Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer Trust honoured Carnatic vocalists, Bombay Sisters C. Saroja and C. Lalitha, with the Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer Memorial Award, on Saturday.
Presenting the award, senior musician P.S. Narayanaswamy commended the duo’s significant contribution to the art. He also recalled their research on wedding and folk songs.
Though they learnt from great gurus of the Musiri style, they had successfully created their own bani, he said.
Seetha Narayanan (vocal), Karaikudi M.S. Mani (violin), and R.S. Jayalakshmi (veena) received the Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer award for senior musicians.
The Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer Award for Youth Excellence was presented to Saashwathi Prabhu (vocal), H.V. Raghuram (violin), and N.C. Bharadhwaj (mridangam). Orator Va.Ve. Subramanyam, who presided over the ceremony, spoke of Viswanatha Iyer’s instant rapport with his audience, his quick wit and stage presence.
Maharajapuram Srinivasan said the Trust was founded in 1985 by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and Maharajapuram Santhanam.
