S. A. K. Durga
Encyclopedia
Dr. S. A. Kumari Durga is a musicologist and ethnomusicologist from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu
. She is the founder of the Centre for Ethnomusicology based in Chennai
.
, Tamil Nadu on June 1, 1940 to S. A. Venkatarama Iyer and Lalithabai. Durga had her initial coaching in Carnatic music
from her mother, Lalithabai, who was a reputed harikatha expert and a disciple of Rajamanickam Pillai. Her grandfather, S. A. Swaminatha Iyer
, was a famous patron of Carnatic music. She began having music lessons from Tirukkodikaval Venkatarama Iyer at the age of eight and from Madurai Mani Iyer
at the age of eleven. She had her advanced training from T. Viswanathan and Balamuralikrishna. She learnt Hindustani classical music
from Ustad Mohammed Munnawar of Delhi
.
in voice culture at the University of Madras
. As a part of her studies in voice culture, she studied physiology under ENT
doctors M.S. Venkataraman and S. Ramasamy. On completion of her postgraduate degree, she worked as a lecturer
at the university from 1976 to 1979. During her service as lecturer, she was invited to participate at the International Institute for Experimental Research in Singing at Denver, Colorado
, where her paper on "Voice Abuse and misuse" was adjudged the best. She completed her doctorate
in ethnomusicology
at Wesleyan University
, USA. On March 8, 1984, she performed at a celebration marking the 150th anniversary of Wesleyan University.
On obtaining her doctorate, Durga carried out a comparative study of Gregorian
and Vedic chant
s and Thevaram hymns as a part of her post-doctoral research work at Yale University
.
and the Gnana Samudhra award by "Samudhra" magazine on the occasion of its fourth anniversary.
and currently serves as its director. Durga is the first Asian to have written a book on ethnomusicology.
From January 25, 2000 to May 23, 2000, Durga wrote a weekly column on ethnomusic for chennaionline.com. She was one of the participants at the First International Conference on Murugan
held in Chennai between December 28 and December 30, 1998 and in the Second International Murugan Conference held in Mauritius
between April 24 and April 29, 2001, where she delivered a lecture on "Lord Murugan in Nada Rupa — A critical study".
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. She is the founder of the Centre for Ethnomusicology based in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
.
Early life
Durga was born in KumbakonamKumbakonam
Kumbakonam , also spelt as Coombaconum in the records of British India , is a town and a special grade municipality in the Thanjavur district in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located 40 kilometres from Thanjavur and 272 kilometres from Chennai, it is the headquarters of the Kumbakonam...
, Tamil Nadu on June 1, 1940 to S. A. Venkatarama Iyer and Lalithabai. Durga had her initial coaching in Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
from her mother, Lalithabai, who was a reputed harikatha expert and a disciple of Rajamanickam Pillai. Her grandfather, S. A. Swaminatha Iyer
S. A. Swaminatha Iyer
Rai Bahadur S. A. Swaminatha Iyer ,also known as Thanjavur Swaminatha Iyer or simply S. A. S, was an Indian lawyer, theosophist, administrator and freedom fighter from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.- Early life :...
, was a famous patron of Carnatic music. She began having music lessons from Tirukkodikaval Venkatarama Iyer at the age of eight and from Madurai Mani Iyer
Madurai Mani Iyer
Madurai Mani Iyer was a Carnatic music singer, who was famous for his unique style. He was one of the most highly celebrated carnatic vocalists during the first half of the 20th century. He was renowned for his adept skills at singing kalpana swarams, neraval, and raga alapana...
at the age of eleven. She had her advanced training from T. Viswanathan and Balamuralikrishna. She learnt Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
from Ustad Mohammed Munnawar of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
Education
Durga pursued her postgraduate educationPostgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
in voice culture at the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
. As a part of her studies in voice culture, she studied physiology under ENT
Otolaryngology
Otolaryngology or ENT is the branch of medicine and surgery that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck disorders....
doctors M.S. Venkataraman and S. Ramasamy. On completion of her postgraduate degree, she worked as a lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
at the university from 1976 to 1979. During her service as lecturer, she was invited to participate at the International Institute for Experimental Research in Singing at Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, where her paper on "Voice Abuse and misuse" was adjudged the best. She completed her doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology is defined as "the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance in local and global contexts."Coined by the musician Jaap Kunst from the Greek words ἔθνος ethnos and μουσική mousike , it is often considered the anthropology or ethnography of music...
at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
, USA. On March 8, 1984, she performed at a celebration marking the 150th anniversary of Wesleyan University.
On obtaining her doctorate, Durga carried out a comparative study of Gregorian
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
and Vedic chant
Vedic chant
The oral tradition of the Vedas consists of several pathas, "recitations" or ways of chanting the Vedic mantras. Such traditions of Vedic chant are often considered the oldest unbroken oral tradition in existence, the fixation of the samhita texts as preserved dating to roughly the time of Homer...
s and Thevaram hymns as a part of her post-doctoral research work at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
Awards and honors
In 1984, Durga was awarded the Eleanor Roosevelt International Fellowship of International Federation of University of Women. She was awarded the title "Skylark of India" by the American Theatre Group of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and the Gnana Samudhra award by "Samudhra" magazine on the occasion of its fourth anniversary.
Work
Durga served as the Professor Emeritus of the Department of Indian music at the University of Madras for four years and founded the centre of Ethnomusicology in ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
and currently serves as its director. Durga is the first Asian to have written a book on ethnomusicology.
From January 25, 2000 to May 23, 2000, Durga wrote a weekly column on ethnomusic for chennaionline.com. She was one of the participants at the First International Conference on Murugan
Murugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
held in Chennai between December 28 and December 30, 1998 and in the Second International Murugan Conference held in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
between April 24 and April 29, 2001, where she delivered a lecture on "Lord Murugan in Nada Rupa — A critical study".