Soolamangalam Sisters


Soolamangalam Jayalakshmi and Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, popularly known as Soolamangalam Sisters were 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 Thanjavur district – 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.

Notable songs

Awards

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. Dandayudhapani Pillai, Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy, S. Rajeswara Rao, H. R. Padmanabha Sasthri, C. N. Pandurangan, G. K. Venkatesh, T. A. Kalyanam, 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, Maestro IlayarajaShankar-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

Rajalakshmi 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, Tiger Thaathachari, Appothe Sonnene Kettiya and Pillaiyar. They also sang under their own compositions.

Soolamangalam Jayalakshmi

YearFilmLanguageSongMusicCo-Singer
1952VelaikaranTamilMaane MarikozhundheR. SudarsanamT. S. Bagavathi, A. G. Rathnamala & Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi
1955Kalyanam SeydhukkoTamilVaetti Kattina PombaleRamaneekaranSeerkazhi Govindarajan
1961ArasilangkumariTamilOorvalamaaga Maappillai PennumG. RamanathanT. M. Soundararajan & P. Suseela
1961Naaga NandhiniTamilValluvan VedhamR. SudharsanamSoolamangalam Rajalakshmi
1961Naaga NandhiniTamilSingame SingameR. SudharsanamSoolamangalam Rajalakshmi
1962Indira En SelvamTamilThitthikkum ThamizhileH. R. Padmanabha Sasthri & C. N. PanduranganSoolamangalam Rajalakshmi
1962SaradhaTamilManamagale Marumagale Vaa VaaK. V. MahadevanSoolamangalam Rajalakshmi & L. R. Eswari
1964Bhakta RamadasuTeluguMohanaakaara RaamaaChittor V. NagaiahSoolamangalam Rajalakshmi
1964Bhakta RamadasuTeluguRaamaa PaahimaamChittor V. NagaiahSoolamangalam Rajalakshmi
1964Bhakta RamadasuTeluguPahimam SriramanteChittor V. NagaiahSoolamangalam Rajalakshmi
1974Tiger ThathachariTamilEzhumalai Vaasaa VengkadesaaSoolamagalam SistersSoolamangalam Rajalakshmi & K. Veeramani
1979Kandhar AlangaramTamilKandhanukku Alangaaram Kandhar AlangaaramKunnakkudi VaidyanathanSoolamangalam Rajalakshmi
1984PillaiyarTamilPillaiyar PillaiyarSoolamangalam SistersSoolamangalam Rajalakshmi

Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi

Deaths

Though Jayalakshmi was the elder of the sisters, it was Rajalakshmi who left this world first. Rajalakshmi died on 1 March 1992, aged only 51 because of cardiac arrest 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.