Best Malayalam music directors
Here is my pic of 30 best music directors based on their works on malayalam films
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Vidyasagar is an Indian composer, musician and singer who works predominantly in the Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi film industries. He is also known as' MELODY KING' .After working with several composers as assistant and conductor, Vidyasagar made his debut as a film composer in the 1989 Tamil film Poomanam. Working for over 225 feature films, he is the recipient of the National Award and five Filmfare Awards.- Composer
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Johnson was born on 26 March 1953 in Nellikkunnu, Thrissur, India. Johnson was a composer, known for Angane Oravadhikkalathu (1999), Ponthan Mada (1994) and Manichithrathazhu (1993). Johnson died on 18 August 2011 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.- Composer
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Raveendran was born in 1943 in Kerala, British India. He was a composer and actor, known for Bharatham (1991), Mazhayethum Munpe (1995) and His Highness Abdullah (1990). He died in 2005 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.- Composer
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Paravur Devarajan was a composer, known for Lucifer (2019), Pancha Thanthram (1974) and Sarapanjaram (1979). He died on 15 March 2006 in Chennai, India.- Composer
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V. Dakshinamoorthy was born on 9 December 1919 in Alappuzha, Kerala, India. He was a composer and actor, known for The Jungle (1952), Oru Oodhappu Kan Simittugiradhu (1976) and Jeevitha Nouka (1951). He died on 2 August 2013 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.- Composer
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M.K. Arjunan was born on 25 August 1936 in Chirattapalam, Fort Kochi, British India. He was a composer, known for C.I.D. Nazir (1971), Nyayavidhi (1986) and Ariyappedatha Rahasyam (1981). He died on 6 April 2020 in Kochi, Kerala, India.- Music Artist
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Born and brought up in an obscure village near Kambam in Southern Tamil Nadu, Ilayaraja became the first Asian to score a symphony for the London Philharmonic Orchestra, besides scoring over 1000 feature films in a period of 38 years. Raja, as he is popularly known and affectionately called, comes from a family of musicians. His mother, a huge repository of Tamil folk songs, seems to be a very strong influence in his music. He learned to play the harmonium, the typical musical instrument used in street performances. The team of the brothers, the eldest being Pavalar Varadharajan, a poet, worked as a group of musicians traveling across the state, accompanying theater artists. Raja picked up most of his acumen for audience tastes during this period.
In 1969, Raja migrated to the city of Madras, the Southern Movie capital, when he was 25 years old, looking for a break into music making for the public. He studied under Dhanraj Master, playing the guitar and piano in the Western style. Ilayaraja's break into music for films came with Annakili in 1976. The film dealt with a village story, to which Ilayaraja composed great melodies. The songs offered simplicity and musicality typical of Tamil folk in an authentic way, and they offered new sounds--rich orchestration typical of Western music. The songs became an instant hit, the most popular being "Machchana Partheengala" sung by a female voice, S. Janaki. This was followed by a series of films that portrayed contemporary Tamil villages in an authentic way, against stylistic shallow portrayals before. For all of these films Raja created memorable songs. Most popular were the songs "Senthoorappove" and "Aatukkutti Mutaiyittu" from Pathinaru Vayathinile (1977), and "Samakkozhi" and "Oram Po" from Ponnu Oorukku Pudhusu (1979).
Raja soon proved his abilities in other styles as well. classical Karnatic melodies were used in Kannan Oru Kai Kuzhandhai (1978) (Rag Mohanam), Mayile Mayile (Ragam Hamsadhwani), and Chinna Kannan Azhaikiran (Reethi Gowlai). Raja's grasp of Western classical structure became evident with his masterful use of the piano, guitar, and string ensembles. Some of the numbers that show his orchestral genius are "Pon malai Pozhudu" and "Poongadhave" from Nizhalgal (1980), Kanmaniye Kadhal from Aarilirindhu Aruvathu Varai (1979), "Ramanin Mohanam" from Netri Kann (1981), "En Iniya Pon nilave from Moodupani (1980), "Paruvame Pudhiya" from Nenjathai Killathe (1980), and "Edho Moham" from Kozhi Koovuthu (1982). These songs could literally be heard coming from every doorstep in Tamil Nadu state every day for at least a year after being released. Raja composed film music prolifically for the next fifteen years, at a rate of as many as three new songs a day. After a few years as a film composer, he could write all the parts to a score as they came to him, and his assistants would make fair copies, which would be recorded immediately.
Once during a trip to Europe, he visited places where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Ludwig van Beethoven lived. They were his Manasika Gurus or non-physical teachers, he wrote once. He also met contemporary composers and arrangers including Paul Mauriat. His listeners were awestruck by the quality and quantity of his musical output. He also scored a few films abroad. Ilayaraja's image grew to be a unique one in the history of Tamil cinema: stories, themes, and casts would be changed to fit his music, which swept away the minds of millions of Indians in hundreds of films.
