Soolamangalam Sisters

Soolamangalam Jayalakshmi (Tamil: சூலமங்கலம் ஜெயலட்சுமி) and Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi (Tamil: சூலமங்கலம் ராஜலட்சுமி), popularly known as Soolamangalam Sisters (Tamil: சூலமங்கலம் சகோதரிகள்) are Carnatic music sister-pair vocalists and musicians known for their devotional songs in Tamil. They were early singers in the trend of duo singing in Carnatic music, which started in the 1950s, with performers like Radha Jayalakshmi, and later continued by Bombay Sisters, Ranjani-Gayatri, Mambalam Sisters, Bangalore Sisters and Priya Sisters

Early life and background

Born in Soolamangalam near Tanjore – a village with musical heritage, of Karnam Ramaswmai Ayyar & Janaki Ammal, the sisters had their training in music from K. G. Murthi of Soolamangalam, Pathamadai S.Krishnan, Mayavaram Venugopalayyar.

The duo-sisters were very popular for their matchless rendition of National and Devotional songs. They had a hectic practice for about three decades and were much sought after for providing background music in films. Their Kanda Shasti Kavasam album is very popular with the Lord Muruga devotees.^[1]

Notable songs

Awards

• Muruga Ganamrtha
• Kuyil Isai Thilakam
• Isaiarasi
• Nadhakanal
• Kalaimamani in 1992 by Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Mandram.

Filmography

Among the two of them, Jayalakshmi had rendered only a few songs in films and most of it would be duets with Rajalakshmi.

Whereas Rajalakshmi had more chance as a playback singer in films. Her voice suits all the categories of youthful, soft mellifluousness, evocative feelings, perfection of pronunciation and the best in devotional songs.

Music composers she sang for

Many of her songs are under K. V. Mahadevan's music direction all the while. Many of her songs were under T. G. Lingappa. She also sang under G. Ramanathan, Naushad, Letchumanan Kurunath, K. N. Thandayuthapani Pillai, Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy, S. Rajeswara Rao, H. R. Padmanabha Sasthri, C. N. Pandurangan, G. K. Venkatesh, V. Kumar, T. R. Pappa, M. S. Srikanth, Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan, S. M. Subbaiah Naidu, S. Dakshinamurthy, Chittor V. Nagaiah, M. K. Athmanathan, M. S. Viswanathan, T. K. Ramamoorthy, Shankar-Ganesh, Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan, Rajan-Nagendra, Brother Lakshmanan, V. Dakshinamurthy, P. S. Divakar, Pukazhenthi and under her own music compositions. She sang more often in the 1950s while during the 1960s, she was only sought in songs that needed more than one female voice.

Playback singers she sang with

She sang immemorable duets mostly with T. M. Soundararajan. Other include Seerkazhi Govindarajan, P. B. Sreenivas, S. C. Krishnan, J. P. Chandrababu, K. R. Ramaswamy, M. Balamurali Krishna, A. L. Raghavan and K. J. Yesudas.

She also sang duets with female singers with most notably with her sister Soolamangalam Jajalakshmi, P. Leela and P. Suseela. Others are L. R. Easwari, Radha Jayalakshmi, M. L. Vasanthakumari, T. V. Rathinam, K. Jamuna Rani, S. Janaki, Jikki, B. Vasantha, A. G. Rathnamala, M. R. Vijaya, Sarala and L. R. Anjali.

Music director

Rajalakshmi assisted S. M. Subbaiah Naidu in Konjum Salangai. Both Jayalakshmi and Rajalakshmi as music directors by the name Soolamangalam Sisters, composed music for films like Dharisanam (1970), Tiger Thathachari (1974), Appodhe Sonnene Kettiya (1979) and Pillaiyar (1984). They also sang under their own compositions.

References

External links

• Article on Soolamangalam Sisters in Kalyana Malai