More Than 10 Carnatic Music WOMEN Who Are Just As Talented As Their Male Counterparts

Some of you may have recently come across an article that solely features male Carnatic musicians. But why not check out these women as well? Cause hey, not only are they living proof that they can "look as good as they sound", but they also *don't need to man* to validate their success. While you Maamis might be spending your time ogling at all the male talent that's out there, maybe its time you check out some of these fabulous females. FYI, these ladies are listed in no particular order!

Sriranjani Santhanagopalan

Siddharth Murali / Via sriranjanisanthanagopalan.wordpress.com

Sriranjani is no unfamiliar face to the Carnatic arena. We've watched this beautiful lady charm us with her talent from a young age. Hailing from a musical family, Sriranjani is the daughter of musicologist and senior musician, Vidwarn Sri. Neyveli R. Santhanagopalan. Sriranjani is an AIR 'A' Grade Artist and a highly sought after Guru. Not only is she an immensely accomplished Carnatic musician who has travelled around the world giving acclaimed concerts but this lovely lady can definitely tell you Maamis a thing or two about the latest in pattu sari fashion. I mean come on have you seen her blouses? #GOALS

Charumathi Raghuraman

Ms. Hemamalini S. / Via Facebook: ViolinCharumathiRaghuraman

It's no secret that Charumathi herself is as dazzling as her playing. Born into a family of musicians, she eventually came under the tutelage of Padma Bhushan Sri. T.N. Krishnan. And of course this lovely lady has bagged several awards including the Kalki Krishnamurthy Memorial Award and "Best Violinist" from Narada Gana Sabha, Indian Fine Arts, and Sri. Krishna Gana Sabha. Not that it matters but YES she is also married to mridangam virtuoso Anantha Krishnan, and YES they are 100% the Carnatic power couple of your dreams, but hey, not that it matters. Don't underestimate this lady because behind that beautiful smile is one heck of a violinist who'll steal your hearts!

S. Sowmya

Via indiapulse.sulekha.com

While you Maamis might be nervously wondering "but wait isn't she a Maami herself?" Not so true! Let's be honest, it's fair to say Sowmya is just as dazzling and elegant as she was when she made her debut in her early 20s. But there's so much more this musician beyond her pattu saris and infectious smile. Not only is she one of the leading Carnatic musicians in field who has won awards from every Sabha you can name, but she is a reputed musicologist and an IIT Top Ranking Scholar who also has a PhD, and an accomplished Vainika. A lovable guru to many top performers in today's field, she also works tirelessly to preserve the rare works of the Vaggeyakaras and Tamil Isai. I suppose some would call her the 'Beyonce' of Carnatic music, cause let's face it Maamis, whenever we hear the name Sowmya there's only one pattu sari clad lady that comes to mind.

Apoorva Krishna

Hariharan Sankaran / Via thehindu.com

While Apoorva may be the youngest lady on our list, her talent speaks for itself. A disciple of Anuradha Sridhar and Lalgudi Srimathi Bramanandam, Apoorva is currently one of the most sought after young soloists and accompanists. She was also the first ever winner of the Kalavanta music festival, and won SOY in 2012. Oh yeah and did we mention she's composed a thillana for IndianRaga that went viral on youtube AND she's shared a stage with Shankar Mahadevan?! Maamis it's quite obvious that as young as she may be, Apoorva is just getting started

Ranjani-Gayatri

Varun Sharma / Via Facebook: Ranjani.Gayatri.RaGa

When it comes to Carnatic duos no one comes to mind quicker than Ranjani & Gayatri or Ranjani-Gayatri as they are affectionately referred to by their fans. As vocal students, this duo came to critical acclaim under the tutelage of Padma Bhushan Sri. P.S. Narayanaswamy. They have traversed multiple continents and thousands of music halls, captivating audiences everywhere they go. Ranjani-Gayatri have won several prizes including the Indira Sivasailam Endowment Medal from the Music Academy in 2016. In addition, these ladies are also acclaimed violinists with multiple studio albums. Ranjani-Gayatri are truly unique in their accomplishments as they have set tune to several bhajans and thukdas pieces. They are well known for bringing abhangs to the Carnatic stage as well! Along with their numerous accomplishments, Maamis are sure to notice RaGa's contrast saris and blouses which compliment each other just as well as their voices do!

Keerthana Sankar

Keerthana may have been born and raised in Michigan, USA but don't be too quick to write her off as an "NRI" Maamis because this young lady has got talent. Keerthana is a vocal disciple of Sri. Madurai R. Sundar and currently learns violin from Sri. Delhi P. Sundarajan. Not only is Keerthana a leading vocalist and violinist who has won numerous awards such as "Best Violinist of the Season" from Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, she's also currently in Medical School. Yes Maamis you heard me, this talented gal is going be a doctor. I think it's safe to say this leading lady paves her path with a stethoscope in one hand and a violin bow in the other.

