Ranganayaki Rajan passed away peacefully, surrounded physically and virtually by her loving family, and virtually by her admirers and students of music, from different parts of the globe, at her daughter Tara’s residence in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on Thursday, June 25, 2020, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was predeceased by her husband Mr. Natampalli Srirangarajan and her parents Mr. Sampath Iyengar and Mrs. Rajamma. She is survived by her son Ananth Natampalli (wife Rohini), daughter Tara Sampalli (husband Srini Sampalli) and daughter Sridevi Jagannath (husband Vijay Jagannath), her five grandchildren Amrit, Vybhav, Dhanush, Niket and Amith, her brother Damodar Ramanuj (wife Rohini and sons Trivikram and Siddharath) and sister Mrs. M.A. Vedavalli. sister Smt. M.A. Vedavalli (husband M.A. Ramakrishna and daughters Padmaja and Rajie, and son Ram Gopal), brother-in-law M. A. Srinivasan (and daughters Jayasree & Rajalaxmi, and son Vijay Gopal), sister-in-law M. A. Chingamma (and sons Sampath and Srinivas), brother-in-law N. Srinivasan (and daughters Lakshmi, Meenakshi and Kavitha), and sister-in-law Padma Sampath (and son Sairam).
Ranganayaki, Rangi as she was known, was born on March 3, 1942, to the Late Shri R. A. Sampath Iyengar and Late Smt. Rajamma Sampath Iyengar, of the Ramanujapuram Anandampillai family. She hailed from a family of connoisseurs of South Indian Carnatic music. She was introduced to the world of Carnatic music at the tender age of seven, thanks to her parents who recognized her immense talent and interest in Veena (stringed musical instrument). She was also an accomplished dancer in the Indian classic Bharathanatyam. Realizing her potential, her teacher exposed her to Carnatic music in which she excelled. She became an accomplished vocalist and over the years, she has captivated, enthralled, and trained music lovers in India, Europe, Dubai and North America, with her divine voice and enchanting music. She also held a Bachelors degree in Home Science and was a kindergarten teacher in Bangalore, India.
Rangi (a child prodigy that she was) developed her skills in Mridangam (a percussion instrument, the pursuit of which was rare and unusual for women at that time), and then attained "Vidwat" (the highest accolade in the arts) in both Music and Mridangam, and was honored by the Academy of Music and Dance for securing the highest rank.
At the age of fifteen, she performed the Ragam, Thanam and Pallavi (a complex piece) in Chennai, India. It was very well received by the audience. She has also performed at many organizations all over India, Europe, USA and Canada, spanning a substantial portion of her musical career.
Rangi took immense pride in singing for the dance performances of her daughter Sridevi Jagannath (Director of Laasya School of Dance and Music, in Durham, North Carolina USA), in addition to singing for many great dance artists from India.
Her passion for music equipped her with a singular vision to spread the message of Love and Devotion, to music-lovers worldwide. She dedicated her life to preserving and propagating her unique and in-depth knowledge of Carnatic music, by tutoring aspiring musicians from all over the world, often connecting to them with technological ease, through modern communication media like Skype, Facetime, WhatsApp and Zoom. She has inspired all of her grandchildren to take up art such as singing and mridangam and has left a rich legacy for her children and grandchildren to cherish and spread her dream.
Her life’s motto was, “Live in the moment, appreciate the simple pleasures of life and leave the rest to God”. Music was her life and she was the embodiment of music. Music was the Elixir that strengthened and sustained her through her struggle with cancer. She loved imparting her knowledge of music to students around the world and relished every moment of those teaching sessions. She was highly committed to every student and had a special bond with each of them. She lit up a room with her smile, lived every day to the fullest, and sang until her very last breath (yes, literally). She was full of gratitude to everyone in her life, including her amazing care team in North Carolina, Minneapolis, and Halifax, Canada. She has been a guiding spirit to all her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren, who will propagate her musical talent, generosity, and her spirit of empowerment into the next generation and beyond. Ranganayaki was God’s gift to the world. What she left behind was her gift to God.
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