Teachers: A.S. Panchapekesa Iyer, Sangita Kalanidhi T.K. Govinda Rao and Nadayogi V.V. Subramanyam
Performances – Leading venues like Music Academy, Narada Gana Sabha, Hamsadhwani, Nadopasana, Nada Inbam, Sri Shanmukhananda Sabha (Mumbai), Music Triangle, Tiruvaiyaru Tyagaraja Aradhana, Perambur Sangeeta Sabha, NSTSS, TTD, Sri Krishna Fine Arts Society etc.
In her words…
I resisted formal music and only learnt it reluctantly until the age of 14 and by the time I was 20, I could give performances in both Hindustani and Carnatic Music. Music defines me more than anything else does.
My first teacher was Ramachandra Iyaah, brother of Balakrishna Iyaah who served in the teachers college of the Music Academy. By the time I was 13, I knew about 50 odd kritis and varnams. Ramachandra Iyaah came home and taught a very reluctant me. Nee bhakti bhagya sudha, sujana jeevana, vatapi ganapatim, sarojadala netri – his pathantara was neat.
But that was just the start. When we moved to Mumbai, I learnt for a while from Smt. Alamelu Mani who taught me manasu svadheenamaina yaganuniki, rama rama gunaseema and other gems. A.S. Panchapakesa Iyer too taught me for a few years. Sri N.S. Chandrasekaran was a teacher with a glittering repertoire and he taught me many rare gems. I started performing when in my early 20-s. Moving to Chennai, I had the immense fortune of learning from Sangita Kalanidhi Sri T.K. Govinda Rao and later from Nadayogi VV Subrahmanyam both of whom imparted the subtleties and nuances of the great tradition of Carnatic Music.
Concerts
Lakshmi has performed at various venues in Mumbai and Chennai such as Sri Shanmukhananda Sangita Sabha, Bharatiya Music and Fine Arts Society, Nadha Anjali, Music Triangle, Bhakta Rasika Ranjani Sabha, Fine Arts Society, Chembur, Vashi Gana Kala Mandir etc.
Lakshmi has performed at various venues in Mumbai and Chennai such as Sri Shanmukhananda Sangita Sabha, Bharatiya Music and Fine Arts Society, Nadha Anjali, Music Triangle, Bhakta Rasika Ranjani Sabha, Fine Arts Society, Chembur, Vashi Gana Kala Mandir etc.
Reviews
“A bracing Adi tala varnam in Durbar madhyamakalam set the pace for what turned out to be a continuous two-hour flow of melody. Muthuswamy Dikshitar’s composition in Raga Malahari in a leisurely Rupaka talam, served as an invocation to Ganesa and as a majestic forerunner to the rest of the performance…. Full justice was done to Suratti alapana in all the three sthayis. The delineation, lasting for nearly 10 minutes, was original in a raga in which one is prone to slip into clichés. Lakshmi’s voice could reach the upper panchama effortlessly and sustain it without trailing in power or melody, in a slow or fast pace.”
P.S. Krishnamurti – The Hindu“
Lakshmi’s concert for Hamsadhwani had a vision wide enough to encompass the salient aspects of raga alapanas. The true artist in her asserted itself in the Dikshitar classic Sri Matrubhootam in exquisite Kannada in which her gyana shimmered through. And again, in the Tamil piece Enraiku Siva Kripai (Mukhari), the mood of elegant yearning was captured exquisitely through soaring lifts. Madras hails the advent of a seasoned artist.”
K.S. Mahadevan – The Indian Express, Chennai“
Lakshmi presented the raga-s Surutti and Lathangi making a perfect bouquet of vibrant shades from both. Her exposition of Lathangi navigated through free wheeling phrases setting afloat the fine texture of the melody.”
G. Swaminathan – The Hindu“
Restraint is the hallmark of Lakshmi’s music. Whether it is the use of voice or musical phraseology or raga build up, she maintains this with elegant results. Whispering grace, fragile fluency, eloquent “silence” over and above sustaining vilamba pace lent her music an original style. A student of both Carnatic and Hindustani music, she refrained from casting Hindustani flourishes and moves in the Carnatic format. Her niraval and swaras were not mere appendages but extensions of the sahitya bhava with greater intensity.”
Dr. Sulochana Rajendran – The Indian Express, Mumbai“
That Lakshmi is cast in a mould different from other young artistes was evident in the third item itself when she took a tricky raga like Darbar for alaap from which even senior vidwans shy away. She explored the raga lucidly and confidently and exhibited a fair amount of creativity.”
Rajan Sadasivan – The Times of India, Mumbai“
Smt. Sriram gave a very enjoyable and good concert. The kriti renditions were very heavy. Be it fast or slow paced kritis, the perfection in the rendition of each phrase was particularly catchy and made it a very good recital. The raga alapanais were very good. They were examples of unconventionally approached, yet traditionally fitting and inspiring elaborations of the ragam. The svarams and neraval were all very well structured and fitting to the kriti.”
Web review – Rasikas (Alternate Link)
https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/total-commitment/article4294063.ece