Carnatic singer Ananthalakshmi Venkitaraman passes away

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Carnatic musician Ananthalakshmi Venkitaraman breathed her last here on Thursday. She was 88 and suffering from age-related diseases. The cremation was held on Thursday. Her husband Venkitaraman had passed away earlier. She is survived by her son Swami. She was residing at Second Puthen Street near the Fort area.

Ananthalakshmi, who started training at a young age, was a protégé of Carnatic singer R Bhagavatheeswara Iyer and was noted for several noteworthy performances. She was lauded for rendering a breathtaking concert at the age of 75 when she sang non-stop for 36 hours at the Soorya Dance and Music Festival. She took breaks every eight hours to take refreshments, visit the toilet and undergo medical checkups.

“It was her determination that astounded me and which comes to my mind when I think of the artiste. When she approached us, I was sceptical, considering her age. But she persisted. We had doctors, nurses and an ambulance stationed at Tagore Hall to ensure her health was taken care of,” recalls Soorya Krishnamoorthy, founder, Soorya Stage and Film Society.