Bombay Jayashri Ramnath (born 1964) is an Indian Carnatic classical vocalist, composer and teacher. A disciple of the violin maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman, she is among the most admired concert singers of South Indian classical music. She is also known for film songs such as “Vaseegara” and for “Pi’s Lullaby” from Life of Pi (2012), which she wrote and sang and which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. She received the Sangita Kalanidhi title in 2023.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Jayashri Ramnath |
| Born | 1964, Calcutta (now Kolkata), India |
| Raised in | Mumbai |
| Occupation | Carnatic vocalist, composer, teacher |
| Teachers | T. R. Balamani, Lalgudi Jayaraman |
| Education | R. A. Podar College, Mumbai (commerce) |
| Spouse | Ramnath |
| Children | 1 (Amrit Ramnath) |
| Honours | Padma Shri (2021), Sangita Kalanidhi (2023) |
Early Life
Jayashri was born into a Tamil family of musicians in Calcutta and grew up in Chembur, Mumbai, which gave her the prefix “Bombay”. Her parents, N. N. Subramaniam and Seetha, were her first teachers. She learned Carnatic music from T. R. Balamani in Mumbai, and also studied Hindustani music, the veena and Bharatanatyam. In 1989 she moved to Chennai to study with Lalgudi Jayaraman.
Career
She gave her first full concert in 1982. Her singing is known for its calm, deep tone and careful pronunciation. She has performed at leading halls in India and abroad, including the Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall, and has collaborated with musicians from other traditions, among them the Hindustani singer Shubha Mudgal and the Egyptian singer Hisham Abbas.
Her song “Vaseegara” in the Tamil film Minnale (2001), composed by Harris Jayaraj, was a great hit, as was its Hindi version “Zara Zara” in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein. She has sung for Ilaiyaraaja, A. R. Rahman and others. For Ang Lee’s Life of Pi she wrote Tamil lyrics to Mychael Danna’s melody and sang the lullaby that opens the film.
She teaches many students and runs projects that take music to children with autism and to village schools.
Health
In March 2023, while on a concert tour in England, she suffered a brain aneurysm and underwent surgery. She has been recovering since.
Personal Life
She is married to Ramnath, and their son, Amrit Ramnath, is a singer and composer.
Awards and Honours
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Bombay Jayashri born?
Bombay Jayashri was born in 1964, Calcutta (now Kolkata), India.
What is Bombay Jayashri’s occupation?
Occupation: Carnatic vocalist, composer, teacher.
What honours has Bombay Jayashri received?
Padma Shri (2021), Sangita Kalanidhi (2023).
Featured image: Bombay Jayashri, photographed in Kerala, March 2017. Photo by Mullookkaaran, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
