Sukanya Ramgopal

Sukanya Ramgopal is an Indian carnatic musician from Tamil Nadu. She is best known as the first woman ghatam player in Carnatic music. She is also proficient in carnatic vocal music, as well as violin, mridangam and veena. She has received several awards including Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy Award and awards from Madras Music Academy, Chennai.

Biography Sukanya Ramgopal was born on 13 June 1957, at Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu, as the fifth child of Subramaniam and Ranganayaki. She is granddaughter of Tamil scholar U. V. Swaminatha Iyer. She studied at a Montessori school near her house and later at N K Tirumalachariar National Girls' High School. After completing a pre-university course from Ethiraj College, Chennai, Sukanya did her under-graduation BSc in mathematics from Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women, Chennai. She is an 'A-top' artist of All India Radio. She is also proficient in carnatic vocal, violin, mridangam and veena. In Ghata Tarang, she play 6 - 7 ghatams of different shruthis, thereby creating melody on a percussion instrument. The group constantly showcases new and veteran women percussionists of the country. She also runs Sri Vikku Vinayakram School for Ghatam in Bengaluru. She was also featured in the book The Singer and the Song: Conversation with Women Musicians by C. S. Lakshmi, published by Kali for Woman in 2000. Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy Award, 1982 DEVI award 2015 from Indian Express Best Senior Ghatam Artist Award from Madras Music Academy, 2007 Award from Narada Gaana Sabha, Chennai, 1990