K. Omanakutty

Dr. Kamalakshi Omanakutty is an academician, music teacher and Carnatic vocalist[1] noted for her research and publications in the field of music. Her research on Kathakali music led to her doctorate in this field. She currently serves as professor and Head of the Department of Music in the University of Kerala. She also chairs Sangeetha Bharathi, a private organization promoting young talents in music.

K. Omanakutty
OriginHaripad, Kerala, India
GenresCarnatic, Indian classical
Occupation(s)Teacher, singer

Dr. Omanakutty Amma is also serving as a senior faculty of the Music Therapy Department of the Pankaja Kasthuri Ayurvedic Medical College in a place called Kattakada in the capital city of Kerala.[2] She is also the founder Chairman and Secretary of Thiruvananthapuram-based Sangeeta Bharati.[3] Her disciples includes the singers K. S. Chithra, B. Arundhathi, K. S. Harisankar, Manjari[4] K.S.Resmi among others.[5][6]

Her elder brother, MG Radhakrishnan was a music director in Malayalam movie industry and her younger brother, MG Sreekumar is a playback singer.[7]

Biography

Dr. Omanakutty Amma was born in the year 1943 at a place near Changanassery in the Central Kerala. She was born into a family of musicians. Her father, Malabar Gopalan Nair, was a popular harmonium player and Carnatic musician, who was a regular presence in stage shows across South India. Her mother, Kamalakshi Amma, was also a Carnatic musician. Because of this, the interest of music was inculcated in her mind very early in her life. The septuagenarian has two brothers. Both the brothers have made their mark in the field of music in the state. They are M.G. Radhakrishnan and M. G. Sreekumar. M. G. Radhakrishnan is a noted Carnatic musician and a music director in Malayalam movie field. On the other hand, M. G. Sreekumar is a noted playback singer in the same field. Dr. Omanakutty has a long and illustrious career in the field of music.

Accomplishments as a Musician

While working as a senior faculty of Music at Government College for Women, the septuagenarian regularly took part in music concerts in different parts of the country. While preparing for the concerts, Dr. Omanakutty came across the works of the composer-musician king Swati Tirunal. That point in time, many of his works were lying in oblivion. With the help of her disciples, she painstakingly analyzed his works and put them in order to make them presentable to the present-day audience. Later, she and her disciples started using Swati Tirunal's compositions in their concerts to popularize them. One such discovery that was made during this period was the composer-musician King's authentic work on Thillana, a composition seldom created by the musical composers.[8]

During her later years as a musician, she came to know about the effect of music on the psyche of human beings and other animals. After having read the resources available on the topic, she decided to devote her remaining time on this unexplored field of music. For serving this purpose, she established an organization called Sangeeta Bharati. Apart from doing research on Music Therapy, it also provides authentic music training to the budding musicians of the state. In recognition of her service in the upcoming field of Music Therapy, the authorities of Panakaja Kasthuri Ayurvedic Medical College in Thiruvananthapurm have made her the senior-most faculty in the organization to assist them in administering the medical cure through music.[8][4]

Education and Academics

She had her formal education from a reputed school in her village. Later in 1963, she completed her graduation in Zoology from a degree college affiliated to Kerala University. Due to her interest in music, she joined in the Thiruvananthapuram-based Music Academy to pursue a Gana Praveena course in Music. On successfully completing the course in Music from that organization, Omanakutty Amma started working as a Lecturer in the Music Department of Government Maharaja's College for Women in Thiruvananthapuram. While working in the Music department of the college, she completed her part-time degree course in Music. After successfully completing the degree course in Music, Omanakutty became a Second Grade Professor in the same department of the college. In this designation, she continued to teach students of the department with dedication for a period of 6 years.[8]

In recognition of the quality services provided by her in academics and music field, Omanakutty was promoted to the designation of the First Grade Professor of Music in the same department. During this period, many reputed musicians of today joined the course and successfully completed their formal training in Music from the department. Subsequently, she did her post graduation and doctoral programs in the field of Music from the same department successfully. For her doctoral degree program, the subject of her research was the origin and the evolution of kathakali music in Kerala.[8]

Dr. Omanakutty has teaching experience for 37 years as Lecturer and Professor in music. She retired from service in 2003 as Professor and Head of Department of Music [HOD] from the Department of Music, University of Kerala. She was the first professor in Department of Music, University of Kerala.

Dr. Omanakutty holds

Ph.D. (Origin and the Evolution of Kadhakali Music), University of Kerala

M.A. (Music), University of Kerala, 1st Rank

B.A. (Music), University of Kerala, 1st Rank

Ganapraveena, Swati Tirunal College of Music, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

B.Sc.(Zoology), University of Kerala.[9]

Present Life

Dr. Omanakutty has performed more than 300 music concerts, exclusively of Swati Tirunal kritis, as part of popularizing the Maharaja’s compositions across the world. To this effect, Swati pancharatnam has performed by 500 students from Trivandrum district at Vyloppilly Sanskriti Bhavan under the auspices of Govt. of Kerala in last December 2015 with a focus to penetrate Maharaja’s pancharatna kritis like that of Thyagaraja pancharatna kritis.

Now, under the social justice department of Govt. of Kerala, music therapy is applying to the inmates of Poojapura and Pulayanarkotta old age homes for the mental solace of the inmates staying there in every month.

Awards
  • Subbulakshmi Award 2013[8]

References
  1. "A life in music". The HIndu. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  2. "Dr. Omanakutty meets students of Asian studies and South Indian cultures and languages courses". liberalarts.utexas.edu. liberalarts.utexas.edu. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  3. "A life in music". www.thehindu.com. The Hindu. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  4. K Omanakutty https://thiruvananthapuramupdates.wordpress.com/2011/11/10/dr-k-omanakkutty-speaks/title=Dr K Omanakutty Check |url= value (help). Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. Nagarajan, Saraswathy (3 May 2012). "A life in music". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  6. http://sangeetabharati.com/dr-k-omanakutty/
  7. "Dr K.Omanakutty teacher Amma". kalakeralam.com. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  8. "K. Omanakkutty wins M.S. Subbulakshmi Award". Kerala Kaumudi. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  9. "Dr K Omanakutty".


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