Alamelu Mani

Alamelu Mani (born 4 October 1934) is an Indian Carnatic vocalist and music teacher from Mumbai, India. She is the mother of singer Hariharan. In 2018 she received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Carnatic music.

Biography Alamelu Mani was born on 4 October 1934, at Mumbai, Maharashtra. Her father, Varadhan, was a harmonium player. Hariharan, an Indian playback singer is her only son.

Musical career Alamelu was given her first music lessons by her grandmother when she was three years old. Her studies were interrupted when Mani died when she was 28, but a year later, she resumed her studies with T. Brinda, a follower of the Devadasi tradition of Carnatic music, T. Muktha and Tanjavur V. Sankara Iyer. Alamelu is an A Grade artist of All India Radio (since 1968) and Doordarshan.

Notable students Alamelu is not only the mother of singer Hariharan but also his first music teacher. Singer Shriram Iyer is among her students.

Awards and honors Alamelu received many titles and awards including Gold Medal in the music competition by All India Radio, Gurukripa Award by the Shankar Mahadevan Academy, T. Brinda memorial award by Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival, USA, Dronacharya Award from The Rotary Club of Madras East, the Sri Shanmukananda Dr M. S. Subbulakshmi Sangeetha Pracharya Award, Sur Mani title by Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai, Acharya Chudamani title by Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai, and Sangeetha Booshana title by Sri Ranjini Sangeetha Sabha. In 2018 she received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Carnatic vocal.