Geetha Raja

Geetha Raja is an accomplished exponent of Carnatic (South Indian) music, with post graduate degrees in Music and English Literature. She is one of the vocalists who has established herself in the Carnatic style as a result of firm conviction in tradition coupled with an aptitude for absorbing novel and interesting aspects of music and integrating these in her concerts.

Geetha's repertoire includes a wide variety of classical and light classical compositions - Krithis of Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri, Tamil Krithis, padams, javalis, abhangs, bhajans and devarnamas.

Geetha Raja has been a performing artiste since 1975 and has presented concerts at many important centres and prestigious venues thoughout the country. She has received training under Sangita Kala Acharya Bombay Shri. S. Ramachandran and Sangita Kalanidhi Smt. T. Brinda. She is currently under the tutelage of violin maestro, Isai Perarignar Dr. Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and since 1998, has participated in several music productions under his direction. Besides conducting lecture-demonstrations and workshops in parts of Europe, Geetha has performed at various well-known centres in Europe and USA.

Geetha Raja, in collaboration with versatile Hindustani vocalist Sandhya Kathavate, has presented many jugalbandi programmes emphasizing the similarities and contrasts in the Carnatic and Hindustani styles of music.

An A-grade artiste of All India Radio since 1983, Geetha participated in the Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan held in 1995. She was awarded the Government of India fellowship in the field of performing arts, for 1988-89. Geetha also has teaching assignments to her credit.

She has been a lecturer at the Nalanda Dance Research Centre, affiliated to Bombay University, 1987-88, as also a visiting lecturer in the music department of the SNDT Women's University, Bombay, for a year. She has released many cassette and CD recordings from reputed audio companies.

Geetha is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards, the prominent among these being the 'Sur Mani' title from the Sur Singar Samsad in Bombay (1976), Sarada Krishna Iyer memorial award, T. S. Sabesa Iyer & Tanjavur K. Ponniah Pillai award and Dr. S. Pinakapani award for Best raga alapana from the Music Academy, Madras 1988, 1998 and 2000 respectively, and the 'Asthana Vidushi' title from Sringeri Mutt, Karnataka (2001).