Background
Born in 1918 to Madurai Pushpavanam Iyer and Sundarathammal, she lost her father when she was about two or three years old. Raised by her mother and grandparents she took to music with a natural flair and became famous soon.
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Rajam Pushpavanam
Edit ProfileCareer
She recorded an LP, in 1930, with Columbia Records, when she was just 12 years old. Katcheris followed in succession and she was a much sought after musician, from the late 1920s till the early 1940s. She constructed a bungalow in the heart of Mylapore, after buying the land for Rs 4550, a princely sum in 1939 and registering it in her mother’s name.
She was 21 years old then
She was probably the earliest among the women Carnatic vocalists who saw great success. She wore the best of silk, gold and diamond studded jewelry and owned among other things, a fleet of cars.
She had a driver license in 1940 and was the first among woman carnatic musicians to drive on her own. And it was also said there were only 4 women who drove cars, in Madras, those days.
She had another first – she was the first woman music director of the south.
In 1937, she composed music for a film. Versatile, she was fairly skilled at playing the violin though this was not her particular forte. And not many knew her penchant for other crafts, including building ships using beads, inside glass bottles, known as the “impossible bottle”.
In her spare time, she took to training others, young and old, who sought her guidance in singing.
She died on 8 December 1991. A great woman who had given her all to her family.
A few of her songs are available on YouTube and one in Carnatica"s old and rare recordings collection.
