Sukanya Ramgopal

Born on 13 June 1957 in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, Sukanya Ramgopal emerged from a culturally rich lineage as the granddaughter of the eminent Tamil scholar U. V. Swaminatha Iyer. Her early exposure to music in Chennai’s Triplicane area shaped a deep affinity for rhythm. Initially trained in Carnatic vocal and violin, her innate inclination toward percussion was recognised by T. H. Harihara Sharma, who introduced her to mridangam. She later refined her artistry in ghatam under the mentorship of Vikku Vinayakram, becoming the first woman to establish a professional career on the instrument in Carnatic music.

An “A-Top” grade artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan, and an empanelled artiste of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Sukanya has performed at leading festivals and venues in India and abroad. She has shared the stage with luminaries such as Lalgudi Jayaraman, M. Balamuralikrishna, and Palghat R. Raghu, excelling both as a soloist and as an accompanist.

Her most significant artistic innovations include Ghata Tharang, conceived in 1992, in which she performs on six to eight ghatams tuned to different shrutis, creating melody on a percussion instrument—an unprecedented concept in Carnatic concert practice. She also founded Sthree Thaal Tharang, an all-women instrumental ensemble that foregrounds women percussionists, and established the Sri Vikku Vinayakram School of Ghatam in Bengaluru. Through the Sunaadam Charitable Trust, she continues to teach and popularise the ghatam.

Sukanya Ramgopal is also an author, having written Sunaadam: The Vikku Bani of Ghatam Playing, and has been documented in books and films on women musicians. Her many honours include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2014), Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy Award, and major recognitions from the Madras Music Academy, along with titles such as Laya Kala Nidhi, Naada Laya Samragni, and Vani Kala Nipuna. Her career stands as a landmark in the history of Carnatic percussion, redefining both the role of the ghatam and the place of women in rhythmic arts.