Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma Biography 
Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma is a member of Travancore Royal Family, Thiruvananthapuram who is also known as Prince Rama Varma. He is a classical musician, writer and veena player and also faculty at the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music. He was born as the youngest son of Princess Pooyam Thirunal Gowri Parvathi Bayi and Chembrol Raja Raja Varma. Varma organises Swathi Sangeethotsavam, an annual festival commemorating Swati Thirunal at Kuthira Malika in Thiruvananthapuram. In 2006, he broke the tradition of 300 years by allowing a female vocalist, the famous Parasala Ponnammal to perform in Navarathri Mandapam Concerts. Till then, women were not allowed inside the mandapam.
Varma was born on August 13, 1968 in the royal Travancore family and his ancestors include many great rulers like Marthanda Varma, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma and Dharma Raja and great musicians and artists like Swathi Thirunal and Irayimman Thampi. He dreamt to become a veterinary surgeon. But destiny was something else and he became a musician. He started learning music in 1982 with encouragement from his great-grandmother. He learnt music under Vechoor Harihara Subramania Iyer, Trivandrum R. Venkataraman, K. S. Narayanaswamy and finally from M. Balamuralikrishna. His first public concert happened in the year 1990. He is an exponent of compositions done by Swathi Thirunal and Balamuralikrishna.
Apart from India he has performed in many foreign countries including Dubai, UK and US. Apart from his foreign tours he writes columns on dailies about music and gives lectures as well. Though known as a famous vocalist, he is also a great fan of Indian playback singers like K. L. Saigal and western stars like Fairouz and Googoosh.
Published: N/A
Updated: April 16, 2014
