P. Jayachandran | Photo Credit: KK Najeeb
Playback singer P. Jayachandran, known for his expressive singing and whose magical voice captivated music lovers for over six decades, passed away at a private hospital in Thrissur on Thursday. He was 81. He had been undergoing treatment for cancer for some time.
Having sung over 16,000 songs that have touched generations, Jayachandran’s voice transcended boundaries, resonating in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi. Despite the challenges of age, his voice possessed the youthful charm capable of stirring romantic hearts, till the end.
Jayachandran became the beloved playback singer of Malayalam through his soulful renditions that speak directly to the heart. With songs filled with every emotion—from love to separation and pain—he became the voice that resonated with the very essence of life for music lovers.
Multi-faceted
Born at Ravipuram in Ernakulam, to renowned musician Tripunithura Ravi Varma Kochaniyan Thampuran and Subhadra Kunjamma, he was raised at Irinjalakkuda, Thrissur. Jayachandran developed an early passion for various forms of art, including Kathakali, and playing Mridangam and Chenda.
His school years were marked by numerous awards for light music and Mridangam playing, which laid the foundation for his illustrious musical career.
His musical journey in films began with his first song in the film Kunjali Marakkar. While Oru Mullappoo Malayumayi’ was his first song to be recorded, in 1965, the song Manjalayil Mungithorthi… in the film Kalithozhan was the one that marked the start of his incredible career. From then on, he went on to deliver countless songs that mesmerised Malayalis.
He has worked with many composers, including G. Devarajan, MS Baburaj, V. Dakshinamoorthy, K. Raghavan, MK Arjunan, MS Viswanathan, Ilayaraja, AR Rahman, Vidyasagar and M. Jayachandran.
Several awards
His contributions were recognised with numerous prestigious awards, including the J.C. Daniel Award and the Kalaimamani Award, making him a celebrated figure in Indian music. He won the national award, five Kerala State awards, and four Tamil Nadu State awards.
Funeral on Saturday
He is survived by his wife Lalitha and children Lakshmi and Dinanath (singer). His body will be kept for the public to pay homage at his residence at Punkunnam from 8 a.m. on Friday. Later the body will be kept at the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi from 10a.m. to 11 a.m. Funeral rituals will be held at Paliyath house, Chendamangalam, on Saturday.
Published – January 09, 2025 09:18 pm IST
