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Kavitha strongly believes music has the power to change the world, and with this vision, she launched Kalaadhaanam - a nonprofit movement where she teaches music to raise funds for various social causes. 

 

Kalaadhaanam simply translates as “art donation”

Our mission is “Seva through Vidya” or “Teach to reach". Through Kalaadhaanam she raises funds for various social agencies working specifically towards improving the lives of underprivileged kids, through the medium of education. 

The students contribute every month directly to various social funding initiatives identified by Kalaadhaanam through a quarterly funding program via various crowdfunding portals. 

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Since its inception in 2017, Kalaadhaanam has supported 16 charities in India focused mainly on the education and development of underprivileged children and has raised over USD 75,000.

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Our long-term goal is to have art educators around the globe join the movement and enable an ecosystem through arts education that helps fund small-scale NGOs in every country.

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Kavitha is also currently a guest faculty at Trikala Arts where she teaches a special module on rare compositions in Carnatic Music.

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​​Kavitha is an internationally acclaimed vocalist and veena player, known for her deep passion and versatility as an artist, teacher, and curator. She regularly performs in both the USA and India, blending her classical roots with contemporary influences. As a philanthropist and educator, Kavitha has raised over USD 75,000 through her arts academy, ‘Kalaadhaanam,’ dedicated to preserving and promoting Indian classical music. 

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A voting member of The Recording Academy (GRAMMY®), Kavitha is one of the few Indian classical musicians to hold this prestigious honor. Her debut album, Varnams Reimagined, has received widespread recognition at international music festivals, winning two Silver Medals at the Global Music Awards and Best Song at the World Film Festival in Cannes. The album won 3 categories including Best Carnatic Album at Clef Music Awards '24 in Mumbai and was also a Finalist in the 2024 International Singer-Songwriters Association (ISSA) Awards. Her solo track, Rara Rajeeva Lochana, was featured on Rolling Stone India's ‘Top 10’ playlist, and her latest release, Rama Ninne Namminamu, earned a Bronze Medal at the Global Music Awards and won her the Best Singer at the Intercontinental Music Awards in August '24. Kavitha’s music has been featured on Spotify Editorial and user-curated playlists, reaching over 300K listeners.

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With over 100 performances to her credit, Kavitha has graced some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including the Esplanade in Singapore and the Music Academy in Chennai, India. At the age of 10, she was awarded the highly coveted 10-year Cultural Talent Scholarship by the Government of India for specialized training in Carnatic music. She also holds a double diploma in Carnatic Vocal and Veena from the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society, where she was awarded the title Sangeetha Visharad.

 

Kavitha recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Music Business at Berklee College of Music, USA. In addition to her stage performances, she has successfully transitioned into a digital content creator, reaching over 1 million people across her social media platforms. Her collaborations span across genres, reflecting her commitment to bridging cultural and musical divides.

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Kavitha's first Guru was Smt Sridevi Kodandaraman at Mulund Fine Arts Society, Mumbai. She commenced her Veena training from Smt Jayashree Aravind (a senior disciple of Padma Bhushan Sangeetha Kalanidhi Shri K S Narayanswamy), Mumbai. At age 10, she started advanced vocal guidance from Sangeetha Kala Acharya Bombay S Ramachandran and later from his disciple Smt Saraswathy Subramanian. Since 2008 Kavitha is mentored by Sangeetha Ratna Smt. Mangalam Shankar (a senior disciple of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Shri T M Thyagarajan) on Vocal and Sangeetha Vidwan Smt. Meenakshi Somasundaram (granddaughter of Veena Vidwan Shri Anantahkrishna Iyer - a direct disciple of Smri Ambi Dikshithar from the legendary Shri Muthuswamy Dikshitars lineage) on the Veena.

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Kavitha has always wanted to give back to the music fraternity that has enriched her life in many ways. She used social media experience to curate and launch two channels on Facebook and Youtube. She promotes her current Vocal and Instrument teachers -  renowned musical scholars in their own right - Smt Mangalam Shankar and Smt Meenakshi Somasundaram. Her aim is to build a social media presence and promote their musical lineage to the next generation of learners who are eager to immerse into the world of Carnatic music. 

She has executed ten full-fledged virtual music festivals online featuring around 30 students and thus bringing the entire community of learners together. These channels have gained over a million impressions across social media platforms.​

Baani A Lineage : 

 

Veena Vandanam : 

  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
Performer

Performer

Curator

Teacher

Achievements and Honors

  • Voting Member of The Recording Academy / Grammy (2023)
    Selected as an official Voting Member of The Recording Academy / Grammy in June 2023, recognizing her contributions to the global music industry.

  • Academic Background
    Kavitha has a Bachelor's in Accounting & Financial Management from Mumbai University and a Master’s in Music Business from Berklee College of Music, USA.

  • Bespoken Fellow (2022)
    Kavitha was selected as a Spring & Fall 2022 fellow at Bespoken, a highly selective mentorship program for women and non-binary musicians. As one of 19 global artists, she participated in this program to develop creative projects and goals.

  • IndianRaga USA Fellow (2018)
    As a fellow of IndianRaga USA, Kavitha has collaborated on 15 online music projects with global artists, garnering over 1 million views across YouTube and Facebook.

  • National Indian Music Competition Winner (2008)
    Kavitha won awards at the National Indian Music Competition organized by the National Arts Council, Singapore.

  • Sangeetha Visharad Title
    Awarded the prestigious title of ‘Sangeetha Visharad’ by the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) for completing an eight-year double diploma in Carnatic Music (Vocal and Veena) with distinction.

  • Outstanding Achievements in Veena
    Recognized as the best student in Veena (5th year) by the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS)

  • Cultural Talent Scholarship Recipient (1993)
    Awarded the Cultural Talent Scholarship by the Center for Cultural Resources & Training, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. Kavitha was one of only eight students nationwide to receive this prestigious scholarship for specialized training in Carnatic music.

  • Most Outstanding Student (1998)
    Named the Most Outstanding Student of her school among 250 students for her overall achievements in academics and the arts.

  • Principal’s Special Award and ‘Lights of Podar’ (2003)
    Recognized with the Principal’s Special Award and ‘Lights of Podar’ for her exemplary accomplishments in literary arts and academics at R.A. Podar College of Commerce and Economics.

  • Awards from Various Organizations 

Kavitha has been recognized with numerous awards from esteemed organizations such as Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha, Mulund Fine Arts, Lions Club, Rotary Club, and Chinmaya Mission Mumbai, celebrating her exceptional talents in music and fine arts. Beyond her musical pursuits, she excelled as a representative of her school in district-level chess tournaments, earning several accolades. Additionally, she played a key role in her college's Youth Festival team, contributing to multiple state-level victories in group singing competitions.

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