Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair

Mavelikkara Velukutty Nair (Malayalam: മാവേലിക്കര വേലുക്കുട്ടി നായർ) was an Indian mridangam player.[1]

Mavelikkara Velukutty Nair
Background information
Born2 October 1926
Chettikulangara (near Mavelikkara), Kerala, India
Died24 July 2012 (aged 86)
Trivandrum, Kerala, India
Occupation(s)Academic
InstrumentsMridangam
Years active1937–2012

Early life and background

Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair was born on 2 October 1926 in Chettikulangara (near Mavelikkara), Alleppey district, Kerala. He had undergone preliminary lessons in Mridangam from father Mridanga Vidwan Muthukulam S. Kumara Pillai. Later undergone advanced training from Maestro Sangeetha Kalanidhi Padmabhooshan Palghat Mani Iyer under Gurukula system for a period of 8 years. Late Palghat R. Raghu and Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman were also disciples of Palghat Mani Iyer along with him.

Career

He joined the Kerala State Government Service as Teacher in Mridangam at Sri. Swathi Thirunal College of Music in 1959. He has the distinction of being the first teaching faculty at the mridangam department of the Sri. Swathi Thirunal College of Music, Trivandrum. He retired as Professor and Head, Department of Mridangam from the same college in 1982. Had been Visiting Professor during 1984–85. Had been imparting advanced training to students from across the country with Government of India cultural scholarship. The curriculum on mridangam developed by him is still being followed in all the three music colleges in the State. He was an avowed vocalist too. He was one of the very few Mridangam artists who had proved both as a brilliant performer as well as a great Guru.

He died on 24 July 2012. He is survived by wife Rajamma, three sons and five daughters. His son N V Babunarayanan is a noted violinist (Staff Artist, All India Radio, Trivandrum). His daughter R. Rajalakshmi is Asst. Professor (Veena) in Swathi Thirunal College of Music, Trivandrum.

Disciples

Guru of a big list of disciples from all over the country, which includes direct disciples B Harikumar (Top grade), Late T V Vasan (Top Grade), Trivandrum V Surendran (Top Grade), Prof. Parassala B Ravi (Top Grade), Alleppey Chandrasekharan Nair (Top Grade), Late R. Vaidyanathan (Top Grade), Erickavu N. Sunil (A Grade), Trivandrum M. Balasubramaniam (A Grade), G S Rajeshnath (A Grade), Mavelikkara Balachandran (A Grade), Vaikom Prasad (A Grade), etc. Apart from this, a big list of students from Swathi Thirunal College of Music, during his service there.

Concerts

He had accompanied concerts of 4 generations of musicians, starting from the leading exponents of Karnatic Music. The list includes Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Alathur Brothers, G. N. Balasubramaniam, Emani Sankara Sastry, Madhurai Mani Iyer, Nedunoori Krishnamoorthy, K. V. Narayanaswamy, M. D. Ramanathan, Dr. S. Ramanathan, Olleti Venkiteswaralu, Rajamundri M. S. Balasubrahmanya Sharma, D. K. Pattammal, D. K. Jayaraman, M. L. Vasanthakumari, T. V. Sankaranarayanan, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, K. S. Narayana Swami, S. Balachandar, Chitti Babu, T. N. Krishnan, Lalgudi Jayaraman, M. S. Gopalakrishnan, Maharajapuram Santhanam, Andhra Balasubramoniam, T. N. Seshagopalan, Trichur V. Ramachandran, Mavelikkara Prabhakara Varma, Neyyattinkara Vasudevan, Vaikom Vasudevan Nair, T. K. Govinda Rao, Parassala B. Ponnammal, T. S. Kalyanaraman, T. M. Thyagarajan, Dr. N. Ramani, Dr. K. J. Yesudas, O. S Thyagarajan, U. Srinivas, T. V. Gopalakrishnan, T. M. Krishna, Chitravina N. Ravikiran, etc.

He had performed a few vocal concerts as well for which Maestros Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman and Guruvayur Dorai had accompanied on Mridangam.

Awards and recognitions
  • A Top graded artist (highest award) in All India Radio and Doordarshan.
  • Sangeetha Kalaacharya title from Madras Music Academy in 2008.
  • Central Sangeet Natak Akademi "Tagore Samman" in 2012.
  • Golden Jubilee Award from Dr. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer foundation, Chennai in 2002.
  • Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in 1981.
  • Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship in 1998.
  • Gayaka Ratna title from Sri. Swathi Thirunal Sangeet Sabha, Trivandrum in 2000.
  • Mridanga Kalashiromani title from Palghat Mani Iyer Foundation, Bangalore in 2007.
  • Ganalaya Visharath title from Travancore Devaswam Board in 1994.
  • Guruvayoorappan Chembai Award from Guruvayoor Devaswam in 2008.
  • Layavadya Ratna title from Sathguru Sangeetha Sabha, Trichi in 2009.
  • Layavadya Praveena title from Kerala fine arts society, Ernakulam in 1998.
  • Tansen Sangeetha Kalanidhi title from Tansen Sur Sangom, Trivandrum in 1995.
  • Mridanga Ratnam title from Raja Rajeshwari Kalakshethram, Guruvayoor in 1994.
  • Golden Jubilee Award from Sri. Swathi Thirunal Sangeet Sabha in 1992.
  • Thulaseevanam award by Thulaseevanam Trust, Trivandrum in 1996.
  • Annual Award from Guruvayoor Dorai Trust, Chennai in 2008.
  • Kottaram Sankunni Nair Award from Harmoniom Chakravarthy Kottaram Sankunni Nair Memorial Trust, Changanassery in 2001.
  • Sangeetha Ratna title from Sri. Nataraja Sangeetha Sabha, Varkala in 2008.
  • Pranavasree Puraskar from Pranavam Sangeet Sabha, Kollam in 2006.
  • Sangeetha Sampoorna title from Poornathrayesa Sangeet Sabha, Thripunithura.
  • Vadya Kulapathi title from Kaladarppanam, Aluva in 2002.
  • Sangeetha Ratna title from Adi Sankara Veda Vedanta Samskritha Co-operative Society, Trivandrum.
  • Prathibha Pranamam by Manaveeyam, Government of Kerala.
  • Cultural Award from Padmasree Krishnankutty Nair Memorial Trust in 2004.
  • Mridanga Kalanidhi title from Nair Service Society, Muscat Chapter.
  • Annual Award from Sree Raja Rajeswari Sangeetha Sabha, Alleppey in 1998.
  • Award from Puthukkotta Dakshinamoorthy Pillai Memorial Trust, Trichi.
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References
  1. "Mridangam player Mavelikkara Velukutty Nair dies". Kaumudiglobal.com. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
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