Chinmaya Sisters-Uma and Radhika are popular names in the field of Carnatic Music, with Sweet and mellifluous voices that blend as one melodious and spirited singing and strict adherence to Classicism, they have captured the hearts of Rasikas Worldwide.
Uma and Radhika’s talent in music was identified at a very early age by their parents Sri R. Natesan & Smt. Bhavani Natesan, who took it upon themselves the task of showing them the right direction.
The duo comes from a family of ardent devotees of Swami Chinmayananda. Having received his blessings they have been named Chinmaya Sisters by their Guru. They recall with pride, meeting Swami Chinmayananda and seeking his blessings to begin their musical journey as “Chinmaya Sisters”.
The sisters, Uma and Radhika, who have now become part of the Margazhi music season, as performers say that the Margazhi music fest is the culmination of an entire year’s learning and practice.
“For an artiste, practice is something that happens throughout the year. Our preparations are never concert based. We enjoy presenting a good mix of all that we have learned over the years along with new compositions, some rare ragas and also some Ragam Tanam Pallavi as and when necessary,” says Uma.
Their childhood memories of visiting Madras during this musical season are still fresh in their mind. “Margazhi still continues to retain the same freshness and grandeur as before; the magic only increases year after year. That Chennai has been recognized for its music and has received the UNESCO recognition recently speaks volumes of the specialty, magnitude, and popularity of our Margazhi music season,” they feel.
Many musicians have a set routine on concert day to help them be in the zone when they perform. As for as these sisters, they like to have a peaceful atmosphere at home. “We like to stay quiet and be in our own musical zone and we prefer not to speak much on the phone and save our voices and energy for singing,” they said.
Ask them about their plans this season and they say, “We are planning to attend our guru Madurai Sri TN Seshagopalan and Neyveli Sri R Santhanagopalan’s concert. We never miss attending their programs. Also, there are plenty of Lec Dems happening, and we will be attending those, too. But it’s really hard to specify which ones we would attend as that would depend on our concert schedule and time availability. Many sabhas hold Lec Dem series in the mornings. Let’s see… There are concerts of some of our artiste friends, too, that we would like to attend.”
They feel social media has been really helpful in helping them connect with the rasikas across the globe, and even with those who do not have enough knowledge about Carnatic music and the lyrics. “We are so happy that we live in this generation where we can reach out to a larger audience just from our homes,” the sisters chime.
“Last year we thought of sharing a small song on Facebook, on our guru’s Neyveli Santhanagopalan sir’s birthday. We wanted to wish him the traditional way with the Chinmaya birthday song rather than the usual English Happy Birthday. We never anticipated that we would receive so many comments and likes for that simple video, which was shot in our home without any perfect background decoration or any musical instrument. Soon, requests for more such songs started pouring in from all over the world. We also received requests to sing on special days, like Krishna Jayanthi and other festivals,” they share.
They are also open to experimentation and collaboration, Radhika adds. “We are always curious to learn and try something new when it comes to music. We are always looking out for something that’s interesting. And yes, we are open to experiments, as long as the aesthetics of Carnatic music are kept intact. We are open to collaboration, as long it doesn’t harm the essence of Carnatic music,” she says.
They believe Carnatic music will always survive and they point to their overseas concerts as evidence. “When we were in the US, we came across so many people who appreciate Carnatic music and even send their children to learn this form of music. Carnatic music is very much alive. And it’s also great to see young bands coming up with trendy ideas and concepts and presenting Carnatic music in a new package.”
Since their debut performance in 1992, their musical journey has been very interesting and successful with Innumerable concerts all over India and abroad, rave reviews for their concerts, great appreciation from the audience and accolades from Sabhas .
To them, music is not just an art form but something that connects them to the divine. With the blessings of the Almighty and their Gurus they hope to scale greater heights in the future!
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