Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma
Encyclopedia
Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma, also known as Prince Rama Varma, is a South Indian classical musician
, a performing vocalist, veena
player and writer.
, was born in Kerala
to Pooyam Thirunal Gowri Parvathi Bayi and Chembrol Raja Raja Varma. Varma is a direct descendent of HH Maharaja Swathi Thirunal and Raja Ravi Varma
. His great grandmother Sethu Parvathi Bayi, was the grand daughter of Raja Ravi Varma. He is often described as 'Prince among musicians and a Musician among Princes'. He is a post graduate in Commerce.
His early exposure to music came from the performances he used to watch at the Navarathri Mandapam as a child. He is an admirer of M. D. Ramanathan
and a fan of Kishore Kumar
.
He started receiving music lessons from Professor Vechoor Harihara Subrahmania Iyer in 1983. Shortly after, he started learning veena under Trivandrum R Venkataraman for 5 years and continued his lessons under the tutelage of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Prof. K S Narayanaswamy for another 10 years. After the demise of Prof. Vechoor Harihara Subrahmania Iyer, he became a disciple of musician, Dr.Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna
in 1994. He is now his senior disciple.
.
He has given vocal and Veena concerts all over India and in Europe, Middle East and the USA . He has performed at various venues in Europe
, including the Queen Elizabeth Hall
, London
, the Tropentheater, and the Korzo Theater, Netherlands
. For many years he had associated with the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music offering vocal classes in Indian Classical Music and also voice training sessions.
He frequently gives lecture demonstrations in South Indian Classical Music particularly on Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna
's compositions. Varma is regarded as an expert authority in the compositions by both Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma and Dr. M. Balamuralikrisha. He has a repertoire of Swathi compositions which is unmatched by anyone else.
He was invited to perform at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan by the then President of India, Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam. Dr. Abdul Kalam became a fan of Varma after listening to his CD, ‘Thaanam - The Pulse Of The Veena.’
He regularly contributes articles on Indian Music to news papers like The Hindu
and others.
conducted in the premises of Kuthira Malika
, Thiruvananthapuram
every year from 6 to 12 January. The Navarathri Mandapam Concerts held every year in connection with the Navarathri Festival at Trivandrum is also organised by Varma.
In 2006, he picked veteran Parasala Ponnammal to perform at the Navarathri Mandapam, breaking the 300 year old tradition of not allowing women inside the Mandapam.
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Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
, a performing vocalist, veena
Veena
Veena may refer to one of several Indian plucked instruments:With frets*Rudra veena, plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music*Saraswati veena, plucked string instrument used in Carnatic musicFretless...
player and writer.
Early life and background
Rama Varma, a scion of the Travancore Royal FamilyTravancore Royal Family
The Travancore Royal Family descended from the Venad line of the Cheras and ruled over the Indian state of Travancore until 1947.The Royal family, alternatively known as the Kupaka Royal Family, Thripappur Swaroopam, Venad Swaroopam, Vanchi Swaroopam etc., has its seat today at Trivandrum in...
, was born in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
to Pooyam Thirunal Gowri Parvathi Bayi and Chembrol Raja Raja Varma. Varma is a direct descendent of HH Maharaja Swathi Thirunal and Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma
Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter from the princely state of Travancore who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana...
. His great grandmother Sethu Parvathi Bayi, was the grand daughter of Raja Ravi Varma. He is often described as 'Prince among musicians and a Musician among Princes'. He is a post graduate in Commerce.
His early exposure to music came from the performances he used to watch at the Navarathri Mandapam as a child. He is an admirer of M. D. Ramanathan
M. D. Ramanathan
Manjapara Devesa Ramanathan affectionately called MDR was a Carnatic music composer and vocalist.-Early life:...
and a fan of Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century...
.
He started receiving music lessons from Professor Vechoor Harihara Subrahmania Iyer in 1983. Shortly after, he started learning veena under Trivandrum R Venkataraman for 5 years and continued his lessons under the tutelage of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Prof. K S Narayanaswamy for another 10 years. After the demise of Prof. Vechoor Harihara Subrahmania Iyer, he became a disciple of musician, Dr.Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna
Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna
Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna is a Carnatic vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and a playback singer. He is also acclaimed as a poet, composer and respected by all Indian classical musicians for his knowledge of Carnatic Music....
in 1994. He is now his senior disciple.
Music career
Rama Varma gave his maiden public performance in 1990 on the insistence of Prof T. V. GopalakrishnanT. V. Gopalakrishnan
Tirupanithurai Viswanatha Gopalakrishnan is a Carnatic and Hindustani musician from Chennai.Gopalakrishnan hails from a family of musicians, spanning over two centuries; his father was a court musician for the Cochin Royal Family. He is a vocalist, plays the violin and is also an exponent of the...
.
He has given vocal and Veena concerts all over India and in Europe, Middle East and the USA . He has performed at various venues in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, including the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the Tropentheater, and the Korzo Theater, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. For many years he had associated with the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music offering vocal classes in Indian Classical Music and also voice training sessions.
He frequently gives lecture demonstrations in South Indian Classical Music particularly on Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna
Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna
Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna is a Carnatic vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and a playback singer. He is also acclaimed as a poet, composer and respected by all Indian classical musicians for his knowledge of Carnatic Music....
's compositions. Varma is regarded as an expert authority in the compositions by both Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma and Dr. M. Balamuralikrisha. He has a repertoire of Swathi compositions which is unmatched by anyone else.
He was invited to perform at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan by the then President of India, Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam. Dr. Abdul Kalam became a fan of Varma after listening to his CD, ‘Thaanam - The Pulse Of The Veena.’
He regularly contributes articles on Indian Music to news papers like The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
and others.
Music Festivals
Varma organises Swathi SangeethotsavamSwathi Sangeethotsavam
Swathi Sangeethotsavam is a week-long festival of music celebrating the compositions of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal. The festival is held from 6 to 12 January every year at the courtyard of Kuthira Malika, Trivandrum. The event features Hindustani and Carnatic classical music. The concerts are not...
conducted in the premises of Kuthira Malika
Kuthira Malika
Puthen Malika Palace , most popularly known as Kuthira Malika , is a palace built by Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, on the south-eastern side of Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram.-Etymolgy:...
, Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
every year from 6 to 12 January. The Navarathri Mandapam Concerts held every year in connection with the Navarathri Festival at Trivandrum is also organised by Varma.
In 2006, he picked veteran Parasala Ponnammal to perform at the Navarathri Mandapam, breaking the 300 year old tradition of not allowing women inside the Mandapam.
External links
- Total Harmony: The Hindu, September 2009
- Stress on Sahitya: The Hindu April, 2009
- My Favourite Raga: The Hindu February 2009
- When music reigns: The Hindu, January 2009
- Slender silhouettes of ragas: The Hindu, May 2008
- Rama Varma on Swathi Sangeethotsavam The Hindu January 2008
- Swathi Sangeethotsavam 2006: The Hindu, January 2006
- Facets of Music: The Hindu, May 2006
- Veena and Vocal Concert Reviews: The Hindu, April 2005
- An ear for world music: The Hindu, February 2005
- Jamming at a Jugalbandi: The Hindu, May 2002
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