Seetha Doraiswamy

Kalaimamani Seetha Iyer Doraiswamy
An All India Radio Recording (c.a. 1950)
Background information
Birth name	G. Seethalakshmi
Born	27 January 1926 Adachani, Tirunelveli District, Madras Presidency, British India
Origin	India
Died	14 March 2013 (aged 87)
Genres	Indian classical music
Occupation(s)	Classical instrumentalist
Instrument	Jal tarang
Years active	1937– 2013
Labels	HMV

Seethamma Doraiswamy ("Seetha Amma Doraiswamy") or Seetha Doraiswamy (Tamil: சீதா துரைசாமி, sītā turAisvāMī 27 January 1926 – 14 March 2013), was a renowned Carnatic multi-instrumentalist. She was the last recognised female exponent^[1] of a dying Indian instrument, the jal tarang. She was the first (and till date youngest) female musician ever to be awarded the Gold Medal of Honour from The Music Academy, the first Carnatic music Institute.^[2] She is the only Jal Tarang exponent to have ever received the Kalaimamani award by Government of Tamil Nadu, in 2001, with the citation reading "(Seetha) has tirelessly worked to prevent the jalatharangam from becoming extinct and is often recognized only for that; it is time to bring to notice the fact that she championed for the cause of equal female representation during a time where our cultural norms may have not."^[3]