Notes to Myself l Episode 2 l Season 2 l S Sowmya l MOPA

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Episode 2, Season 2 of Notes to Myself brings you, Sowmya, acclaimed Carnatic vocalist who appeals to the head and to the heart. Her academic background fuels her leanings towards musical grammar, language and an enviable compositional repertoire of a wide spectrum of composers. Yet, learning and negotiating two contrasting musical styles taught her to go with the natural sound and flow of music.
Sowmya belongs to the brigade of musicians that was a force to reckon with in the 1980s-90s, setting new performance trends and standards, paving for the way for youngsters to look at Carnatic music with fresh eyes. In this episode, she speaks candidly about some of the challenges life threw her way, issues that dot the performing arena and how she deals with them.
Notes to Myself is one of MOPA's flagship projects - a series of interactive, expository documentaries that deconstructs the lives and creative processes of some of the most impactful professionals associated with South India's performing arts. Done in a let-your-hair-down and from-the-heart way, these offer an honest, moving and at times funny and charmingly unguarded look at the lives of these artistes.
Film Credits:
Concept, Curation and Artistic Direction: Savita Narasimhan
Video Direction and Filming: Gowrishankar Venkatraman, Swung Dash Studios, Chennai
Director of Photography: Kalaiselvan Sivaji
Associate Cameraman: Ignatius Vivek David, Siddharth Maharajan
Production Support: Gowtham Ganesan, B Charles
Editor: Clinton Harold Jacob
Post Production: The Zoe Trope Company, Chennai
Subtitles: Anugrah Lakshmanan, Vishwesh Rajan
Photographs:
Sowmya
Ramanathan Iyer
The Music Academy Archives
Video Excerpts:
From KZbin channels of:
Mudhra Bhaskar
• Vocal Concert by Sangi...
YAMINI -2021 organised by SPICMACAY, IIM-Bangalore chapter
• Vid. S Sowmya - Carnat...
Spirit of Unity
• Shri. Nedunuri Krishna...
Ranganathan Srinivasan
• S Sowmya - 147th Thyag...
Film Location: The Artery, Chennai
Soundtracks by: Matthew L Fisher, Scott Buckley
Artwork by S Sowmya
Produced by MOPA Foundation ©2021

[@sriv9045]

The Sowmya I remember from my middle school days at Shrine Velankanni Senior Secondary School in T. Nagar in the early 80's (around 81-83) is still etched in my mind. I was her school senior, and at that time, I was in a lot of music competitions, winning prizes. She was much younger to me and still made an impression with her singing. She stuck to her music while I moved on from music to other career choices. Life puts us on different paths. Nice to see how she has grown into a Vidhwan and is holding her own.

[@mudhrabhaskar9440]

One of the best interviews which holds the interest of the viewer throughout ! Usually, artists of her stature have tailor made answers with a focus on impressing others! Dr Sowmya charters a unique path for herself by saying everything straight from her heart and that strikes a perfect chord! 🙏- Dr Radha Bhaskar

[@k.vminambakkam9781]

beautiful,I was sowmiyas schoolmate at udyogamandal school.She continues to be the charming,talented,lovely person.god bless her

[@nss6610]

Frank and candid, so refreshing. She just expressed what she feels and thinks. So down to earth too.

[@venividivixen]

I love how earnestly akka shared her conflict between IIT/PhD/going abroad and music, particularly the bit where she admitted to being deeply depressed about it and experiencing a case of sour grapes. I admire her commitment to education despite having already figured that she'd not be pursuing Chemistry for a career. It had to have been a difficult choice. It also made me grateful that I do not have multiple talents (or any really 😂) . I'm glad her manodharma became clear to her over time. I'd have missed her presence in the Carnatic world. ❤

[@supraja]

These episodes in themselves are a great work of art. Please never stop making them.

[@lavyrangan]

When I am listening to Dr. Sowmya, I so wish I would have met Dr. Ramanathan, what a person, how can we not be awe of such a person. Such a blessing to be associated to him.

[@vidyasarma5509]

Superb. I am 80 yrs . SmtSowmya has wonderfully analyzed the views about the present day musicians . More specifically about the body language while they sing I could not control my laugh. Rather it is unstoppable when she tells referring her.own son.

[@mukundar2454]

Dr Soumya - my first maanaseega guru! It was only after listening her cassette Devi Krithis, I developed interest for Carnatic music. The first song I listened from that cassette Anandamrutha karshini in Amrutavarshini raga is my favorite to date. Thanks to this lady for influencing me when social media was not even a concept. I’m peaceful with this divine music.

[@usharavi8225]

Watching Sowmya from her school days. Listened 🎶 to her Kutchery when she was a child in Krishna gana Sabha. Now a Sangeeta Kalanidhi. I love her demos in Music academy. Who will forget her Nandanar Charitram? God 🙌 bless her. A fine talk by her.

