ARTIST BIO (DANCERS)
Vocalist : Ramya Janaki
Ramya's passion for music blossomed during her childhood, as she embarked on a journey in Carnatic music under the guidance of esteemed gurus. Upon arriving in the US sixteen years ago, she discovered and cultivated her talent and passion for singing film and devotional songs.
You'll often find her singing a Bollywood or South Indian movie song at karaoke nights with friends and family, and Bhajans and carnatic krithis at temples and other puja events. Besides her musical pursuits, Ramya works as an IT professional and resides in Powell, Ohio, with her spouse and two children.
Vocalist : Vidya Rajagopal
Vidya Rajagopal's journey in Carnatic music began at the age of five under the guidance of Smt. Sumamala Devalpally, and she later had the privilege of continuing her training from Shri Madurai R. Sundar. At age 13, she gave her first concert and went on to perform her arangetram in 2022. Furthermore, she has received awards from several major music competitions, including Vindhya Cultural Association, Dhvani Music Competition, Ragapriya, and Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana. She has also appeared in Swara Raga Geetham, a TV series directed by Indian composer Shri Parthu Nemani.
Her deep passion for Carnatic music inspired her to explore other musical styles as well—she is an avid pianist and violinist. Continuing to pursue her love of music in college, Vidya served as Music Director of OSU Dhadkan, OSU's premier South Asian Acappella team. Vidya graduated with her degree in Neuroscience in May and is now working in cardiology at Nationwide Children's Hospital as she prepares to apply to Physician Assistant programs. She would like to thank her teachers, family, and friends for supporting her throughout her musical journey.
Mridangam : Harsha Mandayam
Harsha Mandayam Bharathi is a carnatic percussionist who plays the mridangam primarily and he has been learning since the age of 4. He was under the tutelage of Vidwan Poongulam Subramanian and Vidwan S.J. Arjun Ganesh for 14 years and has been receiving advanced lessons from Dr. Patri Satish Kumar for the past 6 years. He has been performing in concerts, ensembles and arangetrams across India and the US for the past 10 years. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at the University of Chicago.
Veena : Sumamala Devulapally
Sumamala Devulapally comes from a family of skilled Carnatic classical music artists . She was Initiated into Carnatic music in both vocal and veena at a very young age by her illustrious father, Sri Devulapally Jayanth Kumar, a maestro in flute . Later she finessed her veena skills under the esteemed tutelage of Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh, and continued advanced vocal lessons under the guidance of Dr. Mala Swamy.Sumamala holds a Master's in Classical Music and Computer Sciences. She has been running a music school, lovingly nurturing aspiring talents across diverse age groups for over two decades. Sumamala is an experienced performer who has played on many stages, both as a main and supporting artist. Her music, filled with engaging melodies and expressive performance, helps audiences discover the beauty of it.
Cello : Chloe Cheung
Chloe Cheung began her music journey at the young age of 6, with classical Western European violin. At the age of 10, Chloe discovered a new love for cello in her school orchestra. Chloe has gone on to co-found a small classical music group in Highschool with her peers, which continued to expand and perform at events around central Ohio. Chloe continues her music journey in college, opening herself up to new styles of music.
Music Arrangement : Lloyd George
Lloyd is a music producer and Pianist that has played with various Indian playback singers and musical bands at venues across the world