Alamelu Mani (born 4 October 1934) is an Indian Carnatic vocalist and music teacher from

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

, India. She is the mother of singer Hariharan. In 2018 she received the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...

in Carnatic music.

Biography

Alamelu Mani was born on October 4, 1934, at Mumbai, Maharashtra. Her father, Varadhan, was a

harmonium The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a va ...

player. Hariharan, an Indian playback singer is her only son.

Musical career

Alamelu was given her first music lessons by her grandmother when she was three years old. At the age of ten she started studying Carnatic music under H.A.S. Mani, whom she later married. Her studies were interrupted when Mani died when she was 28, but a year later, she resumed her studies with T. Brinda, a follower of the Devadasi tradition of Carnatic music, T. Muktha and Tanjavur V. Sankara Iyer. In Carnatic music, she is an exponent in Padams and Javalis. Alamelu is an A Grade artist of

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

(since 1968) and

Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...

. As a Carnatic music teacher, Alamelu has taught over 1,000 students from around the world. Since 1963, she serves as the principal of the South Indian School of Music in Mumbai, founded by her husband H.A.S. Mani.

Notable students

Alamelu is not only the mother of singer Hariharan but also his first music teacher. Singer

Shriram Iyer Shriram Iyer is an Indian singer who has provided the music for the Bollywood film, Iqbal and also sung the opening theme song for the Zee TV show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007. He is lead singer of the fusion band "OM The Fusion Band". Life ...

is also her student.

Awards and honors

Alamelu received many titles and awards including Gold Medal in the music competition by All India Radio, Gurukripa Award by the Shankar Mahadevan Academy, T. Brinda memorial award by Clevland Tyagaraja Fesival, USA, Dronacharya Award from The Rotary Club of Madras East, the Sri Shanmukananda Dr M. S. Subbulakshmi Sangeetha Pracharya Award, ''Sur Mani'' title by Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai, ''Acharya Chudamani'' title by Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai, and ''Sangeetha Booshana'' title by Sri Ranjini Sangeetha Sabha. In 2018 she received the

in Carnatic vocal.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mani, Alamelu Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Singers from Mumbai Carnatic singers 1934 births 21st-century Indian women singers 20th-century Indian women singers Living people