V. Dakshinamoorthy
Encyclopedia
V. Dakshinamoorthy is a veteran carnatic music
ian and music director
of Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi
films, predominantly in Malayalam films. He has set scores for the songs in over 125 films. He is now retired from film music direction but is still active in classical music
. He has to his credit as many as 859 songs composed over a period of 50 years.
, Travancore
, British India. His interest in music was nurtured by his mother who taught him keerthanas of Thyagaraja Swamikal when he was still a child. After finishing S.S.L.C., he learned carnatic music
form Venkatachalam Potty in Trivandrum.
He learned more about carnatic music and became an expert of it. He debuted in the film industry with Nalla Thanka
, produced by Kunchacko
and K. V. Koshy under the banner of K & K Productions. The hero of the film was Augustin Joseph, father of renowned singer K. J. Yesudas
. The film also had songs sung by Augustin. Dakshinamoorthy went on to set scores for K. J. Yesudas
and his son Vijay Yesudas
(for the film Poomukhappadiyil Ninneym Kathu, directed by Bhadran) as well, thus achieving a rare treat.
He set the scores for many songs written by Sreekumaran Thampi
, forming a famous musician-songwriter duo like the Vayalar Ramavarma
- G. Devarajan
and P. Bhaskaran
- Baburaj
duos. He had R. K. Shekhar, father of the music director A. R. Rahman
as his assistant for a few films, who later became a musician in his own right. He went on to direct music for over 125 films including Navalokam, Seetha, Viyarppinte Vila, Sri Guruvayoorappan, Kadamattathachan and Indulekha.
His evergreen compositions include Swapnangal... Swapnangale ningal...(Kavyamela), Pattu padiyurakkan njan...(Seetha), Uthara swayamvaram...(Danger Biscuit), Kattile pazhmulam...(Vilaykku Vangiya Veena) and Vathil pazhuthilooden...(Idanazhiyil Oru Kalocha). He was guru
of many singers and Music Directors including P. Leela, P. Susheela
, Kalyani Menon and Ilaiyaraja. In 1971 he won the Kerala State Film Award
for Best Music Director.
In 2003, he received the coveted 'Sangeetha Saraswathi' Award from the hands of revered Poojya Sri Guruji Viswanath of Manava Seva Kendra, Bangalore. In the year 2008, he composed 4 songs for the Malayalam Movie Mizhikal Sakshi
.
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
ian and music director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
of Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
films, predominantly in Malayalam films. He has set scores for the songs in over 125 films. He is now retired from film music direction but is still active in classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. He has to his credit as many as 859 songs composed over a period of 50 years.
Biography
Dakshinamoorthy was born on 22 December 1919 as Venkateswaran Dakshinamoorthy, to D. Venkateswara Iyer and Parvathi Ammal in AlappuzhaAlappuzha
Alappuzha , also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. As per 2001 census Alleppey is the sixth largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alleppey is situated to the south of Kochi and north of Trivandrum...
, Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, British India. His interest in music was nurtured by his mother who taught him keerthanas of Thyagaraja Swamikal when he was still a child. After finishing S.S.L.C., he learned carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
form Venkatachalam Potty in Trivandrum.
He learned more about carnatic music and became an expert of it. He debuted in the film industry with Nalla Thanka
Nalla Thanka
Nalla Thanka is a landmark Malayalam film directed by P. V. Krishna Iyer, and produced by Kunchacko and K. V. Koshy. It was the second film produced at the Udaya Studios, the first being Vellinakshatram . The film marked the debut of several artistes, including actors Augustine Joseph, Vaikom Mani,...
, produced by Kunchacko
Kunchacko
Kunchacko was a Malayali Indian film producer and director who heavily influenced the Malayalam film industry by redefining the commercial film scenario. His venture Udaya Studios influenced the gradual shift of Malayalam film industry from its original base of Madras, Tamil Nadu to Kerala...
and K. V. Koshy under the banner of K & K Productions. The hero of the film was Augustin Joseph, father of renowned singer K. J. Yesudas
K. J. Yesudas
Kattassery Joseph Yesudas is an Indian classical musician and playback singer.Yesudas sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music. He has recorded more than 50,000 songs in many languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Marathi, Punjabi,...
. The film also had songs sung by Augustin. Dakshinamoorthy went on to set scores for K. J. Yesudas
K. J. Yesudas
Kattassery Joseph Yesudas is an Indian classical musician and playback singer.Yesudas sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music. He has recorded more than 50,000 songs in many languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Marathi, Punjabi,...
and his son Vijay Yesudas
Vijay Yesudas
Vijay Yesudas Kattassery , commonly credited as Vijay Yesudas, is an Indian playback singer, who has sung songs in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Tulu and Telugu.-Early life:...
