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 Pusthakam Ramaa: An artiste without boundaries- Jyothi Raghurame-mail: jyothi.r.ram@gmail.com December 28, 2025 Whether on stage or off it, she attracts attention, for the right reasons! The range, clarity and flexibility of her singing reflect the freshness of youth. In traditional silks and glittering ornaments, she is no less than a dancer in brightness and vivacity. A top concert singer and high-demand dance vocalist, Pusthakam Ramaa has gifted the arts a legacy that defies categorization.  Pusthakam Ramaa Vocalist-- an A grade artiste of AIR, coveted musician for dance, lyricist and composer, producer of music and dance features, ace cultural events organiser, theatre person and producer, fusion music collaborator, globe-trotting artiste who has taken Indian performing arts to world stage-- Ramaa is much more, her open-mindedness being an essential aspect of her artistic sense. Yet, she remains grounded. Few artistes of her standing teach rank beginners. Ramaa does. It is a lesson in sincerity to watch her teach beginners with interest, focus and direction. Her classes are one-on-one. She sits with her wards and sings with them, giving them confidence and inspiration. They are corrected at every step. No wonder Ramaa is a successful teacher; she has groomed many to become concert level musicians. Always in celebratory mode, be it in appearance, mood or attitude, it is this joy she brings to her music too, with a voice that is versatile, lilting, and adapts easily to different genres. Her ability to capture diverse moods and characters, particularly in dance, is exceptional. Her liveliness spreads to everything she does! More inclined towards film music and bhaavageethe as a youngster, the prizes won in these were innumerable. Besides her mother Indira, M J Srinivasa Iyengar, her aunt M K Saraswathi, Gauri Kuppuswamy, and later R K Srikantan and Nagamani Srinath-- Ramaa's learning curve in veena and vocal saw a steady rise. "My father insisted I practice every day. My status as an artiste today is entirely due to my teachers, especially Nagamani Srinath. She is not just my mentor. She is my everything in life", says Ramaa with gratitude. Music is an inheritance she has generously passed on to her wards. The extended family of Ramaa including her daughters, siblings, cousins and their families are well-known musicians - a truly artistic family. Pusthakam, the prefix to her name, is a bestowed family title, bearing a major history of Karnataka, dating to the reign of the Wodeyars. During the Mughal invasion of Mysore kingdom, the palace was set on fire. Ramaa's great grandfather, Alasingachar, a royal astrologer, disguised himself as a Persian, rushed into the burning palace library which had a huge collection of rare books and manuscripts, and hid them in a nearby temple. He later put them into gunny sacks and hung them to trees so as not to attract attention. Sometime later when he returned them to the Wodeyars, he was bestowed the title Pusthakam as a mark of gratitude for his daring, priceless, rescue work. With three daughters to educate, there was a time when Ramaa went to houses to teach music due to financial necessity. She also turned to dance as a vocalist. For nearly 30 years now, she has been touring the US annually, which provided her a financial platform and presence that launched her as a producer of unique dance, music and theatre productions. "When I moved from Mysore to Bangalore, my name was unknown. Art critic B V K Shastry asked noted dancer Prathibha Prahalad to try me out as a vocalist for dance. From here, my career took off. I also toured extensively with her overseas. As Prathibha's vocalist, I got a good name, exposure and status. She has treated me very well", says a grateful Ramaa.  Pusthakam Ramaa receives award from President Droupadi Murmu A capable organiser even during her college days, Tyagaraja Aaradhane of her Kala Sambhrama was a hit. She eventually became a skilled event director. If her art organization, Sangeetha Sambhrama, has groomed musicians with sincerity, her annual festival Nirantharam is a celebration of music, dance, theatre and fusion music, with an international flavour. Artistes from various countries, not just of Indian origin, have been integral to the variety and success of Nirantharam, into its 15th year now. Sambhrama Puraskara, the annual awards conferred at Nirantharam, is given to persons from different art fields, making it an inclusive recognition. If the first week of January begins well for the performing arts - Nirantharam is held at this time in Bengaluru, the rest of the year is no vacuum for Ramaa. Come summer, her annual concert and workshop tours, particularly in the US, enriches the art scene abroad. Gandharva was the 2025 fusion music production performed in the US, with artistes from there. Sangama Sambhrama is her latest fusion experiment to be presented on January 4, as part of the upcoming four-day Nirantharam festival. Her play, Bangalore Nagarathnamma, where she acts, sings, and has directed the music, with award-winning theatre and film personality T S Nagabharana at the helm, is the first of its kind which brings the famed Nagarathnamma to centre stage, whose devotion to Tyagaraja helped revive his legacy. She built a temple over his samadhi and started Tyagaraja Aaradhana at Thiruvaiyaru, now a revered classical music event. That Ramaa chose to project Bangalore Nagarathnamma through the medium of theatre, blending it with dance and music, speaks not just of her enthusiastic and innovative mind, but also of her commitment to art, history and literature. Just look at her body of work: Sri Ramanuja Vaibhavam and Valmiki Ramayana - mega dance dramas, and Sage Agastya (play in Samskritam) introduced the ancient history of India to a wide and younger audience, while Haridasa Utsava and Kanakadasa Utsava--dance musicals-- projected Dasa Sahitya. The talents she has worked with are phenomenal - Arjun Bharadwaj - multi-lingual scholar-researcher-author-writer, T S Nagabharana - renowned theatre person and film maker, Devarajan Swamy - highly revered Samskritam and Srivaishnava scholar and Aasthana Vidwan, Sri Yadugiri Yathiraja Mutt, and Andal Sriram, vocalist and knowledge-worker on Srivaishnava traditions.  Pusthakam Ramaa with Vyjayanthimala Ramaa has sung for famed dancers such as Kelucharan Mohapatra, Swapna Sundari, Hema Malini, Vyjayanthimala Bali and Vasundhara Doraswamy, besides Prathibha Prahalad - a feat unequalled. Recognitions that have come her way include Central Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Karnataka Kalashree, Kempegowda, Gana Varidhi, Ananya and Kala Jyothi awards. Ramaa is known to treat her artistes well; her canvas is unlimited; she entirely finances her productions; her Nirantharam is unique for its diversity and standard. Who else can one call an art icon?  Jyothi Raghuram is a senior journalist and art critic based in Bangalore. Response * It is such an honour to be learning from a legendary singer. Even though she is immensely talented, she is the most down to earth person. Will keep looking forward to more and more of her achievements. - Jyothi Subramanya (Dec 30, 2025) Post your comments Please provide your name along with your comment. All appropriate comments posted with name in the blog will also be featured in the site. |
