Renowned classical and playback singer Kalyani Menon passed on to the great beyond on Monday at a city hospital. She was 80.
She is understood for her classical renditions in Tamil films together within ‘Alaipayudhe’ singing the song named after the film ‘Maale Manivanna’ within the film ‘Shivaji the Boss’, ‘Omanathingal’ in ‘Muthu’ and ‘Omane Penne’ in Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya.
She had sung in several South Dravidian and Tamil films, the primary one being V. Dakshinamoorthy' ‘Thacholi Marumagan Chandu’, ‘Nee varuvai ena’ in the Tamil film 'Sujatha'. She was related to celebrated music administrators including Ilayaraja, M.S. Viswanathan, Baburaj, G. Devarajan, and Vidyasagar. Her far-famed association with A.R.Rahman has created the long-lasting anthem for the Asianet Channel ‘Shyama Sundara East Chadic Kedara Bhoomi’ that she Panax quinquefolius aboard Sujatha.
the only daughter of Balakrishna Menon and Karakkat Rajamma of Ernakulam began learning music from a young age from Cherthala Sivaraman Nair, a follower of Tiger Varadhachariar. She then went on to find out music from the filmmaker and musician V. Dakshinamoorthy, S. Ramanathan, and Pudhucodu Krishnamurthi.
She has got to her credit, many pious recordings together with ‘Sri Guruvayurappan Suprabatham’ created in 1982, ‘Narayaneeyam’, ‘Mukundamala’, ‘Mookambika Stotram’ and, different pious hymns.
In recent times, her song ‘Jala Shaiyayil’, that she collaborated with the Carnatic musician Sreevalsan Menon within the South Dravidian art-house film “Laptop” has won abundant acclaim. She also collaborated in the video ‘Aliveni’, an up to date illustration of the celebrated Swathi Thirunal Padam with Mahesh Raghavan and creator Jairam Ramachandran.
In 2010, she received the Kalaimamani Award from the govt. of state once her son Rajiv Menon too was given together with his Kalaimamani. She is additionally the recipient of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka honour for her contribution to devotional music.
The last rites are going to be endured Tuesday afternoon.