Lalita Venkatram (1909 – 1992), also credited as Lalita Venkataram or Lalitha Venkataraman, was an Indian Carnatic singer and veena player. She is credited as the first playback singer in Tamil cinema and the first Carnatic musician to be featured on All India Radio, Bombay.[1]
Lalita Venkatram
Lalita Venkatram, from a 1939 issue of The Indian Listener
Venkatram was born in Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, the daughter of Manavasi V. Ramaswamy Iyer and Subbalakshmi Ramaswami. Her father was a public works engineer and a composer.[1][2]
Careeredit
Venkatram gave concerts in India and Ceylon, singing and accompanying herself on veena. She gave a benefit performance in Colombo after the 1935 Quetta earthquake.[3] She was the first Carnatic singer to be heard on All India Radio, Bombay, because she sang on the station's first broadcast in 1933.[1] She provided singing vocals for an actress in A. V. Meiyappan's Nandakumar (1938),[4] becoming the first playback singer in a Tamil film.[1] She continued giving concerts and performing on All India Radio into the late 1940s.[5][6][7]
Venkatram taught music students in Bombay after she retired from performing.[1] One of her successful students was singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan.[8]
Personal lifeedit
She married K. S. Venkatram. She lived in Bombay and had five children, including singer Kalyani Ramdas. Venkatram died in 1992. One of her grandchildren, Krishna Ramdas, is a professional tabla player.[9]
Referencesedit
^ abcdeSriram, Krishnan. "The First Playback Voice of Tamil Cinema". The Verandah Club. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
^"The Making of the Saranagati Song". Arunachala Ashrama, The Archives. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
^"Mrs. Lalita Venkatram". The Bombay Chronicle. 23 January 1937. p. 3. Retrieved November 21, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
^Kumar, S. r Ashok (2020-07-23). "Chronicling the life of movie mogul AV Meiyappan". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
^"Grand Variety Entertainment". The Bombay Chronicle. 7 February 1937. p. 33. Retrieved November 21, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
^"Andhra Mahasabha Celebrations". The Bombay Chronicle. 2 May 1945. p. 3. Retrieved November 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^The Indian Listener: Vol. XIII. No. 15: Madras 1. All India Radio (AIR),New Delhi. 1948-08-07. p. 53.
A recording of Lalita Venkatram singing, on YouTube
April 14, 2024
lalita, venkatram, 1909, 1992, also, credited, lalita, venkataram, lalitha, venkataraman, indian, carnatic, singer, veena, player, credited, first, playback, singer, tamil, cinema, first, carnatic, musician, featured, india, radio, bombay, from, 1939, issue, i. Lalita Venkatram 1909 1992 also credited as Lalita Venkataram or Lalitha Venkataraman was an Indian Carnatic singer and veena player She is credited as the first playback singer in Tamil cinema and the first Carnatic musician to be featured on All India Radio Bombay 1 Lalita VenkatramLalita Venkatram from a 1939 issue of The Indian ListenerBorn1909Thiruvannamalai Tamil NaduDied1992Other namesLalita Venkataram Lalitha VenkataramanOccupation s Singer music educator Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 References 5 External linksEarly life editVenkatram was born in Thiruvannamalai Tamil Nadu the daughter of Manavasi V Ramaswamy Iyer and Subbalakshmi Ramaswami Her father was a public works engineer and a composer 1 2 Career editVenkatram gave concerts in India and Ceylon singing and accompanying herself on veena She gave a benefit performance in Colombo after the 1935 Quetta earthquake 3 She was the first Carnatic singer to be heard on All India Radio Bombay because she sang on the station s first broadcast in 1933 1 She provided singing vocals for an actress in A V Meiyappan s Nandakumar 1938 4 becoming the first playback singer in a Tamil film 1 She continued giving concerts and performing on All India Radio into the late 1940s 5 6 7 Venkatram taught music students in Bombay after she retired from performing 1 One of her successful students was singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan 8 Personal life editShe married K S Venkatram She lived in Bombay and had five children including singer Kalyani Ramdas Venkatram died in 1992 One of her grandchildren Krishna Ramdas is a professional tabla player 9 References edit a b c d e Sriram Krishnan The First Playback Voice of Tamil Cinema The Verandah Club Retrieved 2021 11 21 The Making of the Saranagati Song Arunachala Ashrama The Archives Retrieved 2021 11 21 Mrs Lalita Venkatram The Bombay Chronicle 23 January 1937 p 3 Retrieved November 21 2021 via Internet Archive Kumar S r Ashok 2020 07 23 Chronicling the life of movie mogul AV Meiyappan The Hindu ISSN 0971 751X Retrieved 2021 11 21 Grand Variety Entertainment The Bombay Chronicle 7 February 1937 p 33 Retrieved November 21 2021 via Internet Archive Andhra Mahasabha Celebrations The Bombay Chronicle 2 May 1945 p 3 Retrieved November 21 2021 via Newspapers com The Indian Listener Vol XIII No 15 Madras 1 All India Radio AIR New Delhi 1948 08 07 p 53 Shankar Mahadevan Kennedy Center Retrieved 2021 11 21 Krishna Ramdas TABLA Krishna Ramdas TABLA Retrieved 2021 11 21 External links editA recording of Lalita Venkatram singing on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lalita Venkatram amp oldid 1177261472, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