[@kaminidandapani9047]

I love her frankness, bluntness and clear thinking. Carnatic music is blessed to have a performer, teacher and spokesperson like her. Great talk.

[@maheshseth751]

it was like she thinks and speaks like her music! i enjoyed this too.

[@LOCHLIFE]

Such a candid, from the heart talk. Great to see humility, a passion for education ,music, and life rolled in one. So inspiring! Rock on, Sowmya...

[@sathyavenkatesan704]

Fantastic sowmya ma'am.casual , natural narration . உங்களுடன் சேர்ந்து நாங்களும் வளர்ந்த மாதிரியான உணர்வு .

[@shailikhanna1044]

Learnt so much about the music scene in smaller places in South! Shocked at gender discrimination. Sowmya ji is so articulate, intelligent and perceptive, also so truthful and open, it was a wonderfully engrossing and informative interview..thank you

[@chennaismilzo]

Priceless view of a landmark phase in. Carnatic music. So nice to see such a progression to the higher peaks with such grace and lack of negativity.kudos

[@vimaladevi7556]

Very very apt interview for all art lovers and practitioners. It's an eye-opener for everyone. She is only from her heart, and that's the ultimate truth. Speaking out loud and clear the inner voice of every under-rated true artist.

[@poornimadinakaran4871]

Paaaa.... "Nethiyila aani adhichamaadhiri...." one interview. Had mixed emotions throughout. Timing comedy with differential accent be it Tamil or in Sanskrit. The tough decision made between academics and music was so touching. I wondered from where such candid and straight answers could come so fearlessly.... Probably from fighting tough battles from within and outside. For me it was an inspiring experience... Thanks is all I can say 🙏

[@1978ramaa]

What a beautiful episode! It's so wonderful to hear about how the great vidwans used to value their art and teach with such integrity. So happy to spend more than an hour listening to her.

[@savithrirao58]

Namaskaram.Very happy to hear Smt.Sowmya's musical journey. One of the greatest musicians, totally dedicated to her sangeetham and her Greatest Guru Late Sri.S.Ramanathan Sir.

[@draghuna]

From start to finish, couldn't stop listening. The interview was so candid, so full of self awareness, lots and lots of reflection, rich observations about great musical personalities and above all, remarkable humility. Personally, I could relate to some of the things Sowmya spoke about quite directly. I have attended Dr Ramanathan sir's group classes in the mornings for instance. I have been at some of the music festivals in TN, the Sadashiva Brahmendral festival for example. Such a real treat, Sowmya, thank you so much for doing this!

[@sri086059]

So candid, so beautiful just like your music. I am glad you have not sold out and are sticking to the classicism and tradition. God bless

[@KanchanaManyam]

Withdrawal symptoms so well shared - so relevant for passionate people across all professions

[@RajeeSanjay]

So beautifully put together by Sowmya ji... Loved it.

[@venividivixen]

MOPA, you're doing a fine job. Each episode is better than the one before. Excellent camerawork and lighting capturing the artists' expressions, as if we're sitting in their presence and experiencing their joy and pain first hand. I felt compelled to comment after the heartbreaking 56:50 bit about chauvinism. P.S: The cello bgm is oddly fitting for akka. Good choice.

[@savithrirao58]

Wonderful conversation, enjoyed listening to Smt.Sowmya. She was very frank and very practical. Thank you MOPA

[@poornima2893]

Huge respects to Sowmya ma'am ❤🙏 A straight from the heart talk. Thank you MOPA and Sowmya ma'am for this phenomenal interview 🙏

[@drkrsna]

Superb, challenging the male chavunism from male accompanists, including some female accompanists . About time this changed. Also female violinists not given opportunity to accompany certain male vocalists.Dr.Sowmya👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@gomathikrishnamoorthy8484]

Very nice and best interview with good Advice.Thank you Sowmya madam🌹👍🙌🙏😊

[@chandras5135]

Fantastic yet underrated musician, so nice to hear from her so many precious thoughts n moments

[@balanda6654]

ஆஹா அற்புதம்..".மைக்குக்கு தாலி", "பவ்ய சிரோன்மணீ" யம்மாடி இம்புட்டு நடிப்பு தெரியுமா.... தாயீ சிரிப்பு சிரிப்பா வந்து....அம்புட்டு சிரிச்சுப்டேன்... நன்றி

[@harikrishna_sridhar]

You are doing an amazing job.... All the artists you have covered so far are so beautifully made. While listening to them we feel we are like a part of their life witnessing along with them. Leaving them free to express and gives us the inner core of these musicians. Lovely concept...much love for all of these. If possible please interview Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan sir. He is a person who is so deep and broad. Very knowledgeable with added sweet humour. He is an Excellent Guru also. Requesting you to get out the beauty of his life and learnings too. Thank you Mopa team for your lovely efforts.

