The Hindu : Kerala News : Brahmanandan dead

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Brahmanandan dead

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG. 10. The noted playback singer, K.P. Brahmanandan, died at his residence, near Kadakkavur, this afternoon. He was 58.

With his distinctive baritone, Brahmanandan rose to prominence at a time when K. J. Jesudas and Jayachandran virtually monopolised playback singing.

Brahmanandan sang very few songs, but just about every one of them became a hit. A disciple of Kadakkavur Sundaram Bhagavathar and D. K. Jayaraman, he was a recipient of the All-India Radio Award for the best light music singer and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi award.

He made his debut in cinema through `Kalli Chellamma' with the immortal song, `Manathe kayalin... ' in 1969 under the baton of K. Raghavan. Before that, he had sung a few songs for All-India Radio, Thiruvananthapuram.

The hit songs he rendered included `Thamarapoo Naanichu... ' (Taxi Car), `Neela Niseethini' (CID Naseer), `Raga Tharangam' (Palazhi Mathanam), `Priyamullavale' (Thekkan Kaattu), `Thaaraka Rupini... ' (Saasthram Jayichu Manushyan Thottu), `Kshetramethennariyatha Theerthayatra... ' (Poojakkedukkaatha Pookkal), `Udayasooryan Namme Urakkan... ' (Nrittasaala), `Chandrikaa Charchithamam Raatriyodo' (Putrakameshti), `Kanavu Neythoru Kalpitha Kathayile... ' (Manyashree Viswamitran).

Among those who honed his talent were composers such as V. Dakshinamurthy, M. K. Arjunan, A. T. Ummer and R. K. Shekhar.

He also sang for a dozen Tamil films, for composers such as Ilaiyaraja and Shankar Ganesh, and composed the music for two movies, `Malayathi Pennu' and `Kanni Nilaavu'. He is survived by wife, a son and a daughter. The body will be cremated at his residence on Wednesday morning.

The Chief Minister, A.K.Antony, has condoled the death of Brahmanandan.

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