Carnatic music has a long tradition of producing child prodigies who learn the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of music as others might learn a language during early childhood. E. Gayathri was born around 1959 in Madras. Her father, Aswathama, was a Telugu film music director and music was in her blood. It is said that she took to the concert stage with gusto. By 1971 she was a well-known and established artist, so much so that All India Radio admitted her as an A-grade artist without requiring any audition. She has recorded extensively, especially on cassette. No particular CD release stands out. ~ Ken Hunt