[@subharaghavan1364]

Sowmya mam my senior in Meenakshi College. Again when my sister was in IIT,I have seen you singing in Madigras. Wish you a happy and wonderful life.

[@tmadhusudan895]

A sparkling intellect tastefully captured with dignity and decorum .

[@sachinprem82]

Very nice.. Lot if life lessons taught without preaching. Very clear on what she is talking and so genuine

[@lalitharsk]

Excellent. Interview. No words. Not only your cutcheries,also your talk about various things in different way Something marvelous. Great one.

[@lalitharajamani8416]

Fine. Nice speech. Youngsters should Listen her speech and should learn from her and her nice talk. 🙏🙏❤

[@lathajanardhan9459]

Such a candid interview.No airs at all,such humility.God Bless You ,Sowmyaji.

[@boskeyvidhya]

Watched it at one go. I've always admired you. Thoroughly enjoyed every bit.

[@kasturiswami784]

Soumya is so articulate. She is super intelligent and a wonderful musician. I have not listened to her kacheri recently.

[@geethajayagopalbhajans8153]

Very nice, beautiful &open hearted talk that'll be very useful to people those lovers &learners of music

[@profsanandhanfrsc1116]

Sowmya is a very talented singer and an intelligent person! My respect for her has increased after watching this program.

[@revathishankar946]

Lovely and very responsible parents you have mam to give training and having brought up in this heights

[@diyac9554]

Wonderful episode. The whole meditation on her professional decision and the mental anguish over giving up was something one could truly empathize with. What an open person to generously share her perspective and challenges. Beautiful and inspiring. 💐🙏🏼

[@diyac9554]

I also would love a Sowmya music book club! She sounds like she would have the most amazing curation of music history selections!!

[@janakigopalan1992]

Very hurt by how senior musicians will not play for women artists mam. Hats off to you. Learnt so much about sowmya mam from this episode. Huge respect 🙏

[@GurunathHari]

Sowmyaji your Seethamma Maayyamma and satru vilagi.. blessed to hear your renditions.

[@divi3140]

First time i seen a complete interview which more than half an hour. Such a nice conversation.

[@rooparaghav]

Really loved every bit for it

[@hemaraghunathan2763]

Very good interview from start to finish, very honest and true, speaking her mind. Very impressive

[@kasn811]

Wonderful job by Savita ji. Dr sowmya's words were all in one package.. and had the thani aavardanam effect all throughout.. beautiful interview

[@chikkannaputtanna1966]

Very nice open speaking. If only our young practioners if music could draw a lesson from this talk, it will definitely take them to higher position in music.

[@dr.subbakrishnadk7278]

Wonderful interview, May God be always with you.

[@symphonyred]

Thank you Sowmya! Loved your sharing

[@priyadivakaran3284]

Beautiful sharing by Mdm Sowmya 🥰🥰🥰..so insightful not just musically but how we should also look at life...

[@kalpanasriram8409]

Very nice interview.she talks as if talking to a friend. Thanks Sowmya Akka

[@veenarasika1778]

Absolutely superb interview!

[@Bagava2010]

Lovely conversation 👌 👌 Proud to be your fan ❤️Keep enthralling us forever 🌹 🌹

[@keshavvenkataraghavan5551]

Absolutely wonderful. A lovely exploration into the various facets of Dr Sowmya. 🙏 nicely put together.

[@kousalyanatarajan3525]

Such a great artist she is.. May God bless her

[@lakshmisimhan5111]

Wonderful interview…🙏, very thoughtful, varied questions, followed by very frank, open minded answers with beautiful body language by madam Soumya🙏🙏🙏

[@ramya49]

Very nice.. u don’t even think to skip … each and every minute was so captivating… madam your vocabulary is so interesting

[@KanchanaManyam]

I see humour also even in the strong points that you make!!

[@kirthikasidhar2019]

Such a beautiful conversation really loved the way it went on.. it just took me to a different world ... Loved the quote Life is too short enjoy and make others happy

[@SaffronTrailKitchen]

Mic ku thaali kattaradhu - laughed so hard at this :D :D Enjoyed this entire talk by Dr S Sowmya

[@sriram957]

I laughed out loud when she talked about super singer contestants performance HAHAHA

[@vikiraman8398]

You are so gentle in music mam.wow with that base voice truly legend.

[@navneethsundaresan6970]

Do interview Vidwan RK Shriramkumar Anna. A very big music genius par excellence.

