B.K. Sumitra

B K Sumitra’s full name is Bilalukoppa Krishnayya Sumitra. She is a renowned Indian singer who works majorly in the Kannada entertainment industry. She is well known for singing devotional and folk songs. She was born on April 27, 1941, in Bilalukoppa near Horanadu, Karnataka. Gangamma and Krishnayya were her parents. She spent her early life in Bilalukoppa before moving to Shivamogga with her family. She trained in Carnatic music under the guidance of M. Prabhakar, the brother of the famous actress Pandaribai.

Her music career took off when the music composer, G.K. Venkatesh noticed her talent and she was given a chance to sing in the movie Kavaleredu Kulavandu, which was released in the year 1964. Her career spanned over stellar six decades, and she has worked with various music composers and directors like G.K. Venkatesh, R. Sudarsanam, Vijaya Bhaskar Vijaya Bhaskar was an Indian music director who sc >> Read More... , M. Ranga Rao, Rajan–Nagendra, and Anoop Seelin Anoop Seelin was born in the town of Hassan, Karna >> Read More... . She is an active member of the statewide music workshops conducted to train students in classical music statewide.

However, she has been vocal about her disapproval of the conduct of music reality shows nowadays and subsequent consequences. She actively advocates training singers in classical music to hone their inherent talent. Some of her notable songs sung by her are Ninnolume Emagirali Thande (Thande Makkalu), A Aa E Ee Kannadada - Karulina Kare (1970), Kareya Keli Bande - Anuradha (1967), Madhura Madhuravee Manjulagana - Sathi Sukanya (1967), Sampige Marada - Upaasane (1947), Odi Baa Ododi Baa - Chakratheertha (1967), Maneye Brundavana - (Brundavana), and Eddelu Manjunatha - Eddelu Manjunatha (2009).

She is the recipient of several awards and accolades. She received the Nadoja honor and Honorary Doctorate from Kannada University, Hampi, and the Kempegowda Award. In 1991, she was awarded with the prestigious Karnataka Rajyotsava Award. She received the Sangeetha Nrithya Academy Award in 1992. In the year 2017, the Karnataka Film Academy felicitated her with the prestigious G. V. Iyer Award.

She received the Lifetime Achievement Award at KIMA Awards in 2019. The K. Mohandev Alva and Dr. M.K. Shailaja Alva Endowment Award from Kannada Sahitya Parishat which she got in 2021 is the latest addition to her long list of accolades. Her husband’s name is M. L. Sudhakar. She also has a daughter whose name is Sowmya Raoh Sowmya Raoh was born in the year 1979 in Bangalore >> Read More... , also a playback singer. Her son, Sunil Raoh Sunil Raoh is a Kannada film actor, singer and lyr >> Read More... , is an actor who works primarily in the Kannada film industry.