Ranjani Gayathri
Dual Vocal
Ranjani and Gayatri, sisters, are world-renowned musicians whose musical contributions include studio recordings, television, radio, concerts, festivals and lecture demonstrations. They have appeared as soloists, violin duos, accompanists, vocal duos, composers, educators and ambassadors of Indian Classical Music. As top class Carnatic classical musicians, Ranjani and Gayatri are conservators of their genre's unique beauty and preserve ancient tradition as they continue to innovate within it.
In a domain often characterized as elitist, esoteric, and not easily accessible to the masses, this brilliant sister duo of Ranjani and Gayatri has found a way over the years to satisfy and stimulate the cognoscenti and at the same time delight and thrill the lay audience. To achieve the magnetic status of a rock star and be viable as serious and profound practitioners of the art form is not easy in the field of Carnatic music, but these sisters have done just that with great distinction and felicity. Ranjani and Gayatri’s concerts take the listener into a world of colour, beauty and transcendental bliss. Their music leaves a powerful impact on music aficionados and fans, inspiring many musicians to follow their style.
Early life
Ranjani and Gayatri were born to N. Balasubramanian and Meenakshi (a Carnatic vocalist as well). Born into a family deeply involved in classical music, Ranjani and Gayatri's musical talents were discovered at a very early age. Even as toddlers, they showed an uncanny capacity to grasp the subtle nuances of Carnatic music - Gayatri could identify over a hundred ragas when she was barely two and a half and Ranjani could delineate complex rhythm patterns at age five.
They started their violin training at the early age of nine and six respectively from Sangita Bhushanam Prof. T.S. Krishnaswami at the Shanmukhananda Sangeeta Vidyalaya, Mumbai.
As violin duet artists
Ranjani and Gayatri have also accomplished violinists. They started their musical journey as violinists even before they reached their teens, and made a name for themselves as one of the leading violinists of their generation, performing in leading sabhas (music organizations) all over the country and abroad. Besides playing the violin duet, they have also performed along with musical legends such as Smt.D.K.Pattammal, Sri M Balamurali Krishna, T.Vishwanathan and other popular musicians of the current generation. Their experience and training as violinists which sensitized their musical awareness towards precision and pure sound give their vocal music a depth and roundedness that is unique.
As vocal artists
The sisters have given vocal concerts since 1997 after they became students of Padma Bhushan Sangeeta Kala Acharya P. S. Narayanaswamy.
From the very first concert, they won high praises from critics and music lovers all over the globe. The perfection of sruti (pitching), powerful voice control, rich imagination and impeccable aesthetics which reflect the timeless values of classicism - these are some of the qualities that describe the music of Ranjani and Gayatri. Above all this, it is the sisters' capacity to deeply experience and enjoys what they sing, that takes their music to a different plane. Their two voices blend and contrast to strike a fine balance between vibrancy and contemplation, intellect and emotion, tradition and innovation. Their concerts, which draw full houses across the globe, resound with energy, freshness and emotional fervour. Audiences eagerly await and savour their in-depth Ragam-tanam-Pallavi-s and soul-stirring viruthams. Their flair for Hindustani classical music is reflected in the soulful Bhajans and vibrant Abhangs which are an integral part of their concerts.
Ranjani and Gayatri, through their concerts all over India and in major international festivals, have rejuvenated the interest in Carnatic classical music worldwide. Through their songs in languages including Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati, the sisters bring out the many flavours and rich cultural and linguistic heritage of India, through the idiom of Carnatic music