About
Aruna Sairam, born 30 October 1952 in Mumbai, is one of India's foremost Carnatic vocalists, belonging to the Veena Dhanammal school. First trained by her mother Rajalakshmi Sethuraman, she became a disciple of the doyenne T. Brinda, from whom she absorbed the graceful, emotive art of padams and javalis. She has received the Padma Shri and the Madras Music Academy's Sangita Kalanidhi, and served as Vice-Chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi until 2022.
Sairam brought a new emotional candour and a more inclusive presentation to the Carnatic concert, and was the first Carnatic musician to perform at the BBC Proms and at the Oud Festival of Israel. She is known for introducing the Marathi abhang into the Carnatic concert and for wide-ranging collaborations with musicians such as Dominique Vellard, Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan and Vijay Iyer, including her 2025 Thrillana Project. She runs the Aruna Sairam Foundation to support young musicians.
The artistry
Sairam sings with a distinctive timbre, wide range and rhythmic drive, blending the graceful classicism of the Veena Dhanammal school with an emotional directness. She is known for expanding the concert repertoire, notably through the Marathi abhang, without leaving the classical grammar.
Aruna Sairam connects on the Culture Atlas graph to the Carnatic Music artform profile, to the Chennai Margazhi Music Season festival profile and to the Chennai destination profile. Her international festival performances connect the Carnatic tradition to the global world music platform.
Aruna Sairam's ability to maintain classical integrity while building one of the largest international audiences for Carnatic music demonstrates the tradition's capacity to communicate across cultural boundaries. Her recordings have introduced Carnatic music to global audiences who might not otherwise have encountered the tradition.