Popular Carnatic singer Pantula Rama will receive the Indira Sivasailam Endowment Medal for 2019. The medal will be presented at a ceremony at the Madras Music Academy on October 4 during the Indira Sivasailam Endowment Concert.
Hailing from a family of musicians and scholars, she holds a doctorate in Carnatic music and has authored the book, Shaping of an ideal Carnatic musician through Sadhana. Ms. Rama had her initial musical training under her father Pantula Gopala Rao, and completed her advanced training under Ivaturi Vijayeswara Rao. The Indira Sivasailam Endowment Fund, established in association with the Madras Music Academy, aims to recognise and promote Carnatic musicians of distinction. Each year, the winner is chosen by a panel comprising members from the Endowments Committee of Music Academy and Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman, TAFE.
The Indira Sivasailam Foundation was established by Ms. Srinivasan as a tribute to her mother Indira Sivasailam, a patron of traditional art forms, especially Carnatic music. This year, the foundation enters its tenth year and to mark this event, violin vidwan R.K. Shriramkumar, mridangam vidwan J. Vaidyanathan and morsing vidushi Bhagyalakshmi M. Krishna would be presented with the Indira Sivasailam Foundation 10th Anniversary Special Award for their performance as accompanying artistes.
Contests to be held
As a pre-event to the 10th Indira Sivasailam Endowment Concert, the Foundation would host Anwesha – ‘Quest for the Best’ and the ‘Bala Vidwan’ Contest on September 25 at The Music Academy. Entries in the form of videos are invited from interested participants in the age group of 10- 15. The entries, vocal or instrumental (violin or flute) of any Carnatic song can be posted through the foundation’s Facebook page.
Both contests are open till September 17.