Nidumolu Sumathi

Nidumolu Sumathi, also known as Dandamudi Sumathi Ram Mohan Rao, is an Indian percussionist, primarily adept in the mridangam.[1] She is the wife of "Mridangam Maestro" Sri Dandamudi Ram Mohan Rao.She is one of the first female mridangam players in India, and the first female Laya Vinyasam artist. She is the first A-Top grade lady mridangam artist of India. Sumathi received India's fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri, in 2021.[2]

Nidumolu Sumathi
Also known asDandamudi Sumathi Ram Mohan Rao
BornEluru, Andhra Pradesh, India
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsMridangam

Early life and career

Dandamudi Sumathi Ram Mohan Rao was born on 16 October 1950 in Eluru, West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh to Sri Nidumolu Raghavaiah and Smt.Nidumolu Venkataratnamma. At a kinder age of 6,Sumathi started learned playing mridangam from her father who was a mridangam vidwan.[3] He took her to concerts and supported her interest in percussion.[3] She blossommed with her first ever performance at the age of 10 displaying amazing maturity.In 1964, after completing certificate and diploma course in mridangam, she gained entry into the tutelage of renowned mridanga vidwan Sri Dandamudi Ram Mohan Rao, who had achieved International acclaim as a mridanga vidwan of par excellence in "Pudukkottai Sampradaya" as "A-TOP" Grade Artist of All India Radio.[3] She learned many intricate techniques from her guru and started giving performances in many prestigious sabhas of India.

Later she married her guru Sri Dandamudi Rama Mohan Rao.In 2003, she became "A-TOP" grade artist of AIR. She was the first female mridangist to achieve this grade.Thus they became the only A-TOP grade mridangam duo of India and they started giving layavinyasam concerts on stage with distinct identity in India and abroad.She got herself elevated from an accompanying artist, to the level of solo performer by sheer dint of hard work. Many of her programmes given along with her guru turned husband were broadcast and telecast. Synchronizing left and right, she plays with mellifluous melody with excellent balance in sruthi and laya.

She accompanied many reputed artists like M.S.Subbalakshmi, Chittoor Subramaniam Pillai, Voleti Venkateswarlu, Dr.M.Balamurali Krishna, Pt.Bhimsen Joshi, M.Chandrasekaran,E.Sankara Sastri, Chitti Babu, N.Ramani, Mandolin U.Srinivas etc.,

In 2000, she established an organization named "Laya Vedika" to promote the percussion instrument mridangam and used to conduct competitions for students and also used to confer many renowned vidwans with title "Laya Praveena".[3]

She received so many awards and got felicitated in many prestigious sabhas. She got honoured with "Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi" award from the President of India in 2010 and thus became the only lady mridangam artist to receive this prestigious award. She was honoured with "Ugadi Puraskaram" from the government of Andhra Pradesh in 2015.

For her outstanding contributions to the field of music,Government of India conferred her with "Padma Shri", India's 4th highest civilian award in 2021.

Personal life

Sumathi married Dandamudi Ram Mohan Rao after they met in Vijayawada.

Accolades

Awards and honours
  • Best Mridangist Award from Madras Music Academy, twice in 1974,1976
  • Palani Subramania Pillai Memorial Prize from Music Academy in 1985
  • Best Mridangist Award from Indian Fine Arts Society,Chennai in 2005
  • Best Citizens of India Award from International Publishing House,New Delhi in 2008
  • Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year 2009
  • Guruvayur Dorai Trust Award from Guruvayur Dorai Trust,Chennai in 2013
  • Ugadi Puraskaram from the government of Andhra Pradesh in 2015
  • Palani Subramanya Pillai Memorial Award in 2016 from Percussive Arts Centre,Bangalore in 2016[4]
  • Padma Shri in 2021[2]

Honorary titles
  • Mridanga Siromani
  • Mridanga Maharani
  • Nadha Bhageeratha
  • Mridangalaya Vidyasagara
  • Mridanga Vinyasa Kalabharathi
  • Sunada Sudhanidhi
  • Srimukha Mridanga Vidvanmani

References
  1. "Four artistes from Telugu states honoured with Padma Shri". The News Minute. 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  2. Rao, P. Krishna (2021-01-27). "Covid-19 paralysed everything but not music". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  3. Kumar, Ranee (2011-06-09). "Into a man's world". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
  4. "Mridanga Vidushi honoured | Andhra Pradesh First". hyderabadfirst.in. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
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