Born in Bombay, at the frontier between two Indian worlds – the North and the South – Aruna Sayeeram holds a special place in Southern Indian carnatic singing. Rooted in the greatest classicism, she knows how to move away from it to open up to other musical cultures and to offer a different approach to the raga. Previously a "black swan among white swans" as she defined herself, she is recognized today as one of the great ladies of carnatic singing in the South.