, the grandson of Musiri Subramania Iyer, "She wanted to listen to something in the hospital. I had, on my mobile phone, Musiri Subramania Iyer’s Nadupai in Madhyamavathi and Marivere in Shanmugapriya and her daughter played the songs for her. She opened her eyes for a second, and the end came."[2] Her funeral was held the following day in Mandavelipakkam, and her last rites were performed at the crematorium in Besant Nagar.[6] She was survived by her husband and two daughters.[2] One of her daughters, Kumudha, is also a Carnatic musician.[7]

Writer Lalitharam paid tribute to Suguma stating, "Suguna had a great flair for layam and could use her hands to keep two different thalams even as she sang. An expert in pallavi singing, she could even render simma nanthana pallavi (128 counts) in a way that appealed to a lay rasika."[2]

Awards
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References
  1. "Carnatic vocalist and teacher Suguna Purushothaman passes away". Tamilnadudotcom. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  2. Kolappan, B. "Carnatic musician passes away at 74". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  3. Ramadevi, B. "A mixed offering". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  4. "Youngsters uphold Carnatic tradition at Thiruvaiyaru - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  5. GAUTAM, SAVITHA. "Shades of devotion". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  6. "Carnatic music guru Suguna Purushothaman passes away, funeral today". Mylapore Times. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  7. "Reign of melody". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  8. Jha, Manisha. "Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowship for Girija Devi, T.K. Murthy, Dagar". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  9. Chandran, R. "Sruti pays tribute to its founder-editor". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  10. Reporter, Staff. "30 long years: lyrical journey of Sruti magazine". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 January 2017.

Further reading
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