Ilayaraja also recorded non-film albums, such as "How to Name It" and "Nothing But Wind," which were well-received in India and abroad. In 1993, he wrote a symphony for the London Philharmonic Orchestra in an amazing one-month span. To many people who know him, Raja represents more than his music. He is usually referred to by the title Isaignani (English: Musical Genius), or as The Maestro. ilaiyaraaja is a gold medalist in classical guitar from Trinity College of Music, London. He is a mark of great achievement that is possible by hard work, yet he is seen in most of his interviews as talking very philosophically. He is very much attracted by the philosophy of Ramana Maharishi of Thiruvanna Malai, who lived in the early 20th Century. Raja once referred to Ramana as "our Zen master."- Music Department
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M.S. Viswanathan was born on 24 June 1928 in Palakkad, Madras Presidency, British India. He was a composer and actor, known for Agni Sakshi (1982), Vishwa Thulasi (2004) and Lakshmi Kalyanam (1968). He was married to Janaki. He died on 14 July 2015 in Chennai, India.- Composer
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M.S. Baburaj was born in 1921 in Calicut, Kerala, India. M.S. is a composer, known for Karutha Rathrikal (1967), Allahu Akbar (1977) and Ladies Hostel (1973).- Music Artist
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Ravi was born on 3 March 1926 in Delhi, British India. He was a music artist and composer, known for Gharana (1961), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and Hamraaz (1967). He died on 7 March 2012 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.- Composer
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Jerry Amaldev is known for Action Hero Biju (2016), Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980) and Ganamela (1991).- Composer
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M.G. Radhakrishnan was born on 29 July 1940 in Haripad, Kerala, India. He was a composer, known for Anandabhadram (2005), Devasuram (1993) and Manichithrathazhu (1993). He died on 2 July 2010 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.- Composer
Syam is known for PanchaKalyani (1980).- Composer
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Kannur Rajan is known for Chithram (1988), Appunni (1984) and Ente Ammu Ninte Thulasi Avarude Chakki (1985).- Composer
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M. Jayachandran is a film score composer, singer and musician in the Malayalam film industry. He has won Kerala State Film Awards for best music director in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2013. He also won the state award for best male singer in 2005. He is also the chief judge in the television shows Amrita TV Superstar 2, Amrita TV Superstar Global and Idea Star Singer.
M Jayachandran, born in the year 1971 to Mr. Madhusoodhanan Nair and Mrs. Sukumari, spent most of the early years of his childhood in Cochin. It was his father who introduced him to the world of music, and his brother Prakash Chandran became his ardent supporter, philosopher and guide. It was the dream of his family to make him a renowned musician. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from College of Engineering, Trivandrum. M. Jayachandran got married to Priya on 12th November, 1995. They have two sons, Nandagopal and Karthik Gopal.
M. Jayachandran started getting trained in classical music at the tender age of five. He was trained by prominent musicians of all times, Mullamodu Baagavathar Shri Attingal Hariharaiyyar, Neyyattinkara M K Mohanachandran and Perumbaavoor G Raveendranadh. He was also associated with late M.B.Sreenivasan and Devarajan Master, the legends of music.
Even as a student he used to mesmerize his audience by his hold on music. He bagged numerous awards for the very same reason, and had been the winner of Carnatic music competition in the Kerala University Youth Festival consecutively from 1987 to 1990.
He made his debut in Malayalam film industry as a Singer in the movie Vasudha(1992) directed by V.V. Babu. He continued serving the industry as Devarajan master's assistant and excelled under his guidance. The movie Chantha (1995), directed by Sunil was a major milestone in M. Jayachandran's career. That was his debut as an independent music director. And the rest is history.
Jayachandran was part of many international Carnatic concerts, and has a huge fan following from many major cities across the Globe. He conducted an orchestra of 3000 classical musicians including M S Gopalakrishnan, Umayalpuram Shivaraman, Ravikiran, Kadri Gopalnath, M Chandrasekharan, T N Shashagopalan, T V Gopalakishnan and others as part of Anandolthsavam by Sri Sri Ravishankar that was held in Bangalore in 2005.
Jayachandran has guided many aspiring musicians by being the judge for many popular music reality shows like Superstar and Superstar Global in Amrita and Star Singer in Asianet.- Composer
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Ouseppachan was born on 13 September 1955 in Thrissur, Kerala, India. He is a composer and actor, known for The Sea Within (2007), Oru Kuprasidha Payyan (2018) and Lion (2006).- Composer
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Mohan Sitara is known for Sufi Paranja Katha (2010), Oomappenninu Uriyadappayyan (2002) and Koottu (2004).- Composer
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M.B. Sreenivasan was born in 1925 in Chittor, Andhra Pradesh, India. He was a composer and actor, known for Sughamodevi (1986), Thathamme Poocha Poocha (1984) and Yavanika (1982). He died in 1988.- Music Department
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Kaithapram D. Nampoothiri is known for The Play of God (1997), Sallapam (1996) and Mazhavillinattam Vare (2012).- Composer
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Salil Choudhury was born on 19 November 1923 in Harinavi, 24 Parganas, Bengal Presidency, British India. He was a music artist and composer, known for Madhumati (1958), Anand (1971) and Prem Patra (1962). He was married to Jyoti Chowdhury and Sabita Banerjee. He died on 5 September 1995 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India.- Composer
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Perumbavoor G. Raveendranath is known for Thoovanathumbikal (1987), Aksharam (1995) and Innale (1989).- Composer
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Ramesh Narayan is known for Ennu Ninte Moideen (2015), Rathrimazha (2007) and Saigal Padukayanu (2015).- Composer
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Bijibal is known for Maheshinte Prathikaaram (2016), Thondi Muthalum Driksakshiyum (2017) and Kaliyachan (2015).- Composer
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Gopi Sundar was born on 30 May 1977 in Kochi, India. He is a composer and actor, known for Chennai Express (2013), Pulimurugan (2016) and Bangalore Days (2014).- Composer
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Deepak Dev is known for Urumi: The Warriors Who Wanted to Kill Vasco Da Gama (2011), Masterpiece (2017) and The Speed Track (2007).- Music Department
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Rajamani was born in 1956. He was a composer, known for News (1989), Sound of Boot (2008) and Nariman (2001). He was married to Beena. He died on 14 February 2016 in Chennai, India.