A. Kanyakumari in USA’s Congressional Record
Indian classical music received a unique shot in the arm when leading Carnatic musician and teacher, senior violinist A. Kanyakumari, was mentioned in the United States’ Congressional Record, the official written annals of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. Raja Krishnamoorthi, of the United States’ House of Representatives, representing the state of Illinois’ 8th District, incorporated this recognition on August 6th, in the Extensions of Remarks section, “to honor the life and talent of Avasarala Kanyakumari, a revered master violinist, composer and teacher”. Click the link below to see the official record:
https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2021/08/06/extensions-of-remarks-section/article/E875-1
This article appeared in The Hindu newspaper dated August 27, 2021. My thanks to violinist Sri. Kamalakiran Vinjamuri for instantaneously responding to requests for information and to Mr. Wilson Baldwin, Communications Director at the U.S. House of Representatives, for reaching out to Rep. Krishnamoorthi for this article.
Photo from Wikipedia
After providing a background of Kanyakumari’s training and her renown as a soloist and accompanist, Rep. Krishnamoorthi mentioned some of her distinguished awards – the Padma Sri, the Kalaimamani and the Sangita Kalanidhi. Then, referring to her teaching, he said, “She offers her services without charge, as her way of paying it forward and honoring the contributions made by her teachers to developing her talents. And Kanyakumari is a wonderful musical ambassador, sharing the beauty of the Carnatic tradition with music lovers all over the world.”
In his remarks, Rep. Krishnamoorthi stated, “I was especially moved by a recent rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner on this Fourth of July, performed by Kanyakumari and her student disciples.” The Fourth of July is observed as the Independence Day of the United States and The Star-Spangled Banner is the country’s national anthem.
Kanyakumari and about 40 of her students from several countries, including India, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States, performed The Star-Spangled Banner on several violins, a piano, a veena, a double bass and a guitar. Each person recorded his/her parts individually. They were subsequently edited and put together by Nandhika Venkatraman, S. Sayee Rakshith, Shilpa Venkatesh and K. Sathyanarayanan, all of whom also played in the recording. Rep. Krishnamoorthi shared the recording on his Facebook page on July 5th. The video can be watched on Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s Facebook page at this link: https://fb.watch/6xQKVSw1sK/
Kanyakumari’s student, Kamalakiran Vinjamuri, based in the Washington DC area, mentioned that it was played at the Indian Embassy too. He added that she had first performed it in concert in 2015 at The Kennedy Center in the USA’s capital city, where he too had played with her.
Kanyakumari explains her thoughts behind this rendition. “The United States has always welcomed me. This was my way of expressing gratitude to the country in its 245th year of independence. 2021 also marks 45 years since I first visited with M.L. Vasanthakumari amma on the invitation of P. Rajagopalan of the Carnatic Music Association of North America (CMANA). CMANA was a new organisation then. I have been performing in the USA regularly since.” About the official mention itself, she says, “This is the first time such an honour has been bestowed. It is a tremendous recognition, not just for me, but for the art form itself, all Indian classical musicians and the organisations that promote it.”
When contacted, Rep. Krishnamoorthi said the following, “It was my pleasure to introduce a statement into the Congressional Record in recognition of the work of Ms. Avasarala Kanyakumari. Like many others, my family frequently listened to her recordings, along with a range of musical genres, including Indian classical music. I’m grateful for the opportunity to recognize artists who enrich our lives and culture, and Ms. Kanyakumari has clearly done so.”
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