Rama's musical ensemble consists of top ranking professional musicians who work with Rama on a permanent basis. She derives great support from them in her endeavour to achieve excellence. Rama's performances stand out for their high quality musical accompaniment provided by the following well known artists. Rama also works with additional eminent musicians for specific projects:
K. Sivakumar - Nattuvangam
A maestro in creating rhythmic patterns, Kameswaran Sivakumar has been working with Rama for the past eight years. Hails from a musical family he is the disciple of Mridangam maestro Karaikudi Krishnamurthy. He has also composed jatis (complicated rhythmic patterns) and presented them in recitals of veteran dancers and for percussion ensembles. Sivakumar received the prestigious award 'maestro of rhythm' from Apoorva ragam, in Chennai in 2007.
Vidya Srinivasan - Vocal
Born in a family steeped in the tradition of Carnatic classical music, Vidya Srinivasan was destined to excel in the art. Initiated into formal training by her mother at the tender age of six, Vidya later came under the tutelage of her maternal grandfather, renowned maestro Sangeeta Bhushanam Shri O.V. Subramaniam. Presently concentrating on Carnatic vocal concerts Vidya has worked with Rama for more than 15 years.
Vidya has also performed as a lead vocalist for a Raga Symphony Band called ' Malabarians' and is lead vocalist for an ensemble group called 'Dhwani'.
Sudha Raghuraman - Vocal
Born in a family of distinguished musicians, she had her training in Carnatic music from her grandfather, Sangeetha Bhushanam Shri O.V.Subramanyam,the highly acclaimed doyen of the Tanjavur'bani'. Surrounded by the pulsating musical atmosphere at home, further enriched by her father Shri O.S.Sridhar,and her paternal uncles, well known carnatic vocalist Sri O.S.Thiagarajan and Sri O.S.Arun, her formative years were the ideal ground for listening by listening. Sudha brings to carnatic music her own unique sensibility. Sudha has performed at several prestigious music festivals and platforms, both in home and abroad. Sudha works with Rama on specific projects.
Indu S Nair
Indu had her training in Indian classical Carnatic music under gurus Shri Bhasi, Shri Vijayan, Smt. Palkulangara Ambika Devi and Shri Vidhu Alleppy. Indu is doing her Degree in music from Swati Tirunal Music College, Trivandrum. She has presented several concerts of classical vocal music and bhajans etc.
Indu joined Rama's team in 2010.
Arun Kumar - Mridangam
Arun Kumar Kalapurakkal is born into a family of traditional musicians in Calicut (Kozhikode), Kerala. He had his initial training under his father Late Shri Soma Sundaram and later under the tutelege of Mridangam maestro Puthukode Krishnamurthi. Arun Kumar has unique style of playing the Mridangam and has accompanied a good number of Indian classical dancers over the last two decades. He also plays Thavil, Tabla and other traditional percussion instruments. Arun Kumar joined Rama's team since 2009.
Ramamoorthy
Sriganesh -
Nattuvangam/Mridangam
Born in a musical family in Lalgudi in Tamil Nadu, Ganesh had an early inclination towards rhythm and started learning the Mridangam at the age of ten from Chidambaram Late Sh. V. Nataraja Iyer in New Delhi. In 1985 Ganesh switched over to dance accompaniment and also started taking advance training from Kalaimamani Sh. A. Prem Kumar of All India Radio New Delhi. With his dedication and hard work Ganesh gradually became one of the most sought after mridangists in the capital. He also learnt the skills of doing Nattuvangam (Conductor of the Dance Orchestra) and became a successful Nattuvanar too.
He has widely travelled all over the globe and since 1998, Ganesh has been conducting a number of percussion ensembles simultaneously with accompaniment on the mridangam. Ganesh has been playing mridangam and doing nattuvangam for Rama for the last 10 years.
Madhavi Gopalakrishnan
Madhavi Gopalakrishnan is
a senior scholar of ancient Indian Sanskrit Texts. None other than Swami
Chinmayananda himself trained her in recitation and intepretation of these
ancient texts. She is regularly invited by study groups to give discourses
in Sanskrit texts like the Bhagwad Geeta, Upanishads and the Bhagvatam.
She accompanies Rama in her dance recitals by CHANTING THE SANSKRIT TEXTS
to a special melody. While she recites, Rama uses the medium of Dance
to convey the meaning of the verses. Madhavi also is a part of the musical
ensemble for playing the TANPURA.
Madhavi has accompanied Rama for her concerts all over India and abroad.
She also runs an organization in New Delhi called VIGYAN MANDIR where
she imparts training in the understanding and recitation of the ancient
Indian epics and texts.
Dakshina Vaidyanathan
Right from the age of four she has traveled the country participating in her grandmother, Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan's dance productions. As an eight year old she danced with her mother, Rama Vaidyanathan at the Snow Festival in Japan.
Dakshina is also a debator and an avid speaker. In 2000 she represented her school during the Millenium Children's Festival in New Zealand. There at the World's Children's Parliament, she spoke about children's rights in India. Dakshina loves music and swimming. She has participated in and won competitions in both for her school. She writes poetry in her free time.
Though she is doing her Engineering, dance however has remained her serious passion.
Dakshina is one of the most promising Bharata Natyam dancers today and an innovative choreographer. Her productions include: 1. MAYURANG- a peacock dance choreography in a neo-classical. 2. FROM ZERO TO INFINITY- it is a choreography describing the evolution of the advancement of technology in India, and how this is related to the social, cultural and spiritual aspects of people's lives. 3. NAKSHARA- its a choreography on astrology. It describes the 12 zodiac signs and explains thier broad categories and characteristics. It debates on weather astrology is science or faith, and weather it is controllable or it is fate. 4. CLEOPATRA- an episode from the life of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, done in neo-classical style. It describes her marriage to Mark Antony, her defeat in the Battle of Actium and thereafter, her death.