Radha Viswanathan: Difference between revisions

What links here Related changes Page information Get shortened URL
Created by Editrite!
Last edited February 10, 2026
VisualWikitext
imported>Editrite!
 
brief refined intro and added references
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Indian singer (1934 – 2018)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
Line 11: Line 12:
| death_date  = {{death date and age|2018|1|2|1934|8|18|df=y}}
| death_date  = {{death date and age|2018|1|2|1934|8|18|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Bengaluru]], [[Karnataka]]
| death_place = [[Bengaluru]], [[Karnataka]]
| nationality = Indian
| other_names =
| other_names =
| known_for  =
| known_for  =
| occupation  = [[Carnatic music|Carnatic]] vocalist
| occupation  = [[Carnatic music|Carnatic]] vocalist
| years_active = 1940 – 2018
| years_active = 1940–2018
| spouse      = Guruswamy Viswanathan
| children    = 3
| parents    = [[Kalki Sadasivam]] (father)<br/> [[Apithakuchambal]] (mother)
[[M. S. Subbulakshmi]] (stepmother)
}}
}}
'''Radha Viswanathan''' (11 December 1934 – 2 January 2018) was an Indian vocalist and [[Indian classical dance|classical dancer]]. She performed extensively with her stepmother, [[Bharat Ratna]] [[Carnatic music|Carnatic]] vocalist [[M. S. Subbulakshmi]].
 
'''Radha Viswanathan''' (11 December 1934 – 2 January 2018) was an Indian [[Carnatic music|carnatic vocalist]] and [[Indian classical dance|classical dancer]]. She was the daughter of [[Indian independence movement|freedom fighter]] and journalist [[Kalki Sadasivam]] and stepdaughter of highly acclaimed [[Carnatic music|Carnatic]] vocalist [[M. S. Subbulakshmi]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Carnatic vocalist Radha Vishwanathan – daughter of M S Subbulakshmi – passes away |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/carnatic-vocalist-radha-vishwanathan-daughter-of-m-s-subbulakshmi-passes-away-5009999/ |access-date=2018-01-03 |work=[[Indian Express]] |agency=PTI |date=2023-05-20}}</ref>


== Early life and career ==
== Early life and career ==
Born on 11 December 1934 in Gobichettypalayam,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/a-daughter-remembers/article6936821.ece|title=A daughter remembers…|first=Ranjani|last=Govind|date=26 February 2015|access-date=10 October 2018|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref> she was the eldest daughter of [[Thiagarajan Sadasivam]] and his first wife, Apithakuchambal (alias Parvathi). However, she was brought up by [[M. S. Subbulakshmi]] whom her father married after the death of Apithakuchambal.  
Born on 11 December 1934 in [[Gobichettypalayam]], [[Tamil Nadu]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/a-daughter-remembers/article6936821.ece|title=A daughter remembers…|first=Ranjani|last=Govind|date=26 February 2015|access-date=10 October 2018|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref> she was the eldest daughter of [[Thiagarajan Sadasivam]] and his first wife, Apithakuchambal. After the death of his first wife Apithakuchambal, her father married [[M. S. Subbulakshmi]], who brought her up.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.culturalindia.net/indian-music/classical-singers/m-s-subbulakshmi.html | title=M. S. Subbulakshmi Biography - Childhood, Family, Life History & Contribution to Music | access-date=27 November 2021 | archive-date=11 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311052716/https://www.culturalindia.net/indian-music/classical-singers/m-s-subbulakshmi.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>


