Thiruvananthapuram: Noted singer K.J. Yesudas will have to wait for a lifetime achievement award in Kerala as the rules do not permit state governments to confer special titles on individuals, Culture Minister K.C. Joseph told the assembly Monday.
"The constitution is very clear that the state cannot offer any title to individuals and, hence, we are unable to honour Yesudas," Joseph said. "But we will certainly consider honouring him with a lifetime achievement award when he completes 50 years as a professional singer."
The minister was responding to a submission by Congress legislator Hibi Eden, who informed the assembly that Yesudas was completing a half-a-century in the music industry. It was in November 1962 that he made his first professional recording and went on to become a much sought after name beyond the boundaries of Kerala.
"Since his first recording, he has rendered songs in 14 languages, in an impressive music log of 35,000 songs, and has worked with every music personality in the industry," Eden said. "It is only befitting that the state honours him."
The 71-year-old veteran was born in Fort Kochi to Augustine Joseph and Alice Kutty. His father, who was a well-known Malayalam classical musician and stage actor, was his first guru.
He later joined the R.L.V. Music Academy in Trippunithura near Kochi for further training.
He then studied at the Sree Swati Thirunal Music College here under the tutelage of late Semmangudy Sreenivasa Iyer and, due to financial constraints, had to abandon his studies midway.
For a brief period, he was with Sri Vechur Hari Hara Subramania Iyer, after which he took advanced training from Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar.
Over the years, he has been conferred the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan, besides seven national and 17 state film awards in singing.
A father of three, his second son, Vijay Yesudas, emulated his father by winning his first ever state film award for singing in 2007.
Though settled in Chennai now, he comes in the state often and also owns a home in Florida.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.