Sreevalsan J. Menon is an Indian Carnatic vocalist and a

music composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and defi ...

from

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

Biography

After initial training under Rajalakshmi Krishnan (disciple of

Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar (born Vaidyanatha Iyer, 28 August 1896 – 16 October 1974) was an Indian Carnatic music singer from Kerala. He was born in Vatakara, Kerala, and moved to Palakkad along with his family during his childhood.L. R. ...

) and violinist T.V. Ramani at

Thrissur Thrissur (, ), Renaming of cities in India, formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the List of most populous urban agglomerations in Ke ...

, Menon had much of his advanced tutelage under the late

Neyyattinkara Vasudevan Neyyattinkara Vasudevan (1940–13 May 2008) was a Carnatic music vocalist from Kerala in south India. The Padmasree-winning Carnatic vocalist and disciple of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and Ramnad Krishnan, he combined tradition and innovati ...

. Menon is an 'A TOP' grade artist of

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

and has given concerts all over the country including the National Concerts of AIR and

Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...

. He has received several awards including

Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award is an award given by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, an autonomous organisation for the encouragement, preservation, and documentation of the performing arts of Kerala, set up by the Department of Cultu ...

2013, from 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 ...

, and a title from Krishna Gana Sabha, also in Chennai, besides such institutions of repute in the

Deccan The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula. It stretches from the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound by the mount ...

. He has also participated in Music Transcends, a symphony held at Washington, D.C., in 2004, integrating

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

and Indian classical music. His

jugalbandi A jugalbandhi or jugalbandi is a performance in Indian classical music, especially in Hindustani classical music but also in Carnatic, that features a duet of two solo musicians. The word jugalbandi means, literally, "entwined twins." The duet c ...

s with Hindustani vocalist

Ramesh Narayan Ramesh Narayan (born 3 November 1959) is an Indian Hindustani classical music, classical vocalist, composer and music producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema. Ramesh began his initial training in Carnatic music and later mastered t ...

and late

Kathakali ''Kathakali'' (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kathakaḷi ) is a traditional form of Indian Classical Dance, and one of the most complex forms of Theatre of India, Indian theatre. It is a play of verses. These vers ...

musicians

Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri (1944–2007) was a Kathakali musician, renowned for his contributions to the classical dance-drama from Kerala in South India. His shruti-aligned music, combined with a distinctive voice spanning three octaves, ...

and

Kalamandalam Hyderali Kalamandalam Hyderali (5 September 1946 – 5 January 2006) was one of the best Kathakali singers of his generation, and the first non-Hindu artiste to make a mark in the four-century-old classical dance-drama from Kerala in south India. Lif ...

have been widely appreciated. Menon's two songs ("I Be Here" and "I Have Secrets") and background score for Saint Dracula has been qualified for songs and original score categories of 85th Academy Awards. The background score by Sreevalsan for the film Ottaal which won the crystal bear at the Berlin festival 2016 was praised for its laid back music in the award citation. He has been awarded the Best music director for the television series "Etho Janmakalppanyil" in the Asianet Television Awards 2024. Known for the spiritual quality of his renditions, Sreevalsan's carnatic music style is marked by a majestic sweep in Krithi rendering, brevity in alapana, meaningful Niraval elaborations; all in sync with a perfect alignment to Sruthi. Sreevalsan has also carved a niche area for himself through his thematic musical productions on the Rains, Seasons, Rasas and Temples of Kerala. Sreevalsan is a renowned speaker who delivers sessions on music. He has also been a TEDx speaker, presenting his innovative proposition on the ten most popular music scales worldwide.

Personal life

Menon is married to Indu since 8 September 1996 and they have a daughter Subadra and a son Narayanan who are also known for their musical talent.

Career

Menon's music albums are fresh and innovative. They include Vanaprastham, a musical interpretation of the famous short story by

M.T. Vasudevan Nair Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Narayanan Nair (15 July 1933 – 25 December 2024) was an Indian author, lecturer, screenplay writer and film director. He was a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and was one of the mast ...

