Pradeep Kumar (musician)

Pradeep Kumar (born 12 May 1986) is an Indian playback singer and music director who has worked in Tamil language films. After beginning his career as a Carnatic musician, in the 2010s, he has regularly collaborated with composers Santhosh Narayanan and Sean Roldan.

Pradeep Kumar
Birth namePradeep Kumar Vijayakumar
Also known asPK
Born12 MAY 1986
Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
GenresPlayback singing
Occupation(s)Singer, Music Director
Years active2013–present
Websitehttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhw4s0gRfEVgS0PTWG4Askkz4RsV5PIiA

Career

Born to a police inspector father and a music teacher mother, Pradeep Kumar grew up in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. His mother, Lalitha Vijayakumar, taught Carnatic music through private lessons and at a government school in the area, meaning that Pradeep Kumar was constantly exposed to Carnatic music as a youngster and often joined his mother in singing at home. He later was introduced as a playback singer in Tamil cinema through the film Attakathi by Santhosh Narayanan[1] He later began studying music under J. Venkataraman from the Aalathur School of music, who became his first guru.[2]

Outside music, Pradeep Kumar studied science, wrote the engineering entrance examination and joined an engineering college in Thanjavur hoping to become a theoretical physicist. However after a week, he decided to opt out of college. As a backup career plan, he instead pursued a diploma course in audio engineering, which also taught him more about sound composition.[2] In 2003, Pradeep Kumar visited Chennai to participate in a competition conducted by the music studio, Carnatica. K. Shashikiran of Carnatica heard him sing and requested that he stay back in Chennai and subsequently from 2003 to 2005, Pradeep Kumar stayed in Chennai to collaborate with Carnita, and his parents joined him later.[2] He continued to perform in katcheris across Chennai and abroad, while also briefly serving as the secretary of the Youth Association of Classical Music, Chennai.[2] Pradeep Kumar later became nuanced in western classical music after apprenticing with Augustin Paul, and also worked as an audio engineer for four years.[3] In 2014, he worked on a documentary called Arunagiri Perumale, which was a live concert recording of a three-piece Indian band along with a 16-piece chamber symphony orchestra, which had taken place in 2014, in Boston. He described the venture as his "pet project", and relied on crowd-funding to get it completed by 2017.[3][4] During the same period, he married his fellow singer, Kalyani Nair.[5] He also worked as a composer on his first film album for the Telugu project, Maine Pyar Kiya (2014).[6]

Through his work as a musician, Pradeep Kumar became acquainted with composer Santhosh Narayanan. The pair had first met in Trichy when Pradeep Kumar was 18 and then continued to jam together, while studying for the same course in audio engineering. After Santhosh Narayanan became a film composer, Pradeep Kumar regularly worked as his acoustic guitarist.[3] He later featured prominently as a singer, often collaborating with Santhosh Narayanan and another friend Sean Roldan in their albums including Jigarthanda (2014), Irudhi Suttru (2016) and Kabali (2016).[3][7] He had also worked as a lyricist in Jigarthanda.[8] In 2016, a music critic from The Hindu labelled the three as "the new-age musical trio of Tamil cinema".[9]

In 2017, Pradeep Kumar made his debut as a music composer in Tamil cinema after Santhosh Narayanan had convinced the producers of Meyaadha Maan to allow him to work on the film.[10] Subsequently, Rathna Kumar who directed Meyaadha Maan selects him as a music director for Amala Paul's next film, Aadai.[11]

Discography

Composer
YearFilmLanguageNotes
2014Maine Pyar KiyaTelugu
2017Meyaadha MaanTamil2 songs only.
2019AadaiTamil
2019Sillu KarupattiTamil
2020VeyilMalayalam
2020VaazhlTamil
2020AndhaghaaramTamil

Playback singer
YearSong titleFilmLanguageMusic DirectorNotes
2010Chitti Dance Showcase EnthiranTamil, Telugu, HindiA.R.Rahman
2012"Aasai Oru Pulveli"AttakathiTamilSanthosh Narayanan
"Vazhi Parthirundhen"Tamil
"Naanaga Naanindri" Uyir Mozhi Tamil
"Mogathirai"PizzaTamil
2013"Boomiyil"Pizza II: VillaTamil
2014"Agasatha"
"Kodaiyila"		CuckooTamil
"Maatra Paravai"Vaayai Moodi PesavumTamilSean Roldan
"Kadhal Kanave"MundaasupattiTamil
"Thaniyile"Aadama JaichomadaTamil
"Jigar"JigarthandaTamilSanthosh Narayanan
"Aagayam Theepiditha"MadrasTamilFilmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer – Tamil
South Indian International Movie Award for Best Male Tamil Playback Singer
Vijay Award for Best Male Playback Singer
2015"Poo Avizhum Pozhudhil"Enakkul OruvanTamil
2016"Poda Poda"Irudhi SuttruTamil
"Aval"ManithanTamil
"Inaivom"Maaveeran KittuTamilD. Imman
2016"Maya Nadhi"
"Veera Thurandhara"
"Vaanam Paarthen"

