Which Carnatic music violinist who was mentored by Chembai won the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi award?
Chembai Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar a.k.a. Vaidyanatha Iyer (Malayalam:ചെമ്പൈ വൈദ്യനാഥ ഭാഗവതർ, b. 1 September 1896, d. 16 October 1974) was a Carnatic music singer from Palakkad (state of Kerala, India). Known by his village name "Chembai", or simply as "Bhagavatar", he was born to Anantha Bhagavatar and Parvati Ammal in 1896, into a Tamil Brahmin family at Kottayi-I/II near Palakkad on Janmashtami day. Chembai was noted for his powerful voice and majestic style of singing. His first public performance was in 1904, when he was nine. A recipient of several titles and honours, he was known for his encouragement of upcoming musicians and ability to spot new talent. He was responsible for popularising compositions like "Rakshamam" and "Pavana Guru", among others. The music critic 'Aeolus' described him as "the musician who has meant the most to Carnatic Music in the first fifty years of the 20th century." His prominent disciples include Chembai Narayana Bhagavathar, Mangu Thampuran, Guruvayur Ponnammal, T. V. Gopalakrishnan, V. V. Subramaniam, P. Leela, Jayan and Vijayan, K. J. Yesudas and Babu Parameswaran, among others. He also mentored and lot of young accompanists, including Palghat Mani Iyer, Lalgudi Jayaraman, M. S. Gopalakrishnan, T. N. Krishnan, Palani Subramaniam Pillai and L. Subramaniam. Memorial music festivals have been held in his honour annually since his death in 1974, the most important being the annually celebrated Chembai Sangeetholsavam.
Gayatri Sankaran Dr. Gayatri Sankaran is a visually challenged Indian Carnatic musician and vocalist by nature specialising in Carnatic vocals and violin performances. She is a recipient of the Kalaimamani award from "Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram", a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu. The Government of India honoured her in 2006, with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for his contributions to music, making her the first visually impaired woman to receive the award.