Ranjani and Gayatri at The Hindu Fridays at The Hindu office premises on May 10, 2024. Photo Courtesy: Ravindran R

Alice thought, “What’s the use of a book without pictures or conversation.” ( Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland,

recently, hindu Friday Review decided to do what John Tenniel had done with Lewis Carroll’s much-loved stories. If John’s charming illustration brought Carroll’s words to life, the recent TH Fridays event hindu The campus brought forth a new dimension of complementing art and culture.

Curated by Team FR, the second edition (the first edition featured Sikkil Gurucharan and Madan Karki) saw the well-known singer-duo, Ranjani and Gayatri interact with melodious vocals. The program was moderated by Akhila Krishnamurthy, founder of Aalap. Tracing their journey, Akhila sheds light on how providence transformed the sisters from violinists to singers. This happened when he stepped in for a singer who had not come to a concert. He became a main artist from a supporting artist.

During the conversation, the sisters explained how tradition is not just a set of rules. ”It’s about embracing and incorporating new ideas. This ensures continuous creative development.

Apart from regular kucharis, Ranjani and Gayatri are working on thematic musical programmes. The idea behind his ‘Raga by Raja’ and ‘Raga by Rasa’ was to take Carnatic music to a wider audience. The sisters explained in detail with examples how one’s mood is created when one listens to a film song. “But when you’re listening to classical music, you pay attention to the nuances and technicalities.”

Duo Ranjani and Gayathri share their experience of working with ace musician Ilaiyaraaja. , Photo Courtesy: Ravindran R

According to the duo, the aim was not just to reproduce Ilaiyaraaja’s music, but to recreate it by giving it a third dimension.

His growing up in Mumbai and exposure to diverse musical influences have played an important role in his journey. Apart from his training in classical music, he was familiar with both Hindi and Tamil film music. “We heard them all on the radio, so that opened up a world of music to us,” Ranjani said. Gayatri shared how Raja Sir’s music brought out the maximum impact of the violin and the violinist attracted her. “At college fests, I used to play their amazing tracks on the strings of my violin. We never thought that one day we would work with the unique musician on a music project,” said Gayathri.

The sisters explained how thematic concerts have broadened their repertoire and reach. “You get the opportunity to venture into new areas. “‘Rasa by Raga’ helped us discover the beauty of languages ​​and musical styles. There is a lot to be learned and shared while organizing such demonstrations,” said Gayatri.

Referring to family support, he recalled how his father constantly motivated him to learn, practice and find his niche. “Mridangam exponent Guru Karaikudi R Mani, who was a friend of our father, gave us our first performance in Chennai under the auspices of his Shrutilaya,” Ranjani said.

Both of them are always seen smiling, exchanging notes and praising each other on stage. Are there disagreements and arguments? “Yes, of course, we have brothers and sisters like any other brother and sister, especially when we are working on our music. But ultimately we succeed, because we know that we are on this journey together working towards a common goal,” said Ranjani.

For over two decades, Ranjani and Gayathri have been exploring Carnatic music to find their own unique expression. Be it on stage or off, his life revolves around Ra-Ga.