Radha Viswanathan Biography 
Radha Viswanathan is a Carnatic musician and classical dancer, who is also known as the stepdaughter of legendary Carnatic vocalist - M. S. Subbulakshmi. Radha has accompanied her step mother for many live concerts. She is the eldest daughter of Thiagarajan Sadasivam and his first wife, Apithakuchambal. However she was raised by her stepmother M. S. Subbulakshmi, whom her father remarried after her mother’s death. Currently she is settled in Bangalore, teaching students and grandchildren.
Her birth name is Radha Sadasivam and she was born to Kalki Sadasivam, known as a leading freedom fighter, singer, journalist and film producer. She was born in 1934 in Gobichettypalayam of Tamil Nadu. She has one sister, Vijaya. She lost her mother Apithakuchambal at a younger age. Kalki Sadasivam met M. S. Subbulakshmi in 1936 and got married in 1940. Radha had accompanied Subbulakshmi for Carnatic concerts since the age of 5 or 6.
She also appeared as Child Meera in Ellis R. Dungan’s Meera at the age of 6. She received initial training in Carnatic music from T. R. Balasubramaniam, Ramnad Krishnan and Mayavaram Krishna Iyer. She also trained dance form - Bharatnatyam from Vazhavoor Ramiah Pillai and made her arangettam in 1945. Though she has performed Bharatnatyam for live shows, she gave up her dancing career at the age of 21 and fully dedicated herself to music. Radha is married to Guruswamy Viswanathan and the couple has three children. The eldest son Chandrasekhar is married to flautist Sikkil Mala.
She also trained in Hindustani music. She learnt Benaras gharana of music from Siddheshwari Devi and also learnt from famous Bengali musician Dilipkumar Roy. She also took lessons from Semmangudi for serious ragas and kritis, Musiri Subramanya Iyer for pallavis, and T. Brinda for padams, aside M.S. In 1982 Radha fell critically ill with tuberculosis meningitis and also slipped into coma. Though she survived, she reduced her music concerts. She accompanied her mother for music concerts across the world till her health deteriorated in 1992. Since then she is using wheel chair. In 2007, she performed after a long break of 15 years, to celebrate M.S. Subbulakshmi's 91st birthday.
Published: N/A
Updated: March 20, 2016
