Smt. T. Rukmini (Pic credit: Sruthi magazine)
Smt. T. Rukmini the famous violinist passed away on May 31st at the ripe age of 84.
It was 1976-77 when many music lovers in Chicago and Wisconsin area were keen on not only trying to initiate celebrating Tyagaraja Utsavam , but also looking for organizing concerts by professional musicians passing through Midwest. It was Dr. S.T Rao who informed me that the music team consisting of Sri S. Kalyanaraman (famous disciple of GNB and one of Rao’s close friends), Smt. T. Rukmini on violin and Srimushnam Sri Raja Rao on Mridangam had started performing in the East coast. Unfortunately Sri Kalyanaraman fell sick and the two accompanists were not sure what to do under such a circumstance. Many of us living in apartments were looking for some suitable hall and it was Smt. Sridevi and Dr. Rangaraj who said they can have the program in their new house. Even though I have personally listened to the legendary flutist Mali with T. Rukmini as his violin accompaniment and also with Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna, this was a unique concert with T. Rukmini playing solo with Srimushnam Raja Rao on Mridangam. Some of her students, I came to know were already there in the Midwest and in Boston area. Smt. Amrita Murali is of course, her most notable disciple in today’s Carnatic platform. Her melodious vocal rendition in some one’s apartment of “Mathe Malayadhwaja Pandya Sanjathe” in Khamas , a famous composition of Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar is still fresh in me.
Some very talented and creative violinists like T. Rukmini have remained quite dormant due to their own reserved attitude.
In grief,
TES Raghavan