Biodata of Smt. Jayalakshmi Sekhar

Jayalakshmi Sekhar (born on 12/8/55) had her initial music training from her father Sri C.S.Krishnaswamy. Her formal Veena training took place when she was 13 years of age under Pudukkottai Sri Jayarama Iyer, in Madras. She is a Chemistry graduate from Stella Maris College, Madras, during which time she participated in various inter - collegiate music competitions. She also plays on the violin and flute. (Basic lessons taught by her father).

Jayalakshmi lives in Malaysia with her husband, Sri T.V.Sekhar, an Accountant, who has been instrumental in introducing her to Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. Sripada Pinakapani, of Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. Together, they have been recording his music in his home in Kurnool year after year and listening and learning from the tapes, before she became a resident student of his recently. Under the tutelage of Dr. Pinakapani, for the past 4-5 years, Jayalakshmi has been improving her veena play as Dr. Pinakapani imparts his style of music that includes a balance of gamakas -
i.e., a judicious mix of Gamaka Sangathis and Ravva Jathi Sangathis, the abundance of Anuswarams in Sangathis giving what is generally described as weight to the music and also veena techniques of Veena Vidushi Smt. Dhanammal, and extending her repertoire of kritis of the Great Composers including Annamacharya Kritis which he has set to tune.

She teaches music in Kuala Lumpur, and accompanies on the violin for visiting musicians from India and Sri Lanka. She is the music consultant of Sutra Dance Theatre in Kuala Lumpur run byArtistic Director, Ramli Ibrahim, the renowned Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Ballet Dancer of Malaysia. She also has provided music support for Melbourne's famous Dancer Dr. Chandrabhanu. She has performed in various countries including Pittsburg University in the US for an Ethnomusic festival in 1995, and Australia, Singapore, etc. Since June 1996, Jayalakshmi has been performing on the veena in Chennai and during the December Music Festivals. She has also performed in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Tirupathi . The various Sabhas in Chennai include Naradha Gana Sabha, Karthik Fine Arts, Kapali Fine Arts, Hamsadhwani NRI Festival, Indian Fine Arts, TVG AIMA Series, Suswara. She has given monthly concerts in the Thyagaraja Vidwat Sabha, Nadopasana, Dr. S. Balachander Trust, etc.

Jayalakshmi won the 'Gottuvadhyam Narayana Iyengar' award for a noteworthy performance during the Gokulashtami Series held in Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in 1997. In May 1999, she gave a successful lecture demonstration cum recital on the 'Veena Dhanammal technique of veena play taught by Dr. S Pinakapani' under an Endowment of Curzonco Seshachalam Chinta Foundation endowed by Smt. Mano Bhaktavatsalam held in the prestigious Madras Music Academy. Subsequently she has given lecture demonstrations in the Hyderabad Music College, and Telugu University and Secunderabad Music College. Recently, she has been accompanying musicians on the violin in India too. In November 1999, she accompanied Sri Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana on a Spic Macay Concert Tour of Karnataka, on the violin. Jayalakshmi Sekhar's first veena solo cassette was released on December 30th 1999 by Kalavardhani during Hamsadhwani's NRI Festival.

e-mail id: jstvs@hotmail.com