Overview
Kattassery Joseph Yesudas, popularly known as K. J. Yesudas, is an Indian playback singer and classical musician widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in Indian music. Active in playback singing since the early 1960s, he has recorded songs in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya and several other languages, in addition to performing Carnatic classical concerts. He is often referred to by the honorific Gana Gandharvan.
Key facts
| Full name | Kattassery Joseph Yesudas |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 January 1940, Fort Kochi, Kerala |
| Father | Augustine Joseph (stage actor and musician) |
| Spouse | Prabha |
| Children | Vinod, Vijay (singer), Vishal |
| Profession | Playback singer, Carnatic vocalist, music director |
| Languages | Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali and others |
| Honorific | Gana Gandharvan |
| Notable awards | Padma Shri (1975), Padma Bhushan (2002), Padma Vibhushan (2017), National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer (multiple) |
Background and early life
Yesudas was born on 10 January 1940 in Fort Kochi to Augustine Joseph, a Latin Catholic stage actor and classical singer, and Elizabeth Joseph. His initial training in music was under his father. He later studied at the R. L. V. Music Academy in Tripunithura and at the Swathi Thirunal College of Music in Thiruvananthapuram, where he trained in Carnatic music. He went on to pursue advanced training under the noted Carnatic musician Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, whose mentorship had a lasting influence on his classical career.
Career
Entry into playback singing
Yesudas made his Malayalam playback debut in 1961 with the film Kalpadukal, recording the song "Jaathi Bhedam Matha Dwesham", drawn from the writings of Sree Narayana Guru. Through the 1960s and 1970s he became the leading male playback voice of Malayalam cinema, working closely with composers such as G. Devarajan, M. S. Baburaj, V. Dakshinamoorthy, M. K. Arjunan, K. Raghavan and Salil Chowdhury.
Expansion across Indian cinema
From the late 1960s, Yesudas extended his work to Tamil, Telugu and Kannada cinema, collaborating with composers including M. S. Viswanathan, Ilaiyaraaja, K. V. Mahadevan, Salil Chowdhury and Bappi Lahiri. In Hindi cinema he became prominent in the 1970s with films such as Chhoti Si Baat (1976), Chitchor (1976) and Anand Mahal, working with Ravindra Jain and Salil Chowdhury. His Hindi songs "Gori Tera Gaon Bada Pyara" and "Jab Deep Jale Aana" gained wide popularity.
Carnatic music
Parallel to film work, Yesudas has maintained a long Carnatic concert career, performing at major sabhas in Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram and other cities, and at the annual Chembai Sangeetholsavam at the Guruvayur temple, which he has been associated with for several decades. He has released numerous devotional and classical albums in addition to film recordings.
Tarangini
In 1980 Yesudas founded Tarangini, a music recording company and label, initially based in Thiruvananthapuram and later expanding operations to the United States. The label has produced devotional, classical and film-related recordings of Yesudas and other artists.
Awards and honours
- Padma Shri, 1975
- Padma Bhushan, 2002
- Padma Vibhushan, 2017
- National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer — won multiple times across Malayalam, Hindi and Telugu films
- Kerala State Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer — received numerous times
- Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka state film awards
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
- Honorary doctorates from several Indian universities
Personal life
Yesudas married Prabha in 1970. The couple have three sons: Vinod, Vijay and Vishal. Vijay Yesudas is also an established playback singer in Malayalam and other South Indian languages. The family has been based in Chennai for much of Yesudas's career, with later periods spent in the United States.
Significance
Yesudas is considered a defining figure of Malayalam film music and a major voice of South Indian playback singing. His work bridges popular cinema and Carnatic classical performance, and his recordings span a period of more than six decades. He is one of the most prolific recorded singers in India, with songs in over a dozen languages, and his style has influenced subsequent generations of singers across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.