Carnatic Vocal Concert

Sankaran Namboodiri

Saturday, May 1st, 2010 @ 7:00 PM

Venue:

Mahatma Gandhi Center
727 Weidman Rd.
Ballwin, MO 63011

Tickets: $15 General, $10 Students

Free for Sangeetha Members

Profile

Mr. M. K. Sankaran Namboothiri, son of Mr. Krishnan Namboothiri (a Kathakali Dancer and singer) and Mrs. Adithi Devi Antharjanom, was a child prodigy who has become a very successful and traditional professional in the Carnatic music world. Sankaran started learning music at the age of 10 with Sri. C. S. Narayanan Namboothiry; continued studies under great masters like Sri. T. V. Gopalakrishnan, Prof. Mavelikara R. Prabhakara Varma and Late Sri. Palghat K. V. Narayana swamy.Sankaran was the youngest ‘A’ grade vocalist with All India radio (AIR). He was honored by the Ministry of Human Resources and Development, Government of India with a scholarship (1990-1992) and with a Junior Fellowship from Department of Culture (1999-2000). Sankaran was also a lecturer of music at the Teacher’s College of Music run by Madras Music Academy and at the Swathi Kalakendra in Calicut, Kerala. Sankaran has traveled and performed in various countries such as Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Kenya, Kuwait, Qatar, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and United States of America. For the last 25 years, he has published numerous audio cassettes and CDs on traditional Carnatic music, devotional songs on Ayyappa, Ganesha, etc. AIR-Chennai plays recordings of his concerts and CDs on a regular basis. Trivandrum Doordarshan and Podhigai channels have shown his classical music videos. Earlier Trivandrum Doordarshan telecast a documentary on Sankaran. In 1982, when he was 11 years old, Sankaran was privileged to perform in front of Mr. Zail Singh, the President of India. He considers it as one of the luckiest moment in his life. The praise and the prize he received from the President are still in his heart. Other memorable experiences he remembers from his public concerts include praises from Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, introduction by Sri. T. V. Gopalakrishnan and the Ahsirvadham (blessings) he received from Sri. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer at the Navarathri Mandapam at Trivandrum in 1991. He is also thankful to Dr. K. J. Yesudas for many of his most valuable and critical advices. Sankaran is also very proud of the many artists who have accompanied him such as Sri. T. N. Krishnan, Sr. Sikkil Bhaskaran, Sr. M. Chandrasekharan, and Kumari Kanyakumari on Violin and Dr. T. K. Murthy, Sri. Umayalpuram Sivaraman, Guruvayur Dorai, Sri. Mushnam Raja Rao, Late Sri. Tanjore Upendran, and Late Padmasree Mavelikkara Krishnan Kutty Nair on Mridangam. As a playback singer, he has sung for movies such as ‘Vadakkumnathan’, ‘Madhu Chandralekha’, ‘Kanaka Simhasanam’, ‘Suryan’, ‘Anchil Oral Arjunan’, ‘Romeo’, ‘Swarnam’, and ‘Nivedyam’. For ‘Nivedyam’, he received the Best Playback Singer Award from Gandhi Study Center, Doordarshan Kendra and Ragam Cultural Center in 2008.