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]
Radha Viswanathan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Radha Sadasivam 11 December 1934 Gobichettypalayam, British India |
| Died | 2 January 2018 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Carnatic vocalist |
| Years active | 1940–2018 |
| Spouse | Guruswamy Viswanathan |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Kalki Sadasivam (father) Apithakuchambal (mother) M. S. Subbulakshmi (stepmother) |
Early life and career
editBorn 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
editRadha 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
editAt the age of 83, Radha died in Bangalore in January 2018 due to breathing related complications.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Carnatic vocalist Radha Vishwanathan – daughter of M S Subbulakshmi – passes away". Indian Express. PTI. 20 May 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- ^ Govind, Ranjani (26 February 2015). "A daughter remembers…". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ^ "M. S. Subbulakshmi Biography - Childhood, Family, Life History & Contribution to Music".
- ^ Sarada, S. (1985). Kalakshetra-Rukmini Devi. Kala Mandir Trust. p. 56.
- ^ Drama review (Vol. 41). MIT Press. 1997. p. 79.
- ^ Guy, Randor (17 December 2004). "Full of technical innovations". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 19 January 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ^ Govind, Ranjani (3 January 2018). "Radha Vishwanathan, daughter of M.S. Subbulakshmi, dies at 83". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 January 2018.