Legendary Carnatic vocalist T Muktha, who enthralled audiences along with her sister T Brinda for decades, died in Chennai on Sunday after a brief illness.
She was 92 and is survived by a daughter, family sources said.
A contemporary to legends like the late M S Subbulakshmi and Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Muktha was the granddaughter of Dhanammal, a great veena player of her times.
Born in August 1914, Muktha had her initial training from her mother Kamakshmi Ammal and later under Kancheepuram Naayana Pillai, a well known Carnatic musician.
She was instrumental in popularising the kritis of Muthuswamy Dikshitar, one of the trinities of Carnatic music, the other two being Thiagaraja and Shyma Shastri.
A strict disciplinarian, she always insisted on perfection from her disciples, one of whom is S Sowmiya, a leading Carnatic vocalist.
Muktha and her sister started giving concerts from the age of eight.
She had bagged many prestigious awards, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi award.
© 2024 Rediff.com -