KOCHI: Singer K J Yesudas, a name synonymous with melody for Keralites for the past five decades, has been celebrating his birthday at the Kollur Mookambika Temple without fail for years. However, the legendary vocalist who turns 83 on Tuesday, will be unable to do so this years as he is stuck at home in Dallas, US.
But that’s what friends are for. On his behalf, the singer’s intimate friend, Cherthala Govindankutty, has decided to offer prayers at various temples on the day. “Yesudas breathes music. He calls me almost every day and always talks about music. He will sing a raga and ask me to sing. It is a huge honour to be a friend of such a great singer,” said the Cherthala native.
Govindankutty had joined the music course at Swathi Thirunal Music College in Thiruvananthapuram in 1956. When the RLV Music Academy opened in Tripunithura a year later, he shifted there, That’s where he met Yesudas.
After graduating with first class in 1960, Yesudas pursued his career as a singer while Govindankutty started teaching. “There were seven men and 15 women students at RLV. Just Yesudas and I remain,” he said.
I never took advantage of his reputation, says singer’s friend
Govindankutty said: “I am one month elder to Yesudas. He had attended my 80th birthday celebration at Puthiyakavu temple auditorium three years ago. He will return in April and has promised to visit my daughter’s new house.”
Govindankutty himself has composed songs for dramas, ballets and a few albums. Singers P Jayachandran and K S Chitra have sung for his devotional album. And when his sons Vijay and Vishal expressed the desire to learn Carnatic music, Yesudas selected Govindankutty as the teacher.
“I stayed at Yesudas’ house in Chennai for three years to teach Vijay and Vishal. He considers me a brother. His wife Prabha accepts me as a family member. Our friendship started at RLV Music Academy. I have never taken advantage of his reputation,” he said.
Govindankutty will attend the singer’s birthday celebration at Azeezia Convention Centre in Kochi on Tuesday where a music album will be released. Yesudas and his wife will attend the event online from Dallas and interact with the audience. Around 50 playback singers, including Unni Menon, M G Sreekumar, Sudeep Kumar and Yesudas’ son Vijay Yesudas, will peform at the event.
Recalling his association with Yesudas, lyricist R K Damodaran said, “I have known him since 1977 when he sang my song “Ravi Varma Chitrathin...” Since I am a devotee, he would invite me to the Kollur Mookambika temple on his birthday on January 10.
A few years ago, we got the rare opportunity to spend an entire day inside the temple. There was a lunar eclipse and the temple was kept open for a whole night as a result. There were very few people inside. He spent the night meditating. That was when I realised the depth of his devotion. Next year, he will be celebrating ‘Sathabhishekam’. We are eagerly looking forward to the occasion,” Damodaran said.