Singer Uma Ramanan dies at 69

Tamil playback singer Uma Ramanan passed away late on Wednesday. She was 69 and suffering from health complications.

A singer predominantly known for her collaborations with Ilaiyaraaja and her energetic performances in live concerts, Uma had an illustrious career spanning over three decades. Her first song, 'Mohanan Kannan Murali', came from the composition of SV Venkatraman for Sri Krishna Leela (1977). And she got her first big break with Ilaiyaraaja's composition, 'Poongathave Thaal Thiravaai', in Nizhalgal (1980). She went on to become a regular in Ilaiyaraaja's compositions thereafter. The duo delivered hits such as 'Aananda Raagam' from Panneer Pushpangal (1981), 'Ponn Maane' from Oru Kaidhiyin Diary (1985), and 'Aagaya Vennilaave' from Arangetra Velai (1990), to name a few.

Her singing continued to captivate fans for several decades; one of her last major hits came as late as 2005 with 'Kannum Kannum Dhaan' for Thirupachi, starring Vijay and Trisha.

Uma underwent classical music training under the guidance of Palani Vijayalakshmi, after which she met and married AV Ramanan. The two collaborated on concerts and stage shows, as well as sang a duet in the Hindi film Playboy.

She is survived by her spouse AV Ramanan and their son Vignesh.