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Life & work

The person behind the work.

Biography and career records reviewed 23 Oct 2026.

K. J. Yesudas grew up in Fort Kochi, where his father Augustine Joseph was a musician and stage actor. His early training began at home before he studied with other teachers and developed a career combining Carnatic music and playback singing.

OnmanoramaSociety Achievers
Full name
Kattassery Joseph YesudasIMDb
Birthplace
Fort KochiOnmanorama
First teacher
Augustine JosephOnmanorama
Classical tradition
Carnatic musicSociety Achievers
Early film
KalpadukalSociety Achievers

Personal profile

K. J. Yesudas, in detail

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AI-generated full-body illustration of K. J. Yesudas
Full nameKattassery Joseph Yesudas
IMDb profile Published profile · checked
AI illustration · not a body scan

The recording that preceded his film debut

Yesudas recorded Jaathibhedam Mathadwesham for Kalpadukal on 14 November 1961; the film was released in 1962. The distinction explains the two years often associated with his debut. M. B. Sreenivasan composed the setting of Sree Narayana Guru’s words, placing the recording within Malayalam cinema’s changing musical landscape.

Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram

Classical, devotional and film music

Malayalam cinema is central to his career, alongside other Indian languages, Carnatic concerts and devotional singing. The government awarded him the Padma Vibhushan in 2017, recognising his contribution to music.

Society AchieversPress Information Bureau

In pictures

Photographs with their original credits. Historical images do not imply a current appearance.

Portrait of K. J. Yesudas

K. J. Yesudas

E P SajeevanCC BY-SA 4.0Resized and converted to WebP. Display crop.

The published record

Career milestones.

Dated selections from the published record.

  1. 1940-01-10

    Birth

    Born in Fort Kochi.

    Onmanorama
  2. 1961

    Film recording

    Recorded for Kalpadukal.

    Society Achievers
  3. 1962

    Bharya

    The film became an important early success.

    Society Achievers
  4. 2017

    Padma Vibhushan

    Named in the national civilian-award list for music.

    Press Information Bureau

Quick answers

The questions,
answered.

Answers grounded in the sources below.

Who first taught Yesudas?

His father Augustine Joseph, a musician and stage actor.

Onmanorama
Which film began his playback career?

Kalpadukal, followed by the early success of Bharya.

Society Achievers
Is his work limited to Malayalam cinema?

No. It includes Carnatic concerts, devotional music and recordings in other languages.

Society AchieversIMDb

The source notes

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