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Transcending boundaries

Photo: M. MOORTHY

Mesmerising Anita Kuppusamy’s musical sojourn

Folk music singer. Television Host. School Correspondent. Devoted Wife. Loving Mother. Wonder who dons so many roles and juggles them successfully?

None other than Anita Kuppusamy, who took up ‘Naatupura Isai’ as her career after getting married to Pushpavanam Kuppusamy. Folk music found a new definition and Anita carved a niche of her own, making a mark in every field she entered.

You can call her a destiny’s child. Belonging to an Aggarwal family in Lucknow, she was born in Bangalore and brought up in Mettupalayam.

“I come from a conservative family and my grandfather would not even entertain girls singing in our family and the only song we were allowed to sing was ‘Om Jai Jagdeesh Hare’ during the puja aarti. But, I secretly pursued music,” she gushes.

Right from her childhood, she started receiving accolades in every singing competition that she participated in. To nurture a dream of becoming a singer was natural for her. With great difficulty, she managed to convince her family that her true calling in life was music and she intended to learn her Masters in music at the University of Madras, Chennai. To chase her dreams, driven by hope and with stars in her eyes, she left for the metro city.

With her girlish excitement intact, she narrates her meeting with her husband and the experiences later on. Pushpavanam Kuppusamy was also a student of music, at the University and the couple initially started off as singing partners in Natupura Pattu in various competitions and concerts. Call it karma, cupid struck and they ended up becoming life partners bonded only by love and music.

She picked up folk music taught by her husband and sings with great élan in pure Tamil with clear pronunciation and diction. She believes that folk music to be the ‘Thaai’ (mother), Carnatic music to be the ‘Magal’ (daughter) and film music to be the ‘Marumagal’ (daughter-in-law) all belonging to the same family in the school of music.

“I love our folk music for its simplicity and the grammar of this music is bound by our soil’s culture and tradition. Also, I began to understand the importance of this music as it values relationships than anything else in the songs,” she shares. The diva enjoys singing songs with a message and has lent her voice to several such awareness songs on AIDS, dowry, smoking, drinking, female infanticide, child labour, importance of education for girls and the goodness of breast milk.

Anita firmly believes that folk music still holds currency amongst the younger generation and will continue to do so. “It is ‘yeh dil maange more’ for the youth when it comes to folk music. We are always applauded by the youths who continually ask us for more and repeat songs at our concerts,” she says. It is easy to brand Anita as given her soft-spoken and courteous manners. She has been hosting a popular children’s program on TV for quite some time now. Also, she is highly appreciative of young talented singers while judging a singing competition.

Her piece of advice to the budding singers is: “Be original and practice a lot as this will lead one a long way.”

Anita says her greatest inspiration in life is her grandmother who was an embodiment of patience, sacrifice and goodness. As a tribute, she has recently started a school named after her grandmother, the Poonam Industrial School in Kumbakonam, with the intent of making every woman stand on her feet and be successful. The school teaches Cooking, Carnatic Music, Bharatanatyam, Tailoring, Aari and Zardosi work, Mehendi and Bindi designing, Painting, Handicraft. It also includes a beauty school, nursery and a play school.

“The school is a small effort to make every woman capable of becoming an entrepreneur and emerge more confident and complete.” When asked why she started the school in Kumbakonam, she says her hectic schedule does not allow her to personally devote time to the project. “I thought of Kumbakonam because my sisters are settled there and give me a lending hand in running the school.”

The couple plan to approach the Government with a request to start a Department of Folk Arts in Colleges, as it is could be a step to preserve the traditional arts and pass them on to successive generations.

Anita’s eyes light up when she talks about her two daughters — Pallavi, 14, and Meha, 3 — whom she describes as a “source of boundless joy.” She confides that she is fortunate to have mature daughters who understand her busy schedule and act responsibly.

“My elder daughter mothers her little sister. She even organized a birthday party for Meha, last year at home as I was touring. I really don’t have to worry about what is happening at home because I am confident that all is fine.”

Anita loves to read books on mythology and history while keeping a tab on current affairs. She finds solace and gets serenaded by the songs of Lata Mangeshkar.

She also manages to learn different types of cooking in her free time.

She makes it a point to spend time with her children and family, whenever time permits. “My family is the anchor in my life and my greatest strength. When I am at home I am just a regular wife and mother,” she avers.

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