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Saroja and Lalitha, more popularly known as Bombay Sisters were born at Trisoor, Kerala to Smt. Mukthambal and Sri N. Chidambaram Iyer.

Bombay sisters had their early initiation in Carnatic Music, first from their elder sister, Smt.Sethu Mahadevan and later from Sri. H A S Mani,popularly known as Chellamani Baghavathar. Later, they both got the Government of India Cultural Scholarship for higher studies and came under the tutelage of late Sri. Musiri Subramania Iyer. Presently, they still continue their training under T K Govindarao.

The sisters started their concert career from 1963, and have given many performances since then. The sisters are classified as " Top Grade" Artists by A.I.R.

The sisters have founded a trust named after their parents 'Mukthambaram Trust' to foster, nourish and give proper exposure to young, deserving and unexposed or under exposed talents in the field of classical carnatic music.

We sit down for a tête-à-tête with the warm and homely C Saroja and C Lalitha.

We were born in Trissur, Kerala, but brought up in Bombay. We first learnt from our elder sister and then later went to Sri H A S Mani, also known as Chellamani Bhagavathar. My father was an active member in many sabhas. He used to take us to ‘kutcheris’ (concerts) of top artistes like M S Subbulakshmi, D K Pattamal, M L Vasantha kumari, who became our main source of inspiration.

C Saroja: We had applied for the All India Scholarship in music. I got the scholarship and had to shift to Chennai for my advanced studies. It was a two year course at the Government Music College at Chennai. Mussiri Subramania Iyer was the principal at that time. We were very fortunate to have learnt under him. A year later, Lalitha also joined me at the college. Sri Subramania Iyer suggested that since we were learning under a scholarship, we should undertake further training in music and asked us to go to Sri Govinda Rao.

He was a great motivation for us. We owe a lot to him for our successful music career. He was extremely involved and sincere at teaching. He would make us practice over and over again. He was willing to teach us anything that we asked him to teach. He was very flexible and affectionate. He would teach us subtle nuances in a song which would make the rendering more appealing and pleasing.

Saroja: We have perfect understanding between us. Both of us sing ragas, which we personally prefer alternately. For example, I like to sing ragas such as Todi, Shankarabharanam and Begad, while Lalitha likes to sing lighter ragas such as Kalyani, Shanmukhapriya and Simhendramadhyamam. So we balance it out equally.

Our most memorable moment was sometime in 1962-1963, at a Sai Baba Temple kutcheri. We were allotted the junior slot for a concert. Madurai Mani Iyer was to sing in the senior slot. He was not feeling too well, so he told the organisers to ask us to sing in his slot. That unexpected chance gave a real boost to our career.

There are plenty of new sabhas cropping up in various localities catering to the people staying in and around that locality, providing a lot of opportunities for young and upcoming artistes. The artistes get plenty of exposure through the media, thus attaining quick fame and fortune. Some of them sing very well. They are very talented. When we were young, the only way to let people know that we sing was through giving kutcheris. We could never imagine the kind of exposure that youngsters of today get.

Awards motivate the artiste to do better. But these days certain awards are shrouded in controversy. That we feel is wrong. They should have credibility. In our times the thought of receiving awards never entered our mind. We struggled  a lot to come up.

Having struggled a lot in our early years both of us took a vow that if we are successful in the music field then we must contribute to the cause of promoting deserving young talent from our earnings. Our parents also wished this and so we decided to start a trust, named after our parents called the Mukthambaram Trust. The aim of this trust is to foster, nourish and give proper exposure to young artistes in the field of carnatic music, thus enabling the youth to carry forward the torch of our traditional culture into the 20^th century. We are indeed proud to say that most of the youngsters, who are establishing themselves in the field, have in their initial stage had the support of our trust. This sponsorship is extended to all worthy organisations all over the country.

Lalitha: Our husbands have been very supportive. My husband manages the trust completely. Without their support it would not have been possible to reach where we are today.

Have dedication, commitment and involvement. Make use of the ample opportunities that the world is offering. Of course, luck and God’s grace play a very prominent role in one’s life and career. But we must always try to do our best.

We attend kutcheris and of course browse the Internet.

Strict adherence to standard

SVK

The guidance of their training was evident in the songs rendered by the Bombay Sisters for the Fifty-Fifty Club.

Photo: R. Shivaji Rao

Great patanthara: Bombay Sisters, C. Saroja and C. Lalitha.

Sound training in the early days and rigorous practice pay their dividends in the later years when age has its say. The power of communication may slacken, but concern for maintaining standard fetches its own rewards.

The reputation gained in the early years is the motivation to retain the approach. To some extent, presenting the same songs and ragas again and again over the years may create an impression of mechanical interpretation, but they still carry the core of their appeal, because that is the hallmark of the classic contents of the kirtanas and alapanas.

It is the duty of the gurus to teach their sishyas not to show disrespect to any of the songs of the great vaggeyakaras. So, even when the voice falters, the performance would certainly ensure satisfaction if not appreciative ecstasy.

Alapanas of Purvikalyani (‘Gnanamosagarada’) and Madhyamavati (‘Paalinchu Kamakshi’) formed the main thrust of the concert by Bombay Sisters Lalitha and Saroja for the Fifty-Fifty Club. Where duos sing, the tempo of a recital automatically gets a boost.

Their strength lay in preserving the structural compactness of the kirtanas. Strict adherence to sangati patterns in songs spoke of their solid endowment which made for the real dignity of Carnatic music. The two kirtanas were placed with vividness and consistency. The training they had undergone in this respect was to be seen all the time in the song session. ‘Sri Kumaralaya’ (Atana) and ‘Sri Rangapura Vihara’ (Brindavana Saranga) were the other two weighty songs in their list.

The alapanas of Purvikalyani and Madhyamavati were precisely on conservative values. Anchored in swara after swara, the ragas progressed to the higher octave on predictable lines which marked the basis of their creative process.

There was accompanying generosity in the way Usha Rajagopalan, the violinist, extended her support. She directly transferred her manodharma with harmony and balance in the delineation of the ragas.

Intensely vigorous, the raga pictures were slicing in musical expression, elaborated with sustained interest.

The mridangist, Madipakkam Suresh, provided a passionate presence. His accompanying competence rested on unleashing relentless beats. His thani with Madipakkam Murali (ghatam) was replete with frenzied percussive patterns.