MUMBAI: Veteran singer Jayashri Ramnath, popularly known as Bombay Jayashri, has worked with several composers like AR Rahman, Ilayaraja and had rendered her vocals in many languages including Hindi, Tamil and Telugu over the years. More recently, Jayashri sang the track ‘Mamta Se Bhari’ from the film ‘Bahubali’, which is composed by MM Kreem and has lyrics penned by Manoj Muntashir.
“I have worked with Kreem sahab previously, and he is known for his raag based compositions. Since the song in ‘Bahubali’ is a lullaby, my voice had to resonate the emotions of a mother who puts her child to sleep. I had to be gentle and had to maintain the softness in my voice,” she explained. Working with Kreem, she says, is always an honour and she is really happy to be a part of this project. “MM Kreem is one composer who follows the traditional method of recording. He will first play the song on the harmonium and then asks singers to sing accordingly. If you do not get the ‘sur’ right, he will point out an old track so that the singer understands what he actually expects. This is one thing I really love about him,” Jayashri added.
She feels that the music industry in south India is a little more disciplined as compared to other music industries in the country. “The industry in the South is more about people like Illayrajaji who are very particular about their music. He is also very clear about what he wants. He will make sure you deliver exactly what he wants and he will also bring the best out of you,” she further added.
Jayashri was born in Kolkata and raised in Mumbai. Since a very early age, she started training in Hindustan classical music, and riyaaz continues to be a very important part of her life. She makes sure, to squeeze in at least a couple of hours a day for practice. “My seniors and gurus, have always maintained the stance that riyaaz is a must, and fortunately I have imbibed that learning in me. They would always tell me if I do my riyaaz, I can adopt to any changes happening in the music industry. If I go to the recording studio without doing my riyaaz, I feel guilty about it. Almost every evening I sit with my harmonium and practice a few ragas. I also listen to a lot of 50s and 60s tracks as a part of my riyaaz,” she explained.
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In her opinion, songs composed by Madan Mohan, SD Burman and RD Burman are an inseparable part of her life. “I have grown up listening to melodies composed by these gems and they are so perfect, that they have become my reference points,” she explained.
When not recording, Jayashri spends her time listening to music, doing her riyaaz or teaching music to her students.