Brinda Manickavasakan

Rajappane Raju

When you think of up top young artists in Chennai, Brinda Manickavasakan is a sure shot on the list. While she began her training under Smt. Jayasri Rao, Sri. D.J. Balakrishna and Smt. Kanakadurga Venkatesh, she continues her advanced training under the legendary Smt. Suguna Varadachari. A quick search of Brinda's name will lead you to several articles outlining her "high calibre" voice that "soars over three octaves" and an adept sense of layam. Did we mention she holds a masters from Georgetown? It's no secret that the Maamis of this town are familiar with the name Brinda, but this young lady is sure to surprise you with her voice.

Kruthi Bhat

Via Facebook: kruthibhatofficial

Kruthi Bhat is no stranger to the Carnatic music arena. Born into a family of musicians, Kruthi started her training under her grandmother and mother as well as her uncle Vidwan Sri. Vittal Ramamuthy. She's also learned from the legendary Padmabhushan Sri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman and Sri T. R. Subramanyan. Kruthi currently learns from Sri. Neyveli R. Santhanagopalan and Smt. S. Sowmya. You may recognize this lovely lady because in addition to being a regular at Chennai sabhas, she's also won the "Kala Ratna" award at the Cleveland Tyagaraja Aradhana, USA as well as "Best Female Vocalist" from the SOY Series, Music Academy . Maamis are sure to fall in love with Kruthi's infectious smile and old world charm and you might even hear them exclaim "Apadiya?!" when they find out she grew up in the US!

Bombay Jayashri

Via Facebook: BombayJayashriRamnath

In the realm of Carnatic music, there are few voices as melodious as Jayashri Akka's. A prime disciple of Padma Bhushan Sri. Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, she has graced some of the world's most prestigious halls with her voice such as The Sydney Opera House, Rashrapathi Bhavan, and Carnegie Hall. Jayashri Akka (as her students affectionately call her) is a passionate guru to several young, budding artists. Oh yeah, did we mention she's an Academy Award nominated vocalist for her Lullaby in the feature film Life of Pi?! Yes, you heard us right, this fabulous female has walked THE red carpet. And to top it off, to our Hindi speaking compadres, this elegant lady is the voice behind your beloved song "Zara Zara", a remake of the original Tamil song "Vaseegara".

Sruti Sarathy

Shilpa Venkatesh

Another violinist? Another NRI? Yes and Yes because there just are that many talented young women. Another disciple of Smt. Anuradha Sridhar and the Violin Virtuoso Srimathi Brahmanandam, Sruti has paved her path as a winner of HCL and SOY and as an Academy performer during Music Season. An accomplished vocalist as well, Sruti is one of the most sought after young violinists today. As a graduate of Stanford University and a Fulbright Scholarship awardee, is there anything this talented lady can't do?

Rajna Swaminathan

Via rajnaswaminathan.com

An internationally renowned FEMALE mridangist, who happens to be an NRI? We can hear the Maamis gasping not so quietly already. Rajna is a senior disciple of Padma Vibhushan Sri. Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman and has performed with leading Carnatic artists of the day such as Sri. T.M. Krishna. Kennedy Center? Lincoln Center? Music Academy? Check, Check, & Check, but don't worry there are still over a dozen other highly reputable places this talented lady has performed at. Rajna has worked immensely in exploring the intermingling of Jazz and Carnatic music and released a studio album with her band RAJAS. She's also getting her PhD in cross disciplinary music studies at Harvard. Let's all give a round of applause to Rajna for paving the path as one of the few women in the highly male dominated Carnatic percussion scene.

Akkarai Sisters

Via Facebook: akkaraisisters

The Akkarai Sisters aka S. Subhalakshmi and S. Sornalatha, not only sing but play violin AND have individually succesful careers IN ADDITION to their pursuits as a dazzling duo. The sisters originally trained under their father but have learnt from Sri. V Janakiraman, Sri. O V Subramanian, Padmabhushan Sri. P S Narayanaswamy and Sangita Kalanidhi N. Ravikiran to name a few. Subhalakshmi is one of the most sought Carnatic violinists and is often the "go-to" choice for stalwarts such as Sri. Abhishek Raghuram, Sri. T.M. Krishna and many others. Lesser known fact: both sisters have had extensive exposure to Hindustani music as well which has helped them garner a unique flavor in their style of violin. From world tours to innumerable accolades, these ladies are two of Carnatic music's finest musicians.

Maamis don't even begin to ask "kalyanam aachaa?!" because these sisters are here to prove to you that they are truly succesful and independent ladies!

While this list in no way captures all the talented Carnatic females out there, it hopefully proves a point that there are so many beautiful and talented Carnatic ladies. This article should encourage all you Maamis and non-Maamis to draw inspiration from the musical and scholarly pursuits of these wonderful women!