Sukanya Ramgopal

Sukanya wrote a book on ghatam titled Sunaadam, The Vikku Bani of Ghatam Playing. She was also featured in the book The Singer and the Song: Conversation with Women Musicians by C. S. Lakshmi, published by Kali for Woman in 2000.

Ghata Tharang is a unique concept conceived by Sukanya, in 1992. In Ghata Tarang, she play 6 - 7 ghatams of different shruthis, thereby creating melody on a percussion instrument. She performed the Shankarabharanam raga with 8 ghatams and Sriranjini raga with 7 ghatams. That is the first time, a percussion instrument comes as the main part of a Carnatic concert. She leads an all-female instrumental group, the Sthree Thaal Tarang, which includes ghatam, violin, veena, morsing and mridangam. The group constantly showcases new and veteran women percussionists of the country. She also runs Sri Vikku Vinayakram School for Ghatam in Bengaluru. She founded Sunaadam Charitable Trust, for teaching and popularizing the ghatam.

Sukanya Ramgopal was born on 13 June 1957, at Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu, as the fifth child of Subramaniam and Ranganayaki. She is granddaughter of Tamil scholar U. V. Swaminatha Iyer. She studied at a Montessori school near her house and later at N K Tirumalachariar National Girls' High School. After completing a pre-university course from Ethiraj College, Chennai, Sukanya did her under-graduation BSc in mathematics from Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women, Chennai.