G. Devarajan

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G. Devarajan
GDevarajan.jpg
Background information
Born(1927-09-27)27 September 1927
Paravur, Kollam, India
Died14 March 2006(2006-03-14) (aged 78)
Chennai, India
GenresFilm music, stage play music, Carnatic music
Occupation(s)Film composer, Carnatic singer
InstrumentsHarmonium, Mridangam, Veena
Years active1948–2006
LabelsHMV, Odeon, Angel, Tharangini Records
Associated actsVayalar, K. J. Yesudas

Paravoor Govindan Devarajan (1927-2006), popularly known as G. Devarajan or Devarajan master, was an Indian music composer and Carnatic singer. He scored music for more than three hundred Malayalam films, many dramas, and twenty Tamil and four Kannada movies. His collaborations with Vayalar Ramavarma produced the golden era of Malayalam film music and many of his compositions remain ever green classics in Malayalam. His music in the Tamil film Annai Velankanni has received many accolades. Devarajan received Kerala Government's Best Music Director award five times, among other honours.[1] In 2005, he was honoured with the J. C. Daniel Award, Kerala government's highest honour for contributions to Malayalam cinema.

Early life[edit]

Born at Paravur, Kollam district in Kerala to mridangist and classical singer Paravur Kochu Govindan Asan and Kochukunju as their eldest son. His grandfather, Narayanan Asan, was a Kathakali artist.

His dad, though he was a mridangam vidwan and a disciple of Dakshinamurthy Pillai, primarily taught vocal to his students, and thus Devarajan learned Carnatic vocal for around 12–13 years adeptly from his own father through that. He additionally graduated with BA in Economics from University College, Thiruvanthapuram.

Devarajan, under the name of Paravur Devarajan or Paravur G. Devaraj, started his illustrious career in music as a classical singer and performed his first classical concert at the age of 17 and started to perform more concerts on AIR Tiruchi and Trivandrum. He performed a number of classical concerts from 1947 to 1967 with multiple accompanists, his usual ones being Chalakudy Narayanaswamy and Mavelikara Krishnankutty Nair. At the end of his classical concerts, he used to set tunes to the poems of Ulloor Parameswaran Iyer, Kumaranasan, Changampuzha, G. Kumarapilla, O. N. V. Kurup, P. Bhaskaran, amongst many others.

He was soon attracted to the Communist movement and decided to dedicate his creative energy to popular music. He joined the once-famous drama troupe of Kerala, the Kerala People's Arts Club (KPAC). The work that brought him to the limelight was the drama song titled "Ponnarivaal ambiliyil kanneriyunnoole", written by his friend O. N. V. Kurup and composed and sung by himself. KPAC and its members had a distinctive leaning towards the communist ideology, and their dramas played a role in spreading the ideology among the Keralite masses. Through his compositions, Devarajan would cast an indelible imprint in the Malayali theatre arena, especially after the famous KPAC drama Ningalenne Communistaakki, written by Thoppil Bhasi in 1952.

Film career[edit]

The first movie for which he composed music was Kaalam Maarunnu (1955).[citation needed] He teamed up with poet-lyricist Vayalar Ramavarma in Chathurangam in 1959.[citation needed] His third movie – and the second with Vayalar – Bharya (1962) became a huge hit and made them a popular combination.[2] His collaborations with Vayalar produced the golden era of Malayalam film music.[citation needed] Devarajan is remembered by singers in Malayalam like K. J. Yesudas and Jayachandran as their Godfather.[citation needed]

Devarajan was known for his use of raagas in Malayalam film music. His music embraced different styles with the Carnatic and Hindustani melody lines meeting folk idioms and Western harmony.[citation needed] Despite being a strong atheist, he composed devotional songs like "Harivarasanam", "Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil", "Chethi Mandaram Thulasi", and "Nithyavishudhayam Kanyamariyame", which are considered classics in that genre.[citation needed] Also, he is particularly noted for his remarkable ability to blend the words of the lyrics with the mood of the situation in his film song compositions. Most of his hit songs were written by Vayalar Ramavarma.[citation needed] The Vayalar-Devarajan combine proved the most successful team till the death of Vayalar in the mid-1970s. Hundreds of songs contributed by the team are still part of Malayalis' nostalgia.[citation needed] Apart from Vayalar, he has also given tunes to lyrics by other poets and songwriters like O. N. V. Kurup, P. Bhaskaran, and Sreekumaran Thampi.[citation needed]

A complete work of Devarajan, Devageethikal, composed by himself, has released and the book is published by Authentic books.[citation needed]

Devarajan died of a massive heart attack at his residence in Chennai on 15 March 2006. He was 78 at the time of his death, and was survived by his wife, two children - a daughter (elder) and a son (younger) - and some grandchildren. His body was taken airway to Thiruvananthapuram, and was cremated with state honors at Nehru Park in Paravur, his hometown.[citation needed]

Filmography[edit]

Malayalam
Tamil

Awards[edit]

Kerala State Film Awards:

Kerala Film Critics Association Award

  • 1977 - Kerala Film Critics Association Award for Best Music Director
  • 1978 - Kerala Film Critics Association Award for Best Music Director
  • 1979 - Kerala Film Critics Association Award for Best Music Director

Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi

  • 1980 - Classical Music Fellowship

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Kumar, P. k Ajith (24 September 2019). "A melodious obsession". The Hindu. p. 6. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  2. ↑ "MalayalaSangeetham.Info - the Comprehensive Malayalam Music and Movie Database".

External links[edit]

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