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Kanhangad Ramachandran is an Indian singer and music director from Kannur, Kerala.[1] He was born to Shri. C. K Panicker Bhagavathar, an exponent of classical music in the Carnatic tradition of South India, and Smt. Naniyamma.
He started learning Carnatic music at an early age under the tutelage of his father, who was a musician from North Malabar and a regular stage performer, an environment which was conducive to shaping Ramachandran's musical interests.
He was considered a prodigy after performing at the Muneeswaran Kovil for a consecutive three hours when he was only nine years old. This performance earned him many admirers, including T. R. Mahalingam, a musician who had come there to perform, who gifted his tanpura to Ramachandran. Soon after his debut performance, he became a leading Carnatic vocalist.
He completed his schooling at Government High School, Cherukunnu, and afterwards attended Nehru College, Kanhangad for higher studies. During his time at Nehru College, won several competitions.
He made his debut as a playback singer after being invited by the music director K. V. Mahadevan to record a song for the Malayalam film Padmatheertham. His playback debut song "Kaarum Karutha Vaavum" was recorded when he was twenty. Having found success in the film industry, he began composing and performing more songs for films such as Daliyapookkal, Shreeragam, Valayam, Pedithondan, Chuzhalikkaattu, Dhanayathra, Nilavariyathe, and Vellaram kannukal.
He has also made efforts to conserve the heritage of Theyyam, one of the traditional art forms of Kerala, by adapting the musical notations and rhythm of the "Thottam Pattu" into his compositions. Furthermore, he has composed numerous devotional songs for renowned temples in Kerala and elsewhere.
Ramachandran has also been a music teacher at Durga High school, Kanhangadfor for around 30 years; in addition to this, he has also written several light musical compositions, which have won numerous prizes at youth festivals.
Honours
In 1994, Ramachandran received a golden shawl following a performance conducted by Dr. K. J. Yesudas at Guruvayoor Temple, receiving the honour from Yesudas.
In 1997, he was honoured with the title "Sangeetha Rathnam" by minister N.K Balakrishnan following a concert he gave for 25 hours at Durga High School, Kanhangad for peace and national integration.
He won the Award for Best Singer in 1997 by singing "Ini Namukkidiminnalaayi Pilarkkam" for the drama Charithram Avasanikkunnilla.
He was honoured with the Baburaj Award by the Kerala Moppila Sangeetha Academy in 2004, and was subsequently bestowed the Chand Pasha Award in 2012 and Raveendran Award in 2013.
In 2016, Mini Park, a cultural organization based in Cherukunnu, honoured Ramachandran's 'reverent honour' and contributions to music over 50 years. Ramachandran was presented with a Tampura and a golden shawl as an honour from Yesudas.
In 2017 he was given the title of "Sangeetha Kulapathi" by Perumchallur Sangeetha Sabha during a ceremony, awarding "Veerashrimkhala" by conferring the "Pattu and Vala" of Raaja Rajeswara temple, Taliparamba.
He was conferred a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) by the International Tamil University, USA, in 2017 for his excellence in Indian Music and innovative contribution to Carnatic Music as a playback singer and music director for the last five decades, which he considered to be his "greatest achievement".
Apart from these, he has received multiple honours such as "Gandharva Gana Puraskaaram", "Nava Kerala Puraskaaram", and most prominently "Ayiroor Sadasivan puraskaaram".
Ramachandran is also Top Rank graded artist of All India Radio, Calicut. He is very keen on encouraging people to take interest in Carnatic Music by means of his unconventional presentation style.
He has started and been involved in many organisations on charities.
He composed a song for Yesudas that he could also sing with him. He started a musical adoration for religious unity, at Kollur Mookambika Temple on 10 January 2000, the birthday of Yesudas. It has since become renowned and has been subsequently performed by numerous vocalists under the leadership of Ramachandran.
He performed Carnatic concerts for a whole day, during a Mahanavami celebration at Cherukunnu Annapoorneswari Temple and Mamanikkunnu Bhagavathi Temple. He has presented his concerts and ganamelas to more than 10,000 stages all over India and the wider world. He has appeared as a judge in various reality music talent shows, and also hosted a show titled "Bharatham", which aired on the Doordarshan channel.
Currently, he teaches classes on instruments such as the violin, veena, tabla, harmonium, guitar, keyboards, flute, jazz drums, and mridangam. In addition to this, he also runs the Vykhari Sangeetha Vidyalaya and Deekshith Recording studio in Cherukunnu, Kannur.
By performing continuously for 25 hours without breaking, he entered the Guinness Book of World Records for playback singing.[3]
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