Radha had her early training in music from [[T. R. Balasubramaniam]], [[Ramnad Krishnan]] and [[Mayavaram Krishna Iyer]]. She began accompanying her mother on stage aged five. She combined this with intensive training in dance from [[Vazhavoor Ramiah Pillai]] (she was his first disciple along with Anandhi Ramachandran, daughter of [[Kalki Krishnamurthy]])<ref>{{cite book|last=Sarada|first=S.|title=Kalakshetra-Rukmini Devi|year=1985|publisher=Kala Mandir Trust|pages=56}}</ref> and made a reputation for herself as a [[Bharatanatyam]] dancer, making her [[arangetram]] (debut) in 1945. Radha and Anandhi would perform while M. S. sang [[Carnatic Music|Padams]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Drama review (Vol. 41)|year=1997|publisher=MIT Press|page=79}}</ref> Radha also performed an exclusive dance recital at the [[Madras Music Academy|Carnatic Music College]], [[Madras]], for the violinist [[Yehudi Menuhin]]. She danced at [[Birla House]] before [[Mahatma Gandhi]] for a [[Bhajan|Meera Bhajan]] - "Ghanashyam Aayaari" with M.S. singing for her. At the age of 21, Radha gave up dancing to concentrate exclusively on singing. Radha was to soon become a vital force in MS concerts. M.S. and Radha jointly learnt [[Kriti]]s from [[Musiri Subramania Iyer]], [[Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer]] and [[K. V. Narayanaswamy]] and Padams from [[T. Brinda]]. They also had intensive training in [[Hindustani classical music]] from [[Siddheshwari Devi]] of [[Benares]] and [[Dilipkumar Roy]].
Radha accompanied her mother Subbulakshmi on stage since the age of five.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sarada|first=S.|title=Kalakshetra-Rukmini Devi|year=1985|publisher=Kala Mandir Trust|pages=56}}</ref> She learned [[Bharatanatyam]], making her [[arangetram (dance)|arangetram]] (debut) in 1945.<ref>{{cite book|title=Drama review (Vol. 41)|year=1997|publisher=MIT Press|page=79}}</ref> At the age of 21, Radha gave up dancing to concentrate exclusively on singing. She learnt [[Kriti (music)|Kriti]]s and was also trained in [[Hindustani classical music]].


When she was six years old, Radha made her debut in films as Bharata in ''Shakunthala'' and as "Baby Meera" in ''[[Meera (1945 film)|Meera]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Guy|first=Randor|title=Full of technical innovations|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/12/17/stories/2004121700410500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050119050842/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/12/17/stories/2004121700410500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 January 2005|access-date=26 July 2011|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=17 December 2004}}</ref> which was directed by [[Ellis R. Dungan]] and produced by her father T. Sadasivam's company Chandraprabha Cinetones. In ''Meera'' she danced with [[Kumari Kamala]] who acted as Krishna. ''Meera'' was made in both Tamil and Hindi with the premiere of the latter version in 1947, being inaugurated by Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] himself. [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|Lord]] and [[Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma|Lady Mountbatten]], [[Rajendra Prasad]], [[Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit]] and [[Indira Gandhi]] attended the premiere as well.
She made her film debut portraying as Bharata in Shakunthala at the age of six.<ref>{{cite news|last=Guy|first=Randor|title=Full of technical innovations|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/12/17/stories/2004121700410500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050119050842/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/12/17/stories/2004121700410500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 January 2005|access-date=26 July 2011|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=17 December 2004}}</ref>


Radha accompanied her mother on her frequent concert tours and recording engagements. M.S. had no disciples other than Radha. Both of them performed all over India and the world including the US, Europe, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. In 1966, they toured Europe and embarked on a coast to coast tour of the US, becoming some of the first vocalists of Carnatic music to perform in the US and Europe. During this tour, they performed a concert at the United Nations in October 1966.<ref name=indo /> They sang a song composed specially for the occasion by the Paramacharya of Kanchi, "Maithreem Bhajatha".
== Personal life ==
Radha married Guruswamy Viswanathan and had two sons and a daughter.


The ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' greeted their singing as "a series of miracles."<ref name=indo>{{cite book|last=Raj Kumar Gupta|title=The great encounter: a study of Indo-American literature and cultural relations|year=1986|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-81-7017-211-6|pages=154}}</ref> The reviewer exclaimed: "Subbulakshmi’s elaborate vocal filigree sometimes sung in unison or octaves with her daughter Radha Viswanathan were unbelievable in their poised ease and constancy of flow..."
In April 1982, Radha fell critically ill with tuberculosis meningitis and slipped into coma for three months.
 
