S. Sowmya was born onApril 16, 1969. A Carnatic musician by profession, Sowmya’s life has been immersed in melody from the very beginning. Growing up in a traditional South Indian family, she had her initial tutelage in music from her father Dr. Srinivasan, a chemical engineer with an enduring passion for Carnatic Music.
Later, she was singularly fortunate to be taken under the wings of Sangita Kalanidhi Dr. S. Ramanathan – exemplary musician, esteemed musicologist and extraordinary human being.
Her musical instincts were further guided by Smt. T. Muktha, of the legendary Brinda-Muktha duo. She attributes her success and achievements till today to these individuals and to the bountiful blessings of her beloved Ambal, the Goddess Kamakshi of Kanchipuram.
The desire to propagate the traditions of South Indian music worldwide led her to associate with her friend and vocalist Shashikiran, to establish Carnatica, an institution dedicated to music and dance instruction, archival, talent search and other related activities. Carnatica’s web portal is now a popular online destination for music-related information, products, courses and discussions.
In addition to being an accomplished musician, Sowmya also has excellent academic credentials. She is a double postgraduate (Master’s in Chemistry as well as Indian Music) and was a top-ranked scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) and the University of Madras. Discontinuing her doctoral research program at IIT to concentrate on her music, she is now a widely traveled, popular vocalist who strives to adhere to the strict classical values imbibed from her gurus Dr. Ramanathan and Smt. Mukta.
Selected discography:
Aravinda Lochanane
Kadanakuthuhalam (Swathi Soft Solutions)
Manohari Mala (Swathi Soft Solutions)
Bharat Sangeet Utsav 2005 – Live In Concert, Nov 2005 (Swathi Soft Solutions)
Hindolam – Ragan Tanam Pallavi (Charsur Digital Workstation)
December Season 1999 (Charsur Digital Workstation)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
