To twenty-seven year old vocalist Sumithra Vasudev however, it invariably means her guru, vidushi Sangita Kalanidhi R. Vedavalli. Almost in every other sentence Sumithra speaks, there is areference to ‘Amma’. In more ways than one, Sumithra has identified herself totally with her guru, at whose home she spends much ofher spare time. Vedavalli’s late mother used to dote on her. Vedavalli’s husband, Santhanam still does. Exuberance is not part of Sumithra’s personality. There are neither flourishes nor exhibitionism in her music. She becomes so immersed in it that she seems to forgetthe audience in front of her! She makes no eye contact with the audience, although nowadays, she seems to recognise that there are accompanists sitting by her side and bestows a rare smile on them!For all that, her music is compelling and soothing at the same time. And, true to character, her only guru for more than twenty years has been Vedavalli, while most youngsters switch guru-s nearly as often as they change their attire! Sumithra’s steadfastness may be because of her realisation that her guru’s vast repertoire requires a lifetime to imbibe.Early inspiration was provided by Sumithra’s paternal grandmother Janakam Chari—a well known figure in Calcutta’s music and social circles and a disciple of Ananthakrishna Iyer (a highly respected guru belonging to the Dikshitar tradition)—and her grandfather, the late P.R. Chari, a connoisseur of music who settled down in Chennai.Sumithra’s mother Padmaja, with a bachelor’s degree in Sanskrit, is also well versed in music. She provided the early impetus for her musical career.
Speciality: Vocal