[@ravishanker6925]

Excellent! Thanks

[@AuroshriArunPrasad]

Watched completely how nice it is...mam great

[@ramanparthasarathy3306]

Sowmya Madam, what an interview! You have covered so many things in the course of this interview it blows my mind - your upbringing, the influence of your parents and your Guru, the conflicts and self-doubts you went through and coming through to the other side, the choices you made, male chauvunism, posture, the theatrics that accompanies singers today...just phenomenal. I especially loved your take on theatrics - my mom says "Konashta illama paadanum appadinnu". So many things to learn from this interview. I can really go on and on. Feel blessed to hear your interview. I hope I can meet you in person one day. 🙏🙏🙏

[@kasn811]

Yes the gap filling music is very nostalgic..since vibrant personalities are being interviewed, the music can be little more vibrant..

[@mangaisrivaramangai9701]

From the begining i will support to Sowmya madam HerGurujiMr.Ramanathan sir's program also always happily like a Sangeetha ppiththu

[@rikky0078]

clarity at its' best. superb sowmya

[@andal117]

Super cute pics and pics of ur childhood mam.

[@mahanarasimhan1867]

Very good interview. Very useful

[@munchandmull]

Namaskaram. 🙏🙏Enjoyed every bit, listening to this wonderful and candid expression. Got a glimpse of what , one has to undergo to reach the pinnacle in their chosen field Very true, Life is short. It's to be enjoyed. 🙏🙏. Regards

[@krithikagokulnath4160]

Akka .. so nice to hear your experiences.. always your fan 🙏🏼

[@sreeharimeledam1152]

Beautiful interview❣️

[@janarthananalagarsamy5549]

Her humour is underrated!! 😂😂

[@gosakant]

I agree totally. Public, esp the rasikas has responsibility to support. Yes for marriages the music loving parents shd prefer Carnatic instead of light music.

[@dgomathi]

Intellectual take on sangeetam and excellent vocabulary

[@kamakshiravichandran8297]

Such clarity.

[@shankarrajan8474]

wah, so enlightening!

[@shanmugams6841]

Very simple and super speech

[@savithrirao58]

A very small remark, why this sad tune in between her topics? You could play a little Tanam. Please don't mistake my remark but it is really not at good to hear when a classical musicians are sharing their very interesting travel to learn the art of classical sangeetham.

[@nirmalarsharma]

Yes. I too felt like this. A humming note from Sowmya would have been Better.

[@ranganayakikrishnan9716]

Candid, down to earth. I really learnt a lot. Thankyou .

[@rameshradhakrisshnan5686]

Eminent natural Singer Sowmya ji

[@lathajanardhan9459]

So many nuances to music!!!!! Music has no end ,it's infinity level is truly magnanimous.

[@prasadpushkar3191]

I grew up listening to Dr Sowmya madam, such a simple yet elegant person! She is a walking encyclopaedia! Hats off to MOPA for bringing this! What a wonderful setting at the start of the video...Royal British White Mansion house and Sowmya Akka standing in the lobby with that bright red attire! Brilliant videography too

[@gbraja1953]

Mirror practice was started by my father. He was close to Dr Ramanathan who was a regular visitor to our house like Ramnad Raghavan etc.

[@meerama001]

AUTHENTIC 💯 .

[@ansuyarandhir5457]

I am also a disciple of Dr .S Ramanathan before Sowmya joined. Mani Krishna swamy learned NavavaraNa keerthanaigal. Unnikrishnan also learnt from him.

[@tyagarajakinkara]

what sha said about Balamurali sir and Janakima is perfectly true! your voice should be expressive but not your body. at the end of the day even the gesticulation filled music of semmnagudi moved you because of his musical ideas, more than his body contortions. and the Brinda school is noted for lack of tantrums and even showing the talam with your hands. such a pure music finds no takers today as this is a globalized era.

[@vasukinagabhushan]

Great that Soumya boldly faces gender bias among senior artists. 👍🏼🙏🏽

[@rooparavi5454]

Just As the show is called, i too make notes to myself - bettering as a human being. Wonderful episodes. It would definitely be more beneficial for non -Tamil speakers if there were subtitles in english to follow along .

[@mopa9946]

There are subtitles. You need to click on the cc icon to get the same.

[@parvathimurali9660]

My mother used to attend both afternoon and ticketed kutcheris and also make tiffins for school going children( four of us)

[@SwarupN8]

I enjoyed Sowmya’s musical journey. Well expressed and beautiful. All the very best for the coming years.

[@deepikachander5284]

Lovely interview

[@srinivasanvasan63n26]

மீண்டும் அந்த நாட்கள் எப்போது

[@VijayaRangaLR]

Gurubhyo namaha 🙏🙏🙏

[@vidyaswamy7380]

Excellent! So honest about everything. I learned a lot listening to this talk. You have covered many aspects of life actually, not just Carnatic music.