Kanchana Sisters

Kanchana Sisters (also known as “Kanchana Ranjani Sisters”) – Vid. Kanchana S. Shriranjani and Vid. Kanchana S. Shruthiranjani are among the most admired and sought after duet vocalists in the classical music fraternity. The duo are part of the esteemed Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) panel of artists and have been performing on prestigious platforms in India and abroad.

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As the Ambassadors of Indian classical music, Kanchana Sisters performed for the prestigious World Village Festival in Finland, Estoania and Denmark during 2019, a tour sponsored by the Embassy of India. The duo have also performed in France, United Kingdom, Norway and Singapore.

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Kanchana Sisters hail from a family of musicians who were Tamil Iyyers and had settled in Bajathur village in Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka. At a very tender age of 3 years, their father ‘Karnataka Kalashri’ Kanchana V. Subbarathnam the renowned violinist of our country, initiated them into music. They began staging classical concerts at the age of 4. The sisters’ duo specializes in rendition of the “Avadhana Pallavi”s (The ability to render most complex compositions by playing different taalas with different nadai on both hands simultaneously), which they learnt from their maternal uncle Dr. R.S. Nanda Kumar, Mysore. The precision of their avadhana performances with ancient taalas such as ‘Simhanandana’ (128 akshara kaala) and implementation of other ancient taala angas, have stunned the masses. Kanchana Sisters are also the first known in the history of Carnatic music to have performed taala avadhana with the most convoluted and ancient ‘Sharabhanandana‘ taala. They have documented their unique Avadhana art at the University of Hyderabad.

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Besides being the toppers of their university in LLB (law) degree, both the sisters followed music as their passion and profession. Both earned 1st rank in ‘Vidwath’ degree in Carnatic Classical Vocal and Violin from the state Government of Karnataka and are “A” graded artists in All India Radio (AIR). They have also earned multiple prestigious senior performer scholarships for music from India’s central government – Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) and other private organizations.

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