Sikkil Sisters
Sikkil Sisters - Kunjumani & Neela
Sikkil Kunjumani, the elder of the sisters, was born on June 15, 1930 and Sikkil Neela, the younger was born on September 6, 1940. Together they are more famously known as the Sikkil Sisters
The Sikkil sisters - Neela and Kunjumani are India’s only female duo who have excelled in an instrument difficult to master - The flute. They have achieved the pinnacle of technical perfection in their rendition and have earned high respect from music critics and musicologists. They are known for their innate sense of sruti and laya, expansive manodharma, excellent tutelage in the classical idioms and blending of tempos as a mark of their great vidwat. The sisters have their own distinct style of playing, yet they successfully harness it to their advantage, to bring out an enjoyable ensemble. In the Carnatic music circles, the sisters are known to be absolutely faithful to paddhati (tradition) in rendering kirtanas in a manner that it is possible to make out each word of a song being played.
The sisters have been honoured with many awards; prominent among them are, ‘Venu Gana Praveena’ by the Mysore Samasthanam, 'Kalaimamani' by Tamil Nadu Iyal, Isai, Nataka Mandram, Special Honours by the Music Academy, Chennai, the President's Award by the Sangeetha Nataka Academy, 'Sangeetha Kala Sikhamani' by The Indian Fine Arts Society, Chennai, and a special honour by Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, Chennai.
Their father Azhiyur Natesa Iyer,was a mridangist himself and Kunjumani started learning music from her father initially and then learnt flute from her maternal uncle Azhiyur Narayanaswami Iyer. Neela learnt flute from her sister Kunjamani.
Kunjamani, began giving concerts from the age of nine and Neela from the age of seven. Sikkil Sisters have been giving concerts together since 1962.
Top artistes of the AIR, they have been giving hundreds of performances at all the sabhas, television and elsewhere both within India and abroad too.
The sisters blend the tone and play on their flutes and the merger is toal and the effect remarkable. They are known for the chaste, orthodox style in rendering raga, kriti and swara.
Honours and Awards
* Padmashree - 2003
* Kalaimamani by the Tamil Nadu Sangeetha Nataka
Sangam - 1973
* Sangeet Natak Academy Award - 1989.
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