Chennai: Noted Carnatic vocalist C Lalitha, the youngest of the ‘Bombay sisters’, passed away at the age of 85. She breathed her last on Tuesday in Chennai. Lalitha and her sister C Saroja had performed hundreds of musical concerts both inside and outside the country since 1963.
The sisters staged musical concerts only as a duo and released albums together in Malayalam, Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi and Marathi languages. ‘Sapthaham’, and ‘Sundara Narayana Guruvayurappan Gananjali’ are the renowned albums of the sisters in Malayalam. Though they pursued most of their musical journeys during the days spent in Chennai, they were known to the world as ‘Bombay sisters’.
The sisters assumed the title when Mouna Swamigal of Ambattur blessed them and suggested this name for their success in the future. The sisters had said that many offers from the film industry were declined as they could not sing alone without the support of each other. Lalitha and Saroja were born as daughters of N Chidambaram Iyer and Muktambal in Thrissur and later brought up in Mumbai.
The sisters have received many awards, including Padma Shri in 2020, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2004, Sangeetha Kalashikhamani in 2006, MS Subbulakshmi Award in 2019, Sangeetha Kala Nipuna Award in 1994, Sangeetha Kalanidhi Award in 2010 and Sangeetha Choodamani Award in 1991.
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