; ''Monsoon Anuraga'' a musical experience on

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...

rains. ''Vismaya'', a fantasy video album featuring ''Artist Namboodiri'', M T Vasudevan Nair and menon himself. He has given Carnatic vocal performances and lecture demonstrations throughout India, the Middle East, UK, US, Canada and Africa. Menon works as Professor at the Kerala Agricultural University in Thrissur, and has a Ph D in Agricultural Extension from IARI, New Delhi. (He earned his doctorate with research on the social impact of rubber cultivation.) Sreevalsan has directed more than 100 agricultural technology dissemination videos. He currently specializes in studying and documenting rituals, folklore, folk art forms and other cultural ethos in relation to the agricultural history of Kerala under the project cult, culture and agriculture. Some of the prominent works that have been directed by him include

Padayani Padayani, also known Padeni (from the Malayalam word for military formations), is a traditional folk dance and a ritual art from the central portion of the Indian state of Kerala. A ceremonial dance involving masks, it is an ancient ritual per ...

yum Karshika Samskrithiyum, Mayilpeeli Thookkam/ Arjuna Nritham,

Mudiyett Mudiyettu is a traditional ritual theatre and folk dance drama from Kerala that enacts the mythological tale of a battle between the goddess Kali and the demon Darika. The ritual is a part of the bhagavathi or bhadrakali cult. The dance is pe ...

and Annam The Swan. A native of Kunissery in

Palakkad Palakkad (), Renaming of cities in India, also known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery, is a city and a municipality in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of P ...

district, Menon lives in

Tripunithura Thrippunithura or Tripunithura (Malayalam:തൃപ്പൂണിത്തുറ) is a prominent historical and residential region in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. Located about 7 km (4 mi) from the city centre, Tripunithura wa ...

off

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

Filmography

Albums

*''Krishna - A Musical Reflection'' *''Vanaprastham'' *''Kshetranjali'' *''Monsoon Anuraga'' *''Classical Encounters'' - with guru Sri. Neyyatinkara Vasudevan *''Vismaya - Emotional Expressions'': audio & music video album with Bini Panicker *''Manasa Smarami'' *''Madhuram Gayati'' *''Ananda Poonkatru'' *''Sree Guruvayurappan Gananjali : Vol - 3'' *''Jugal Bandi : Vol 1 & 2'' - with Kalamandalam Shankaran Embranthiri & Meledam Narayanan *''Sringaram'' *''Begane Baro'' *''Ramanan'' *''Bhavayami'' *''Navarasa Thillana'' *''Irayimman Thampi Kritis'' *''Rituleela'' *''Hare'' *''Swami Ayyappan'' *''The genius of Kunjan Nambiar'' *''Yamuna'' *''Ramayana Geetham'' *''Hridhi'' *''Advaita Dasa Kritis'' *''Tambura Hymns'' *''Poornathrayeesham Ashraye''

References

External links

Sreevalsan J. Menon - Official website Will Sreevalsan bring home an Oscar?
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20071001063118/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2005/07/01/stories/2005070102320300.htm The Hindu - Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan and Sreevalsan J. Menonbr>Swathithirunal.org
* ttp://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEX20071029024559&Title=Kochi&rLink=0 Newindpress - When dusk settles...br> Video - Vismaya Music Album

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20121107225849/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/09/19/stories/2009091952670600.htm The Hindu - WELL composed!br>Sreevalsan with Nithyasree MahadevanRemembering Mandolin U. Sreenivas (Malayalam)Interview with Sreevalsan J Menon - Times of India
*
Sreevalsan praises Action Hero Biju
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menon, Sreevalsan J Male Carnatic singers Carnatic singers 21st-century Indian male classical singers Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Films scored by Sreevalsan J. Menon Singers from Kerala Agriculture educators People from Palakkad district Recipients of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award