Soolamangalam Jayalakshmi and Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, popularly known as Soolamangalam Sisters were

Carnatic music Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha. 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 Radha (born 1932) and Jayalakshmi (1932 - 2014), popularly known as Radha Jayalakshmi (), were an Indian Carnatic music vocalist duo as well as playback singers in films in the 1940s and 1950s. They later became teachers and trained notable C ...

, and later continued by Bombay Sisters, Ranjani-Gayatri, Mambalam Sisters, Bangalore Sisters, Bellur sisters and Priya Sisters. The Soolamangalam Sisters are best known for singing the Kanda Shasti Kavasam, a hymn on the Hindu god

Muruga Kartikeya (/ kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda ( /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/ sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha ( /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan (/ mʊɾʊgən/), is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as the ...

Early life and background

Born in Soolamangalam, a village with musical heritage in

Thanjavur district Thanjavur District is one of the Districts of Tamil Nadu, 38 districts of the States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Its headquarters is Thanjavur (Tanjore) . The district is located in the delta of the Cauv ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

, of Karnam Ramaswami 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 Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are e ...

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 ...

in 1992 by Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Mandram.

Filmography

Film music

Many of Rajalakshmi's songs are under K. V. Mahadevan's music direction all the while. Many of her songs were under T. G. Lingappa mainly in Kannada. She also sang under her own music compositions. She sang more often in the 1950s while during the 1960s.

Music director

Rajalakshmi assisted S. M. Subbaiah Naidu in Konjum Salangai. Both Jayalakshmi and Rajalakshmi ae as music directors by the name Soolamangalam Sisters. They also sang under their own compositions.

Soolamangalam Jayalakshmi

Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi

Deaths

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

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

and

gastritis Gastritis is the inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It may occur as a short episode or may be of a long duration. There may be no symptoms but, when symptoms are present, the most common is upper abdominal pain (see dyspepsia). Othe ...

which lasted for about 12 years. Jayalakshmi 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 Tamil playback singers Kannada playback singers Telugu playback singers 20th-century Indian singers Musicians from Thanjavur district 20th-century Indian women singers Women musicians from Tamil Nadu