CHENNAI: Amid the swirling ragas of Carnatic tapestry, there are a few duos who embody the true essence of harmony – both musically and personally – as profound as Srikrishna Mohan and Ramkumar Mohan, revered as the Trichur Brothers.

Hailing from a bustling joint family in Trichur (now Thrissur), Kerala, their childhood was a lively mix of camaraderie and competition – both healthy. With as many as cousins under one roof, their early years were less about solitary pursuits and more about learning to share, be it video games or the coveted computer time at weekends.

“It was a fight for survival,” laughs Ramkumar, recalling their obsession with EA Sports’ 1997 cricket game, where they’d spend hours simulating full 50-over matches. “I guess these playful rivalries laid the foundation for a deeper understanding and a balance between individuality and unity which now defines our musical partnership,” Srikrishna is quick to add.

Their foray into Carnatic music was more of a divine alignment. The brothers credit their father, Trichur R Mohan, a veteran Mridangam vidwan as their first guru and constant accompanist. “Appa has been our anchor both as a parent and as a musician on stage.”

However, a defining moment came during a trip to Trichur, when Maha Periyava heard them sing in his presence. He later blessed them with the name ‘Trichur Brothers’.

What sets the brother’s apart is their mastery over the extraordinary vocal alchemy. While Srikrishna’s voice carries a mellow tone, Ramkumar’s has a deeper, rugged texture.

“As singers, both Srikrishna and I are trained to also bring out a facet of the voice that is different from how you normally put it. There are missing frequencies in my voice and certain frequencies that are slightly stronger in mine. When two people sing together, the overall roundedness of the voice comes in. And the beauty of it is when we take turns and sing – that’s when the slight difference between the voices captures the attention of the listeners.”

But performing together comes with hurdles. A single misaligned nuance in a kriti becomes glaring when two voices are involved. “If one of us learns a composition differently, it takes hours to sync,” they admit.

As siblings, the Trichur Brother’s have balanced harmony, yet maintain individuality. “The individuality of each will automatically come in as the music goes. If I am singing something with the basis on Sa and even though that is improvisational and he doesn’t know that I am going to be singing Sa, with practice what happens is you won’t find him actually singing a Re or a Ni there because those are notes which will then become discordant. There are going to be occasions with space for improvisations, but we are very attentive to what each other is singing,” Ramkumar explains.

Having performed across the world for over three decades, the brothers have vivid memories of some of their most treasured validations.

“A mother wrote to us narrating how in the labour room giving birth to her baby, they played our song Pibare Rama Rasam and the child came into the world listening to our music. On the other hand, recently, one of our students had an ailing grandmother for whom we recorded a song. She passed away a few days ago, while listening to it. Our student came to us sharing her grandmother’s happy state of mind before death. These heartwarming instances stay with us forever,” shares Srikrishna.

In an era of curated personas, the brothers keep their social media presence rather organic. “If you see, our Instagram reels – often impromptu carpool concerts resonate precisely because they’re unrehearsed joy. We won’t change our essence for views,” asserts Ramkumar.

Though rooted in classical music, their influences are eclectic. Be it AR Rahman’s fusion genius, Colonial Cousins melodies, and Shankar Mahadevan’s versatility. “ We dream of collaborating with legendary instrumentalist Yanni.”

“We have also revered the works of late Ustad Rashid Khan, whose depth left an indelible mark on us. We were very fortunate to talk to him a couple of years ago. We would have been honoured to sit with him on the same stage and sing along,” adds Srikrishna.

The latter half of 2025 sees the brothers touring the US, Singapore, and prepping up for the Margazhi season. They’ll receive Mumbai’s prestigious Sri Shanmukhananda National Eminence Award, while continuing their classes for children through the Trichur Brothers Online School of Music. “We have a system where every July, the students from across the world will be in Chennai. We have decided we won’t do anything else but spend those seven days with the students. It’s more like the gurukul system.”

A message from the Trichur Brothers to aspiring musicians? “Let passion choose you, not the other way around. We both worked as chartered accountants for years before transitioning to music full-time in 2014. When the call is undeniable, you’ll know.”