Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Honour for Ms. Aruna Sairam

Chennai based classical singer and musician, Ms. Aruna Sairam, has been conferred with the  Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des – France’s award for cultural excellence.

About Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des

The award was instituted in 1957 and is given for excellence in arts, literature, or the propagation of these fields.

The award comes at 3 levels(grades):

Commandeur (Commander) — Up to 20 recipients a year

Officier (Officer) — Up to 60 recipients a year

Chevalier (Knight) — Up to 200 recipients a year

About the Award to Ms. Aruna Sriram

Ms. Aruna Sairam, Image from her official website – arinasairam.org

Announcing the award, the Consul General of France in Chennai, Lise Talbot Barré, said that the Minister of Culture of the French Republic, Rima Abdul Malak has appointed Aruna Sairam to the rank of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Lise said, “This award is the unequivocal token of my country’s appreciation for your brilliant career and of your numerous contributions to the French and international artistic scene. You have carried for over 30 years the marvelous beauty and subtlety of Carnatic music in India and across the world.

This award thus underlines the friendship that you have always carried to France.

By your performance and your creation, you have revolutionized the world of Carnatic music. With your numerous joint programs with French artists and frequent performances in France, you have greatly contributed to bringing France and India closer and developing cultural and artistic cooperation between our two countries.”