KOCHI: The voice that brought the famed Sree Poornathrayeesha Suprabhatam song has gone silent. Subhadra Thampuran, who was 84-years-old, passed away on Sunday. A well-known Carnatic vocalist and musician, Subhadra was born on June 4, 1938 to Ratnam Thampuran, a former chairperson of Sangeetha Nataka Academy and Carnatic vocalist, and V V M Vasudevan Namboothiripad, a mridangam artist.
Growing up in a home, the walls of which reverberated with the notes of Carnatic music, Subhadra too followed in the footsteps of her parents. She began her journey into the world of Carnatic music at the age of seven under the tutelage of her mother. Afterwards, she continued learning under Kalyana-sundaram Bhagvathar. When she turned 18, she performed her first recital at Ernakulam TDM Hall.
From 1959 - 1962 she did the diploma course in Sangeetha Bhushanam at RLV College, Tripunithura. As a fresh graduate just out of college, Subhadra got an opportunity to go on air at All India Radio’s Kozhikode station. She bagged the A grade from Akashvani’s Thrissur station, and for the past 40 years she has been a regular on AIR and also at the Guruvayur Chembai Sangeetholsavam.
She first scored the music of ‘Sree Poornathrayeesha Suprabhatam’, penned by another member of the Cochin royal family, the late Manku Thampuran of Mangalalayam Palace in the early 1970s. It was an offering to the family deity, Poornathrayeeshan. Each stanza was tuned in different ragas such as bhowli, ananda bhairavi, shanmukhapriya etc.
Till recently AIR used to broadcast the Suprabhatam song on the first day of Vrischikolsavam at Sree Poornathrayeesha temple. Subhadra inherited a taste for music from her mother who belongs to the Thavazhi (family) of erstwhile Cochin king Chowara Theeppetta Valia Thampuran.
Subhadra has performed concerts at Guruvayoor Ekadashi Vilakku, Ashtami at Vaikkom Mahadeva temple and also during the Vrischikolsavam at Sree Poornathrayeesha temple. She has been honoured with many awards, including the Sangeetha Poornasree Puraskaram instituted by the Poornathrayee Foundation of Jayaprakasha Sangeetha Parishad.
It was awarded to her for her services in popularising the compositions of Poornathrayee Jayaprakash praising Lord Sree Poornathrayeeshan. Subhadra Thampuran is survived by sons Hari Rama Varma and Unni Kerala Varma, a mrudangam player.
Followed in footsteps of her parents