Origin India Name Thrissur Rajendran Years active 1964 to present | Instruments Violin Genres Carnatic music | |
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Born 3 June 1949 (age 74) ( 1949-06-03 ) Similar People Trichur C Narendran, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Sreevalsan J Menon, Chembai, T V Gopalakrishnan | ||
Occupation(s) Violinist and Composer | ||
Thrissur C. Rajendran is a noted Carnatic Violinist from Kerala, India.
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Birth and Initiation to Music
Born in June 1949 to Late Venugopala Raja of Manakulam Palace and Late Sarojini.V.Raja, C. Rajendran inherits a legacy of performing art. He is the Grandson of "Kakkad Karanavarppad", alias Manakulam Late Valiya Kunhunni Raja, the progenitor of the Temple of Performing Art of Kerala – "Kerala Kalamandalam".
Being initiated to the art of Violin by Late David Bhagavathar of Kunnamkulam, Rajendran has been an acknowledged performer since the age of 15. Nearing five decades, his artistic career spans as an accomplished accompanist and soloist at various prestigious cultural organizations and music festivals.
Career in All India Radio
His career in AIR was professionally rich and aesthetically vibrant bringing out his greater artistic abilities like that of a music composer, lyricist and professionally acknowledgeable broadcaster in the realm of spoken word items. He debuted in All India Radio by accompanying Carnatic great Late. Palakkad. K.V.Narayanaswamy. His maiden performance in Doordarshan was by accompanying another great musician Late.Pudukkode Krishnamoorthy.
Awards and Accolades
Several awards have adorned him since 1979 including the "Best Junior Violinist" award from Madras Music Academy. Later, several awards have followed suit to adore his artistic excellence. This includes Kerala State Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award, 2006, "Sangeetha Thilakam" title by Thiruvambadi Devaswom, Thrissur, in the year 2005, Kerala Statehoods Award and several more.
Concert Tours
Rajendran, who is a Top Grade Artiste of All India Radio,has widely travelled throughout the breadth and length of the country as a most sought after accompanist and soloist. He has also visited several countries catering the legacy of Indian Classical Music with proficiency and talent. He has been the cultural ambassador at the UNESCO hall, Paris in connection with the 50th year celebration of UNESCO. Rajendran also has performed at several prestigious centres in France.
As an accompanying Artist and a Composer
His accomplishments as acknowledged accompanist includes doyens like Late Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, Late, Late.Dr.S.Ramanathan, Late.D. K. Jayaraman, Dr.M. Balamuralikrishna, T.K.Govinda Rao, Dr.R. K. Srikantan, Nedunnuri Krishnamurthy, Dr.N. Ramani, T.V.Gopalakrishnan, Madurai.G.S.Mani, Dr.K. J. Yesudas, Late. Neyyattinkara Vasudevan, T. N. Seshagopalan, T. V. Sankaranarayanan, Rudrapattanam Brothers and many more seasoned performers which include musicians of three generations. He was on the Staff of All India Radio from 1975 to 2009 June.
His domain of expertise is enriching the raga bhava and the lyrical excellence through musical embellishment. He is well known for his tit for tat, yet non domineering responses to the challenges posed by the main artistes. He sternly submits that he is a devoted practitioner of music perennially. He is also a versatile composer who has successfully composed several classical items in addition to score of lyrics for light music.Rajendran's younger brother, Trichur.C.Narendran, is a Top Grade Mridangam Artiste.