Raga Manoranjani Fine Arts 

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Raga Rekha Gottumukkala is the Founder and Director of Raga Manoranjani Fine Arts School Of Music. She started this music school in 2004 and has been teaching Carnatic music ever since during weekday evenings and weekends. 

Music Introduction:

Rekha’s parents Dr. M P Iyyangar and Dr. M. Srinivasamma were instrumental in inculcating interest in Carnatic Music right from infancy. At the ages of 6 and 8, Rekha Gottumukkala and her older brother Madabhushi Kalyan Ram started taking Carnatic music lessons from Smt. Karpagam Rangachari in Hyderabad. Her younger brother Madabhushi Prahlad also started learning in few years. Together they performed  at various places in Hyderabad like Ramalayam, Shankermutt, Thyagaraja Aradhana and Ravindra Bharati. Rekha continued learning music all the way till she finished her education and got married.

Background:

Music runs in Rekha's family. Both her grandmothers Late Madabhushi Ragamani Devi and Late Puttaparthi Tirumala Sarala Devi not only sang Carnatic Vocal music but also played Veena very well. Rekha's grandparents used to write and compose music too. Late Sri. Vinjamuri Varada Raja Iyyangar (Maternal Uncle of her father) was an accomplished Carnatic Vocalist from Chennai. Puttaparthi Tirumala Maha Lakshmi (grandmother of Rekha's mom) was Eka Santagrahi (Used to sing any keertana just by listening to it once). As a child Rekha grew up watching her family members and relatives singing during festivals and cultural events.

Performances:

Rekha has performed at different places in the United States -

In California (1992 - 2003), under the guidance of Smt. Sree Lakshmi Kolavennu, she has performed at several places like Livermore Temple, Sunnyvale Temple, Fremont Temple, SIFA (South Indian Fine Arts) BATA (Bay Area Telugu Association), and Silicon Andhra.

In Seattle, Washington (2003 onwards, to date), Rekha continued performing at various places like Bothell Temple, Lakshmi Venkateshwara Temple, Veda Temple, Vedic Cultural Center (Iskon), WATS, IAWW, STS (Seattle Tamil Sangham) and many other Associations.

She organized Kalanjali Annamacharya Workshop in 2012 where she taught several keertanas to more than 50 people and led them in the final performance.

She judges Carnatic music competitions held in Seattle, Washington every year.

Education and Work:

Rekha has double bachelor’s degrees in sciences and a master’s degree in Computer Engineering.

She is a Software Professional and pursues her hobby of teaching Carnatic music during her free time (Evenings and Weekends)