"Thoondil Meen"

 KabaliTamilSanthosh NarayananNorway Tamil Film Festival Award for Best Male Playback Singer
2016"Kalavani O Nadhi"
"Gunde Ninda Yenno"		KabaliTelugu
2017"Enna Naan Seiven"
"Megamo Aval"		Meyaadha MaanTamilPradeep Kumar
Santhosh Narayanan
2017"Ammukkutiye"Gemini Ganeshanum Suruli RaajanumTamilD. Imman
2017"Azhagazhaga"KaruppanTamil
2017"Rail Aaraaro"Nenjil ThunivirundhalTamil
2017 "Nee Kavithaigala" Maragatha Naanayam Tamil Dhibu Ninan Thomas
2017 "Pogatha Yennavittu" Vikram Vedha Tamil Sam C.S
2017"Mudalaothonda"C/O SuryaTeluguD. Imman
2017"Kaadhalaada"VivegamTamilAnirudh Ravichander
2017"Manavi Alakinacharadate"Mental MadhiloTeluguPrashanth R Vihari
2018"Pogaadhey Kanmaniye"VeeraTamilLeon James
"Kannamma"KaalaSanthosh Narayanan
"Thanga Sela"
"Raaye Naa Range Leela"Telugu
"Chittamma"
"Sone Ki Tu Ek Murat"Hindi
"Sengathire"Kadaikutty SingamTamilD. Imman
"Kalavarame"Thamizh Padam 2Kannan
"The Life of Ram"96Govind Vasantha
"Thaabangale"
"Iravingu Theevai"
2019"Mailaanji"Namma Veettu PillaiD. Imman
2019"Kodi Aruvi"Mehandi CircusTamilSean Roaldan
2020 "Kaathellam Poo Manakka" Gypsy Tamil Santhosh Narayanan
2020 "Life of Ram" Jaanu Telugu Govind Vasantha
2020 "Maatra Thendral" Dharala Prabhu Tamil Bharath Shankar

Singles
Year Details Notes
2017 "Kaatru Veliyidai Kannamma"
  • Released (on Youtube): 15 April 2017
  • Format: digital download
 (collaboration with BP Collective)

Awards
YearCategory SongFilm
2015Best Tamil Male Playback Singer Award"Aagayam Theepiditha"Madras
YearCategory SongFilm
2015Best Tamil Male Playback Singer Award"Aagayam Theepiditha"Madras
YearCategory SongFilm
2015Best Male Playback Singer Award"Aagayam Theepiditha"Madras
YearCategory SongFilm
2016Best Male Playback Singer Award"Maya Nadhi"Kabali

References
  1. "Suriya said his kids loved my song: Lalitha - Times of India". The Times of India.
  2. "'I learnt Carnatic music as just another subject'". www.rediff.com.
  3. "Santhosh Narayanan and I have a vada-poda relationship: Pradeep Kumar - Times of India". The Times of India.
  4. "On a musical trail to document a saint". The New Indian Express.
  5. Rosebowl. "Kalyani Nair talks about her family - The Complete Jam Sessions" – via YouTube.
  6. "All you want to know about #VPradeepKumar". FilmiBeat.
  7. "I have natural chemistry with Anirudh and Santhosh Narayanan - Times of India". The Times of India.
  8. Kumar, S. R. Ashok (15 March 2014). "Audio Beat: Jigarthanda - Fusion, folk, rap and more" – via www.thehindu.com.
  9. "'Vaa machaney'". 22 January 2016 – via www.thehindu.com.
  10. "Meyaadha Maan director Rathna Kumar: We wanted Address Song to bring an end to female-bashing numbers". 25 October 2017.
  11. "Aadai first look out: A bruised and beaten Amala Paul hangs on to her life in this poster - Entertainment News". www.timesnownews.com.
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