Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan | |
|---|---|
 Vaidyanathan in Kuwait, 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Vaidyanthan Ramaswamy Shastri (1935-03-02)2 March 1935 |
| Died | 8 September 2008(2008-09-08) (aged 73) |
| Occupations | |
| Instrument | Carnatic Violin |
| Honours |
|
Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan (2 March 1935 – 8 September 2008) was anIndian classical music violinist and music composer.
Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan was born on 2 March 1935 and was trained by his father, Ramaswamy Sastry. His father, sang and played a variety of instruments such asFlute,Jalatharangam andVeena.[1] He was the brother ofKunnakudi Subbalakshmi.[2]
The violin was his forte. He was known for his dexterity and subtlety in handling the violin, he catered not only to the music scholar but also to the layman. His play reflected his own different moods and the demands of his audience with whom he established and enjoyed a good rapport. He dwelled with ease and competence in the high as well as the low octaves.
At the age of 12, he accompanied great stalwarts likeAriyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar,Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer andMaharajapuram Santhanam in concerts. He also performed withNadaswaramvidwans like T.N.Rajarathinam Pillai and Thiruvenkadu Subramania Pillai.[2]
He stopped accompanying vocal artistes in 1976 to concentrate more on solo concerts. He was famous for his unique string control techniques on the violin. His interest in new attempts and innovations led him to work with veteranthavilvidwanValaiyapatti A.R.Subramaniyam. They performed over 3,000 shows together.[citation needed] Vaidyanathan had deep faith in the therapeutic merits of music.[citation needed]
He also made a significant contribution to Tamil devotional music. A. P. Nagarajan giving him his first break in the movieVaa Raja Vaa. He had several hits such asAgathiyar in whichSirkazhi Govindarajan Acted as Agathiyar. AndRaja Raja Chozhan, for which he scored music, were also phenomenal hits.[2]
Vaidyanathan made an uncredited appearance in the 2005 Tamil movieAnniyan directed byShankar, on theTyagaraja Aradhana festival sequence for the songIyengaaru Veetu which is a recreation of the real festival. He had guest appearances in many other films.
He tried his hand at film production with a feature film in TamilThodi Ragam, withT. N. Seshagopalan in the lead, which failed to enthuse the audience.
Their works include music for the following movies:
| Year | Film | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Vaa Raja Vaa | Tamil | Debut Film |
| 1970 | Thirumalai Thenkumari | Tamil | |
| Namma Veettu Deivam | Tamil | ||
| 1971 | Kankaatchi | Tamil | |
| 1972 | Agathiyar | Tamil | |
| Vazhaiyadi Vazhai | Tamil | ||
| Dheivam | Tamil | ||
| Annai Abirami | Tamil | ||
| 1973 | Rajaraja Cholan | Tamil | |
| Thirumalai Deivam | Tamil | ||
| Karaikkal Ammaiyar | Tamil | ||
| 1974 | Sisupalan | Tamil | |
| Gumasthavin Magal | Tamil | ||
| 1975 | Manidhanum Dheivamagalam | Tamil | |
| Melnaattu Marumagal | Tamil | ||
| 1977 | Navarathinam | Tamil | |
| 1979 | Kandhar Alangaram | Tamil | |
| 1982 | Raga Bandhangal | Tamil | |
| 1983 | Thodi Ragam | Tamil | Also Producer |
| 1990 | Ula Vantha Nila | Tamil | Produced & Directed |
He was awarded the prestigious "Padma Shri" title by theIndian government,Kalaimamani award,Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by theSangeet Natak Akademi in 1993, and theKarnataka Isaignani award. He has also wonBest Music Director awards for his background scores for films. He received theSangeetha Kalasikhamani award given by "The Indian Fine Arts Society" in 1996. He also received theTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director for the filmThirumalai Thenkumari in 1970 and theTamil Nadu State Film Honorary Award - Raja Sando Award in 2000.
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Vaidyanathan, had a long association with theAll India Radio. An able administrator, Vaidyanathan served as Secretary of the Tamil NaduIyal Isai Nadaga Mandram. As the Secretary ofThyagabrahma Sabha,Thiruvaiyaru inThanjavur district, he conducted theTyagaraja Aradhana for several years. He also served as president of the Raga Research Centre.
He died of a heart attack on September 8, 2008 at the age of 73 atPorur Ramachandra Hospital, Chennai. He was survived by his wife, four sons and one daughter. His son Shekhar is aCellist.[3]
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