(for the film Poomukhappadiyil Ninneym Kathu, directed by Bhadran) as well, thus achieving a rare treat.
He set the scores for many songs written by Sreekumaran Thampi
Sreekumaran Thampi
Sreekumaran Thampi is a lyricist, director, producer, and screenwriter in Malayalam cinema. He is a civil engineer by education.-Film career:Sreekumaran Thampi, was introduced to the Malayalam film industry by P...
, forming a famous musician-songwriter duo like the Vayalar Ramavarma
Vayalar Ramavarma
Vayalar Ramavarma , often known as Vayalar, was a modern Malayalam poet and lyricist. His famous works include Sargasangeetham, Mulankaadu, Padamudrakal, Aayisha, Oru Judas janikkunnu.-Biography:...
- G. Devarajan
G. Devarajan
Paravoor Govindan Devarajan , popularly known as G. Devarajan or Devarajan master, was a noted Malayalam music composer, died on March 15, 2006 in Chennai, at the age of 80....
and P. Bhaskaran
P. Bhaskaran
Pulloottupadathu Bhaskara Menon , better known as P. Bhaskaran, was a famous Malayalam poet and lyricist of Malayalam film songs. He penned more than 3000 songs for about 250 films. He also directed 44 Malayalam feature films and 3 documentaries, produced 6 feature films and acted in several movies...
- Baburaj
Baburaj
Mohammad Sabir Baburaj , also known as M. S. Baburaj, was a Malayalam music composer. He is often credited for the renaissance of Malayalam film music. Baburaj has rendered music to many evergreen Malayalam film songs.-Early years:...
duos. He had R. K. Shekhar, father of the music director A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
as his assistant for a few films, who later became a musician in his own right. He went on to direct music for over 125 films including Navalokam, Seetha, Viyarppinte Vila, Sri Guruvayoorappan, Kadamattathachan and Indulekha.
His evergreen compositions include Swapnangal... Swapnangale ningal...(Kavyamela), Pattu padiyurakkan njan...(Seetha), Uthara swayamvaram...(Danger Biscuit), Kattile pazhmulam...(Vilaykku Vangiya Veena) and Vathil pazhuthilooden...(Idanazhiyil Oru Kalocha). He was guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
of many singers and Music Directors including P. Leela, P. Susheela
P. Susheela
Pulapaka Susheela is an Indian playback singer. In a career spanning more than four decades, she has recorded songs in many Indian languages including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Sanskrit, Tulu, Badaga and Sinhalese.-Personal life:She is the daughter of Pulapaka...
, Kalyani Menon and Ilaiyaraja. In 1971 he won the Kerala State Film Award
Kerala State Film Award
The Kerala State Film Awards are the most prestigious film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy since 1998 on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala, India....
for Best Music Director.
In 2003, he received the coveted 'Sangeetha Saraswathi' Award from the hands of revered Poojya Sri Guruji Viswanath of Manava Seva Kendra, Bangalore. In the year 2008, he composed 4 songs for the Malayalam Movie Mizhikal Sakshi
Mizhikal Sakshi
Mizhikal Sakshi is an Indian film in Malayalam language. It was directed by Ashok R. Nath and stars Sukumari and Mohanlal.-Cast:-Plot:...
.
Awards
- 2010 - Ramashramam Unneerikutty Award
- 2010 - Honorary Doctorate by Mahatma Gandhi UniversityMahatma Gandhi UniversityMahatma Gandhi University, also known as M G University, was established on 2 October 1983 in Kottayam. The University Grants Commission of India does not believe that the names of Indian universities should be unique, so another UGC-recognized government-run Mahatma Gandhi University was...
- 2007 - Swaralaya Yesudas AwardSwaralaya Yesudas AwardSwaralaya Yesudas award is a prestigious award for music artists in recognition to their outstanding performance. The award is instituted jointly by Swaralaya, an organization that promotes music and Kairali Channel, based at Trivandrum, India. Awards have been given annually since 2000. Dr. K. J...
- 1998 - Kerala State Film Award for Lifetime Achievement - J. C. DanielJ. C. DanielJ. C. Daniel was the first film-maker from Kerala, India. He produced, directed, wrote, photographed, edited and acted in the first film made in Kerala, named Vigathakumaran meaning the Lost Child. He also established the first film studio in Kerala, named The Travancore National Pictures. It was...
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Government of Kerala - 1971 - Kerala State Film Award for Best Music DirectorKerala State Film Award for Best Music DirectorThe Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director winners:-Trivia:* In 1994, G. Devarajan returned all the awards won by him in protest against the jury who selected Berny-Ignatious for that year's award. According to Devarajan, none of the songs composed by the duo for Thenmavin Kombath were...