Menaka Visvanathan Thomas has been a student of Karnatic (South Indian) Classical music since the young age of 5 years. She received tutelage under the loving and inspiring guidance of her mother, Mrs Vijaya Visvanathan, the principal of the Sri Krishna Music Academy in Brisbane. She has a passion for sharing the divinity of Indian music, and has performed at many community events and festivals, including Woodford Folk Festival, Queensland Multicultural Festival and the Encounters India Festival.

Menaka has recently begun to explore the fusion of Indian classical music with other types of world music, and is currently a member of the devotional fusion group “Spirit of Bhakti” with Radha Bornstein and Shen Flindell.

Menaka has also recently started “Samaana Yoga and Indian Fine Arts”, which imparts Indian Classical music and dance (Bharata-Natyam) and Yoga to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Menaka will be giving vocal accompaniment to Ku. Helena Joshi (Kathak dance) at Sangeet Mela 2014.