KOCHI: Over the past 30 years the name T S Radhakrishna has become synonymous with Hindu devotional music in Kerala. This music director has composed music for dozens of popular Tarangini devotional cassettes and also for other albums.This Ernakulam-based singer says that it was a great recognition for him when Yesudas in a recent TV programme sang one of his compositions and spoke highly about him.“In the Yesudas special episodes telecast recently over three weeks as a segment of 'Idea Star Singer' on Asianet, several famous music personalities were featured in connection with the 50th anniversary of Yesudas’ first film recording. I was also invited. Participating in such a show was itself a great experience.I spoke about my long association with Dasettan. And he spoke kind words about my music. To cap it all, he rendered very soulfully his superhit 'Oru Neramengilum' composed by me. I was moved beyond words.”TS hails from a music-minded family. His father was a great Carnatic music buff who had close association with many musicians. “Legends like M L Vasanthakumari and Chembai had visited our house during my childhood. I began classical training from a young age," he recollects.During his college days he was associated with a reputed pop group in Ernakulam, 'Hijackers' as a guitarist.While at Maharajas College, he developed a close association with his college mate, R K Damodaran, then a budding lyricist. Later they managed to release a devotional album 'Harisreeprasadam' in 1980 . TS recalls how difficult it was to market this initially, since cassettes had just arrived on the scene.Back in Ernakulam,in 1984 he launched the devotional troupe 'Thyagabrahmam'. For the past 27 years this troupe is regularly performing devotional concerts all over India and also abroad. Having been associated with devotional lyricist Chowwallur Krishnankutty, TS tuned many of his lyrics and sang some of these in a concert in Guruvayur in 1982. “Later I recorded these songs and gave the cassette to Dasettan who knew my father and had promised to give me a break. Dasettan seemed to be impressed. But he was terribly busy with recordings in many languages and stage shows. Finally in 1985 he found time and recorded nine songs at a stretch at his Tarangini Studio, Trivandrum. He named the album as 'Thulaseetheertham'. He also got Chitra to sing in it”.The rest is history. The album included evergreen hits like 'Oru Neram Engilum', 'Brahmamuhurthathil' and 'Mookambike Devi' .'Sreekanteswara' and 'Wadakkum Natha' continue to haunt even two decades later as you listen to them at practically every Kerala temple. This accomplished musician comes across as the epitome of humility - a rarity in these days of hype and self-projection.
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