Even after 27 years into Carnatic music, the humility personified Priya sisters -- Shanmukhapriya and Haripriya feel there is a lot to be explored in the field.
Be it the bhakti songs or Annamayya keertanalu or classical music, the sisters can switch from one genre to the other with ease and continue to cast a spell with their voice that are perfectly in sync with each other.
In a chat with The Hindu , the duo who are here to participate in a music festival being organised by the Visakha Music and Dance Academy shared how the ardent admirers’ appreciation gives them immense strength.
“Affection of rasikas is the most powerful tool for us to improvise as singers. Similarly, we are also open to criticism as long as critics exhibit sensitivity in their criticism,” they say.
First guru
Disciples of Radha and Jayalakshmi and T.R. Subramanyam, the sisters say their father V.V. Subbaram was their first guru.
“Fortunately, he never woke us up early to practise music. He has always been very considerate towards our preferences and continues to support us in every possible manner. Even at the age of 83, my father still trains students in classical music,” the sisters say.
Hailing from Chittoor, Priya sisters shifted to Chennai to pursue music. “Though our forefathers hail from Amalapuram, we hardly lived there. We started singing pretty early and when our parents identified our common passion, we moved to Chennai to learn Carnatic music,” say Priya sisters, who have been frequenting the port city since 1992.
Besides singing, Haripriya says she is also fond of cricket.
“I used to play cricket at State-level during my school and college days. I also learnt guitar. Along with education, we should always encourage children to learn fine arts such as music or dance or painting as it will help them bring out their inherent talent,” she opines.
Priya sisters say music should be learnt as a mark of respect and to quench one’s inner quest rather than as a career option.
“Along with music, it is necessary to focus on education as well so that if we fail in one field, there is always another to fall upon,” the duo says.
Priya sisters are part of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Annamacharya Srungara Sankeertanalu project where the duo will be singing 10 kritis of Annamayya.
In future, they would like to set up a school to introduce people to the world of Carnatic music and fine tune the skills of aspiring artistes.
