Legendary singer Dr K J Yesudas turns 84: Music world pours wishes for Ganagandharvan

Dr K. J. Yesudas, also known as Ganagandharvan, is celebrating his 84th birthday today at his home in Texas, USA. Yesudas also won the National Award for the Best Male Playback Singer eight times and the State Award for the Best Playback Singer 43 times.

Dr K. J. Yesudas, also known as Ganagandharvan, is celebrating his 84th birthday today at his home in Texas, USA. Yesudas has not come to Kerala for the last four years. There was a hint that he would come to the Surya Mela this time, however, did not come. Yesudas Academy and Samat have organized a birthday celebration for Yesudas in Ernakulam today. Yesudas may participate in the program online.

Yesudas has recorded more than 50,000 songs and won many honorable awards including Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan in his career. He started his career by singing 'Jaathi Bhedam Matha Dwesham' in 1961. The song was written by none other than Sree Narayana Guru. He also sang with popular singers including P. Leela, Santha P Nair, Udayabhanu, and many others. Thus, he began his career as a playback singer in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, and others.

He was nominated to be the head of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy and was the youngest to occupy the post in 1970. Yesudas holds the record for singing 11 songs in different languages in a single day. Yesudas also won the National Award for the Best Male Playback Singer eight times and the State Award for the Best Playback Singer 43 times.

In 1980, Yesudas founded Tharangani Studio in Trivandrum. In 1992, the studio moved to Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and the company was officially established in the US in 1998. Tharangni Studio and Tharangni Records played a significant role in introducing stereo audio cassettes of Malayalam film songs in Kerala. The company also operated a voice-mixing studio in Studio 27 in Chennai.