Dakshinamoorthy | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Venkateswaran Dakshinamoorthy Iyer |
Also known as | Swamy |
Born | Haripad, Quilon, Travancore (Present-day Alappuzha district, Kerala) | 9 December 1919
Origin | Alappuzha, Kerala, India |
Died | 2 August 2013 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India | (aged 93)
Genres | Carnatic music |
Occupation | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Harmonium, Vocal |
Years active | 1950 – 2013[1] |
Venkateswaran Dakshinamoorthy (9 December 1919 – 2 August 2013) was a veteran carnatic musician and composer and music director of Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi films. His work was predominantly in Malayalam cinema.
He has set scores for the songs in over 125 films, and composed as many as 1400 songs over a period of 63 years. Fondly known as Swami, he was instrumental in pioneering classical music-based film songs. Revered as one of the forefathers of the Malayalam music industry, he has mentored many of the renowned contemporary singers and composers including P. Leela and K. J. Yesudas.[2]
In 1998, he was honoured with the J. C. Daniel Award, Kerala government's highest honour for his contributions to Malayalam cinema.