 Dr Rukmini Ramani is the youngest of
Papanasam Sivan’s children. She and her son, well-known vocalist Papanasam Ashok Ramani, run the Sivan Arts Academy which conducts classes in music on professional lines for children.
In addition, she is, of course, the mainstay of the Margazhi bhajanais that take place around the four Mada streets of Mylapore. The crowd has now dwindled, but despite ill-health, she has kept up the tradition. She has also been instrumental in ensuring that many of Sivan’s lesser known works, such as the Sanskrit Dictionary, Karaikkal Ammayar Charitram and Rama Charita Gitam, are published and not lost to posterity. The Kirtana Malai of Sivan, which is a series of six volumes (the seventh is under preparation) of his kritis is her project these days.
Dr Rukmini has had a long stint in music education, having taught at several music colleges.
Despite all these activities, she has found time to compose songs for dance dramas such as Arupadai Andavan, Srinivasa Kalyanam, Ramayanattil Sitayin Navarasangal and Sri Raghavendrar.
Having been the close confidante of her father and his Benjamin in his last years, she has also imbibed his composing talents and has as many as 500 kritis to her credit. These are now being released as Sivasakti Kirtanamalai and three volumes have come out so far, comprising 126 songs.
All the songs are set in simple Tamizh and some bear the mudra Sivakumari. There are varnams and tillanas as well. The songs are set to popular ragas. The first volume bears a foreword from K V Narayanaswami. The second and third have foreword and introduction by P S Narayanaswami and Sethalapati
Balasubramaniam.
The first volume is priced at Rs 60 and the remaining, at Rs 100.
The books are available at:
12/21, First Street,
Karpagam Avenue,
Raja Annamalaipuram,
Chennai 600028.
Ph: 24722928/24938380
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