Nightingale of South India-Chinna Kuyil Chitra
The Malayali Kuyil was to attend her M.A exams back home. The Maestro told her to decide whether to go back or pick up the opportunity of her life for the song recording of Padariyen Padipariyen for the movie Sindhu Bhairavi in 1996.She opted for the second, which fetched her first National Award for Female Playback singer Ten years later, the list of Awards that she has won are so many that it will be apt to call her Nightingale of South though very much under rated.
National Awards-6
Sindhu Bhairavi (Tamil)
Nakshatrangal (Malayalam)
Vaishali (Malayalam)
Minsara Kanavu (Tamil)
Virasat (Hindi)
Autograph (Tamil)
Kerala Govt Awards -11
Tamil Nadu state Awards-4
Nandi Awards-telugu-7
Songs rendered-15000 plus
It sounds phenomenal achievement for any singer but K.S Chitra remains her simple best in life as well as on stage.
Born in Thiruvananthapuram to the classical Musician Late Krishnan Nair, Chitra has both the genes as well as classical overtures, add to it the extensive training she has undergone under the guidance of Dr Omnakutty, Professor of Music College, Thiruvananthapuram which has made her one of the best female playback singers the Country has seen. She moved to Film music with lot of guidance and support from her Mentor K.J.Yesudas.
Raja’s contribution to Chitra’s glory
Fazil was doing a remake his Malayalam movie in Tamil Poove Puchudava a strong subject movie with wonderful music of Illayaraja. Raja heard Chitra’s voice in the Malayalam version and got impressed by that and asked her for audition. Then her turn came for the movie Nee thana antha kuyil with a beautiful song “Poojaiketa Poo idhu”
“Antha Kuyil has incidentally become China Kuyil of South India”
Since then she has sung some wonderfully melodious songs mostly with classical overtures in Tamil Films and it is astounding that the Meastro Illayaraja and Rahman have fetched her some memorable songs leading to the National awards but nobody would have got the best singing virtues out of her than the Maestro. Some of her gems for the Maestro are as follows.
Padariyen Padipariyen/Nan oru sindhu-Sindhu Bhairavi
Ethetho enum valrthen-Punagai Mannan
Idhayul kathai eyuthum-Unnal Mudiyum Thambi
Ninu Kori Varanum-Agni Natchatram
Kuyaloothum kannanuku-Mella thiranthathu Kathavu
She gave a touch of vibrance and youthfulness to many Actresses in Tamil Cinema with her lovely voice.
Music is universal for her
Her foray into Hindi won great number of admirers with Piya Basantialbum that was done with Sarangi Maestro Ustad Sultan Khan. The music and the tempo of the songs with her exquisite voice are my prized possession in my Car stereo forever.
She has done few songs in Hindi movies like Rangeela & Virasat, but Sunset point with Gulzar & Bhupinder remains her best album in Hindi. She somehow was not very comfortable doing Hindi Movie songs.
There are enumerable telugu songs which she has sung and captivated listeners and her efforts in Telugu were very well supported by Illayaraja and Balu. But the classical touch of Chitra was very much missing in Telugu Movies.
She has sung in many languages including Oriya, Kannada, Sinhalese, Bangali and Punjabi and the reason for her music reaching far boundaries (I still remember my company guys listening to Piya Basanti in Connecticut with so much involvement and appreciation) is because of her sound classical background with knowledge of all the raagas of which she was simply great in Mohanam. She has done a devotional album Kannan Paadalgal with ten breathtaking songs as well.
Some of the other very popular songs are
Kannalane-Bombay
Pulveli Pulveli-Asai
Thathithom-Azhagan
Then merku-Karuthamma
Kalyana thenila-Mounam samadham
Ovaru pookalume-Autograph
She remains a very simple lovable person who is not often found with Musical fraternity and how often we find ego bloated up with glory. But her charming smile and polite nature are wonderful traits of this Chinna Kuyil who is mesmerizing us with such wonderful repertoire of songs.
Readers should forgive me for not including song names other than Tamil especially Malayalam where she originally belongs to and where she started her musical career with some lovely songs with K J Yesudas.
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