Damal Krishnaswamy Jayaraman (popularly known as DKJ), the renowned brother of D. K. Pattammal, was a professional

Carnatic music Carnatic music, known as or in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It is ...

singer. He was awarded the

Madras Music Academy Madras Music Academy is one of the earliest established music academies in South India. Before the concept of infrastructure was introduced to India in the early 1920s, it was a gathering for elite musicians simply called (and is still more ...

's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1990. After learning music from his sister, he furthered his musical skills under many known masters in the field, including

Muthiah Bhagavathar Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar (15 November 1877 – 30 June 1945), commonly known as Muthiah Bhagavatar, is one of Carnatic classical music's famous twentieth-century composers. He also created about 20 '' ragas''. Early life Muthiah was bo ...

and

Papanasam Sivan Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan (26 September 1890 – 1 October 1973) was an Indian composer of Carnatic music and a singer. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1971. He was also a film score composer in Kannada cinema ...

. Like his sister, Jayaraman was known for his moving krithi renditions, especially of

Muthuswami Dikshitar Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar)(, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer and veena player, and a legendary composer of Indian classical music, who is considered one of the musical ...

's compositions. Jayaraman also sang Tamil songs such as those of Papanasam Sivan.

Early life and background

Born on 22 July 1928, to Damal Krishnaswamy Dikshitar and Rajammal in Kanchipuram, popularly and affectionately known as DKJ, was the brother of the music queen D.K. Pattammal. DKJ inherited his perfect diction, interest and aptitude for Tamil songs from his father who was proficient in Tamil literature. DKJ’s first formal guru was his own sister Sangeetha Kalanidhi D.K. Pattammal to whom, he declares, he owes everything. But having a keen mind, he absorbed a lot by just listening to Vidwans like Ambi Dikshitar, N.S. Krishnaswamy Iyengar (disciple of Kanchipuram Naina Pillai), Koteeswara Iyer, Flute Venkatarama Iyer, T. L. Venkatarama Iyer and

, when they came home to coach Pattammal. DKJ was perpetually thirsty for knowledge. He once pestered DKP to write down the words of Balagopala kriti for him. Where other children cherished their wooden toys or rocking horses, DKJ’s prized possession was that bit of paper containing the great piece. He mastered the kriti overnight and rendered it perfectly the next day to an astonished but appreciative DKP. Small wonder then, that DKP fostered her younger brother‘s musical talent right from a tender age. Some of his popular disciples include Smt Rama Ravi (Ramaa Ravi), Vijay Siva, R. K. Shriramkumar, Balaji Shankar, Dr. S.Sunder, Asha Ramesh, T G Badrinarayanan, Sharada Mani, and his daughter Sukanya Jayaraman. His son J. Vaidhyanathan is an eminent Mridangam player.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jayaraman, D K Male Carnatic singers Carnatic singers 1928 births 1991 deaths 20th-century Indian male classical singers Sangeetha Kalanidhi recipients Singers from Tamil Nadu Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award