[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 141 (Friday, August 6, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E875]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         AVASARALA KANYAKUMARI

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 6, 2021

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, today I wish to honor the life and 
talent of Avasarala Kanyakumari, a revered master violinist, composer, 
and teacher in the Indian Carnatic musical tradition.
  Born in the city of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, India, Kanyakumari 
began her musical life on the violin at the age of eight. Blessed with 
an abundance of natural talent and nurtured by her family and dedicated 
teachers--including the eminent violinist Maestro Ivaturi Vijayeswara 
Rao--Kanyakumari was soon performing in small concerts and building a 
reputation as a musical prodigy.
  After graduating high school, Kanyakumari moved to Chennai, where she 
continued her education and her musical career as an accompanist and 
soloist of great renown, deeply admired by critics and aficionados 
alike for her technical skill and exquisite musicality.
  The Indian Government recognized her talent and contributions to 
Indian music and culture with the Padma Shri Award in 2015. The 
following year, Kanyakumari was honored with the Kalaimamani Award from 
the state of Tamil Nadu, and the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi Award 
from the Madras Music Academy.
  Kanyakumari is revered for her commitment to cultivating the next 
generation of Carnatic musicians. 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. (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.)
  Madam Speaker, I want to recognize the contributions of maestro, 
guru, and composer Avasarala Kanyakumari to Indian music and culture, 
and the gift of her talent to the millions of devotees of the Carnatic 
musical tradition.

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