KOCHI: KJ Justin, the brother of singer Yesudas, who died on Thursday, was a soft-spoken person who used to sing in many 'ganamelas' in Chennai and was also part of Yesudas' team that toured the US in the 70s.
The family and people who knew Justin was shattered by his death. “His eyes were melancholic,” said lyricist R K Damodaran, who shared a close relationship with Justin and K J Yesudas’ family.
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Damodaran remembers Justin as a quiet and soft-spoken person. “He was an excellent singer. I’ve made him sing many times when he visited me at home. Though he wasn’t classically trained like Dasettan (Yesudas), his singing was sublime. However, he hadn’t performed on any stage in Ernakulam,” he added.
Though an excellent singer, Justin never wished to be a famous singer like his brother and stayed away from the limelight. Unlike his siblings, he led a very ordinary life. Yesudas had setup him a cassette shop in Dubai in the ’80s, which didn’t work out and the business suffered a loss. Later a shop was opened in Fort Kochi with the help of Yesudas, but the result was the same. “He couldn’t succeed at anything and that might have led to depression,” said Damodaran.
The death of his son three years back shattered Justin and pushed him into a deep depression. “I’ve seen him walking in the streets of Kochi, travelling like an ordinary man in a bus and buying vegetables from the market. People never recognised him as the brother of Yesudas; perhaps he didn’t wish too. He never used Yesudas’ name anywhere to get attention. He refused when I expressed my wish to write about him and his music,” said Damodaran.
Justin used to visit Yesudas whenever he came to Kochi. Though Justin never used to ask for help, Yesudas always helped him financially, including in Justin’s son’s studies. “Justin always confined to himself. It is really painful when I think of his family. His wife and daughter would be devastated. Just like how his career was incomplete, so has his life.”
Damodaran added that he received a call from Justin last year, which was the last conversation they had. “RK, I want to meet you’. I asked him to come to my home. But he never came or called again. He wanted to tell something. But left without saying it.”
Never loved limelight
Music critic Ravi Menon said that Justin never loved to be in the limelight and always preferred a secluded life. “I contacted him when I was writing a book on Yesudas. I wanted people to know Justin’s story. But he refused to divulge anything saying he doesn’t want to be recognised by anyone and prefer a quiet life.”