Soolamangalam Jayalakshmi ( ta, சூலமங்கலம் ஜெயலட்சுமி) and Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi ( ta, சூலமங்கலம் ராஜலட்சுமி), popularly known as Soolamangalam Sisters ( ta, சூலமங்கலம் சகோதரிகள்) were

Carnatic music Carnatic music, known as or in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It is o ...

sister-pair vocalists and musicians known for their devotional songs in Tamil. They were early singers in the trend of duo singing in

, which started in the 1950s, with performers like Radha Jayalakshmi, and later continued by Bombay Sisters, Ranjani-Gayatri,

Mambalam Sisters West Mambalam is a residential and commercial area in Chennai, India. It is known for its shops, bazaars and Hindu temples. It is bounded by Kodambakkam to the north and Saidapet to the south. T. Nagar and Nandanam stretch all along its easte ...

, Bangalore Sisters and

Priya Sisters Shanmukhapriya and Haripriya, popularly known as the Priya Sisters, are Carnatic music singers. Early life They hail originally from Amalapuram in East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. They attended Little Flower School in Chittoor, Andhra Pr ...

. The Soolamangalam Sisters are best known for singing the Kanda Shasti Kavasam, a hymn on the Hindu god

Muruga Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...

Early life and background

Born in Soolamangalam, a village with musical heritage in Thanjavur district of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil languag ...

, of Karnam Ramaswmai Ayyar and Janaki Ammal, the sisters had their training in music from K. G. Murthi of Soolamangalam, Pathamadai S. Krishnan, and 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.

Notable songs

Awards

* Muruga Ganamrtha * Kuyil Isai Thilakam * Isaiarasi * Nadhakanal *

Kalaimamani The Kalaimamani is the highest civilian award in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. These awards are given by the ''Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram'' (literature, music and theatre), a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government o ...

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 Rajalakshmi sang for

Many of Rajalakshmi's songs are under

K. V. Mahadevan Krishnankoil Venkadachalam Mahadevan (14 March 1918 – 21 June 2001) was an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, and musician known for his works in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Telugu cinema, Telugu, Malayalam cinema, Malayalam, and Kann ...

's music direction all the while. Many of her songs were under

T. G. Lingappa Thiruchirappalli Govindarajulu Lingappa (22 August 1927 – 5 February 2000) was an Indian music director who worked predominantly in Kannada language films. He also worked in Tamil and Telugu movies. He was the son of G. Govindarajulu Naidu wh ...

. She also sang 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 Rajalakshmi sang with

Rajalakshmi sang immemorable duets mostly with T. M. Soundararajan. Other include Seerkazhi Govindarajan, P. B. Sreenivas, S. C. Krishnan,

M. Balamurali Krishna Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (6 July 1930 – 22 November 2016) was an Indian Carnatic vocalist, musician, multi-instrumentalist, playback singer, composer, and character actor. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in ...

, A. L. Raghavan, T. S. Kumaresh, Saibaba, K. Veeramani, Pithapuram Nageswara Rao, Kovai Soundarajan, Kumar and

K. J. Yesudas Kattassery Joseph Yesudas (born 10 January 1940) is an Indian playback singer and musician who sings Indian classical, devotional and film songs. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of Indian Music and also as a ...

. She also sang duets with female singers with most notably with her sister Soolamangalam Jayalakshmi, P. Leela and P. Susheela. Others are L. R. Eswari, Radha Jayalakshmi, M. L. Vasanthakumari,

T. V. Rathnam Tenkasi Vallinayagam Rathnam ( ta, தென்காசி வள்ளிநாயகம் (டி.வி.) ரத்தினம்) (1930 - 17 October 1984) hailed from Tenkasi, Madras Presidency, British India. She was a playback singe ...

, K. Jamuna Rani, S. Janaki, Jikki, T. S. Bagavathi, B. Vasantha,

A. G. Rathnamala A. G. Rathnamala ( ta, ஏ. ஜி. ரத்தினமாலா) (1931 – 3 July 2007) was an Indian stage drama artist and playback singer who has recorded over 500 songs in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada language films. Career life ...

, K. Jamuna Rani, K. Rani, Swarnalatha, A. P. Komala,

M. R. Vijaya ( ; ; pl. ; ; 1512, from Middle French , literally "my lord") is an honorific title that was used to refer to or address the eldest living brother of the king in the French royal court. It has now become the customary French title of respec ...

, Renuka, Kamala, Sarala and L. R. Anjali. The singing actors she sang with were M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, V. Nagayya, T. R. Mahalingam,

J. P. Chandrababu Joseph Panimayadas Chandrababu Rodriguez (1927–1974) was an Indian actor, comedian, director, singer and dancer, whose Chaplinesque-style on-screen movements and singing style made him popular from the late 1940s to the early 1970s. He had ...

and K. R. Ramasamy.

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 Thaathachari The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on ...

(1974), Appothe Sonnene Kettiya (1979) and Pillaiyar (1984). They also sang under their own compositions.

Soolamangalam Jayalakshmi

Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi

Deaths

Rajalakshmi died on 1 March 1992, aged only 51, because of

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...

and gastritis which lasted for about 12 years. Jayalakshmi was strongly affected by her sister's death. She outlived her for 25 years and died at her home in Chennai on 29 June 2017, aged 80.

References

External links

Article on Soolamangalam Sisters in Kalyana Malai
* {{Authority control 1937 births 2017 deaths Tamil singers Women Carnatic singers Carnatic singers Sibling musical duos Indian musical duos Indian women classical singers Singers from Tamil Nadu 20th-century Indian singers People from Thanjavur district 20th-century Indian women singers Women musicians from Tamil Nadu