M.S. and Radha Viswanathan recorded many songs together. The "Venkateswara Suprabatham" and the "Vishnu Sahasranamam" were practiced for six months in front of [[Vedic scholar]]s including Agnihotram Thathachariar and [[Swami Ranganathananda]] of Sri Ramakrishna Mutt. The Annamacharya recordings were released in 1980. They were a series of five records called the "Balaji Pancharatnamala" that included classical and devotional music. The royalties from these recordings were donated to various charities.
 
In 1975, when M.S. won the Ramon Magsaysay Award in the Philippines, both of them sang at the [[Malacañan Palace]]. In 1977 during their second tour of the USA, they performed at [[Carnegie Hall]]. During [[Maha Shivaratri]], they performed in front of the Paramcharya of Kanchi with just a [[Tanpura|tambura]] for accompaniment as he performed the pujas.
 
In 1982, at the Festival of India held in the United Kingdom, M.S & Radha performed at the [[Royal Albert Hall]]. This program was attended among others by Queen [[Elizabeth II]], Prince Charles, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, [[Margaret Thatcher]], Indira Gandhi, [[Rajiv Gandhi]], [[Sonia Gandhi]], [[Ravi Shankar]], [[V.K. Narayana Menon]] (Chairman of [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]]) and [[Zubin Mehta]].
 
In April 1982 Radha fell critically ill with tuberculosis meningitis and slipped into a coma for three months. Although she survived, her recovery was slow. All of her concerts scheduled for the next year were cancelled by her father and no new ones were accepted.
Radha finally sang again on 12 March 1983 at M.S.'s benefit concert for the Houston Meenakshi Temple held at the Music Academy, Chennai.
For the next 10 years she accompanied her mother for concerts, although the number was reduced, as age was catching up with M.S. and Thiagarajan Sadasivam. However, once again Radha's health deteriorated in 1992 and she had to completely stop accompanying M.S.
 
On 16 September 2007, Radha performed in concert for the first time in 15 years to celebrate M.S. Subbulakshmi's 91st birthday. Using a wheelchair, she was accompanied by her granddaughter Aishwarya. After this concert at Narada Gana Sabha, the pair sang together in more than 20 concerts, including some in the US. Radha was honoured with the title "Sangeetha Ratna" by [[Lalithakala Academy]] in March 2008. In April 2010 she was awarded the citation "Kala Chandrika" by the Cleveland Aradhana Committee for her outstanding services to the cause of Carnatic music.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ganapathy|first=Lata|title='Thyagaraja Aradhana' festival begins in Cleveland|url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/article389443.ece|access-date=26 July 2011|newspaper=The Hindu|date=6 April 2010}}</ref> Radha's disciples are her Granddaughters S.Aishwarya and S.Saundarya who now carry forward the MS legacy, Anuradha (daughter of the K.V. Narayanaswamy), Sikkil Gurucharan (ref SG'S homepage), Mahesh Vinayakaram (son of the Ghatam Maestro – Vikku Vinayakram), Navaneet Krishnan, P.T Seshadri, Balaji Shankar (disciple of the late D K Jayaraman) and the [[playback singer]] [[Harini (singer)|Harini]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Srinivasan|first=Meera|title=Concerts cine artists love to listen to|url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/08/stories/2010120860210400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211095756/http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/08/stories/2010120860210400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 December 2010|access-date=26 July 2011|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=8 December 2010}}</ref>
 
== Personal life ==
Radha was the wife of Guruswamy Viswanathan and has two sons and one daughter, Subbulakshmi Viswanathan. The eldest son Chandrasekhar is married to flautist [[Sikkil Mala Chandrasekar|Sikkil Mala]], daughter of flautist [[Sikkil Sisters – Kunjumani & Neela|Sikkil Neela]]. Their second son, Shrinivasan Viswanathan and his wife Geetha are parents of [[S. Aishwarya]] and S. Saundarya. Shrinivasan is the managing trustee of the "Suswaralakshmi Foundation for Classical Music and Performing Arts".{{fact|date=October 2018}}


She died in Bangalore on 2 January 2018, aged 83.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Govind|first1=Ranjani|title=Radha Vishwanathan, daughter of M.S. Subbulakshmi, dies at 83|url=http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/radha-vishwanathan-daughter-of-ms-subbulakshmi-dead-at-83/article22357741.ece|access-date=4 January 2018|work=The Hindu|date=3 January 2018}}</ref>
===Death===
At the age of 83, Radha died in Bangalore in January 2018 due to breathing related complications.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Govind|first1=Ranjani|title=Radha Vishwanathan, daughter of M.S. Subbulakshmi, dies at 83|url=http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/radha-vishwanathan-daughter-of-ms-subbulakshmi-dead-at-83/article22357741.ece|access-date=4 January 2018|work=The Hindu|date=3 January 2018}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
Line 54: Line 46:
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:Female Carnatic singers]]
[[Category:Women Carnatic singers]]
[[Category:Carnatic singers]]
[[Category:Carnatic singers]]
[[Category:Indian female classical singers]]
[[Category:Indian women classical singers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian singers]]
[[Category:People from Gobichettipalayam]]
[[Category:People from Gobichettipalayam]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women singers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women singers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women singers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women singers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian singers]]
[[Category:Women musicians from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Women musicians from Tamil Nadu]]

Latest revision as of 08:13, 10 February 2026


Radha Viswanathan
Born
Radha Sadasivam

(1934-12-11)11 December 1934
Gobichettypalayam, British India
Died2 January 2018(2018-01-02) (aged 83)
Bengaluru, Karnataka
OccupationCarnatic vocalist
Years active1940–2018
Spouse(s)Guruswamy Viswanathan
Children3
Parent(s)Kalki Sadasivam (father)
Apithakuchambal (mother) M. S. Subbulakshmi (stepmother)

Radha Viswanathan (11 December 1934 – 2 January 2018) was an Indian carnatic vocalist and classical dancer. She was the daughter of freedom fighter and journalist Kalki Sadasivam and stepdaughter of highly acclaimed Carnatic vocalist M. S. Subbulakshmi.[1]

Early life and career[edit | edit source]

Born on 11 December 1934 in Gobichettypalayam, Tamil Nadu,[2] she was the eldest daughter of Thiagarajan Sadasivam and his first wife, Apithakuchambal. After the death of his first wife Apithakuchambal, her father married M. S. Subbulakshmi, who brought her up.[3]

Radha accompanied her mother Subbulakshmi on stage since the age of five.[4] She learned Bharatanatyam, making her arangetram (debut) in 1945.[5] At the age of 21, Radha gave up dancing to concentrate exclusively on singing. She learnt Kritis and was also trained in Hindustani classical music.

She made her film debut portraying as Bharata in Shakunthala at the age of six.[6]

Personal life[edit | edit source]

Radha married Guruswamy Viswanathan and had two sons and a daughter.

In April 1982, Radha fell critically ill with tuberculosis meningitis and slipped into coma for three months.

Death[edit | edit source]

At the age of 83, Radha died in Bangalore in January 2018 due to breathing related complications.[7]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Carnatic vocalist Radha Vishwanathan – daughter of M S Subbulakshmi – passes away". Indian Express. PTI. 20 May 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  2. ↑ Govind, Ranjani (26 February 2015). "A daughter remembers…". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  3. ↑ "M. S. Subbulakshmi Biography - Childhood, Family, Life History & Contribution to Music". Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  4. ↑ Sarada, S. (1985). Kalakshetra-Rukmini Devi. Kala Mandir Trust. p. 56.
  5. ↑ Drama review (Vol. 41). MIT Press. 1997. p. 79.
  6. ↑ Guy, Randor (17 December 2004). "Full of technical innovations". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 19 January 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  7. ↑ Govind, Ranjani (3 January 2018). "Radha Vishwanathan, daughter of M.S. Subbulakshmi, dies at 83". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Radha_Viswanathan&oldid=465208"
Discover more