Smt. VANI JAIRAM Indian Classical Music VOCALIST

Wishing Smt. VANI JAIRAM (Born 30 November 1945 ), an Indian Classical Music VOCALIST who also gave playback in Indian Cinema, on her Birthday today. She sang primarily in South Indian languages, although she has a wider repertoire. Vani's career started in 1971 and has spanned over four decades. She has sung playback for several Indian movies. In addition, she has recorded several private albums and participated in numerous solo concerts in India and abroad.

Known for her voice range, Vani's genres are film music, pop, ghazals, bhajans, traditional Indian classical music, and folk songs. Apart from Hindi, she has sung in several Indian languages, such as Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Odia, Gujarati, and Bengali languages.

Vani won the National Film Awards for Best Female Playback Singer three times and also has won State Government awards from the states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat.

Vani Jairam was born in Vellore in Tamil Nadu, in a family of musicians. Her mother Padmavathi is a disciple of Ranga Ramunaja Iyengar. He taught her a few Dikshitar kritis. The fifth daughter in a family of six daughters and three sons was first heard on All India Radio, Madras, at the age of eight.

Vani Jairam studied Carnatic music under Cuddalore Srinivasa Iyengar, T. R. Balasubramanian, and R. S. Mani. Her Hindustani classical music guru was Ustad Abdul Rahman Khan.

n 1971, Jairam was featured in the Hindi feature film Guddi. She recorded three songs for Guddi, and "Bole Re Papi Hara," a song based on the Hindustani raga "Miyan ki Malhar,". She was awarded the Tansen Samman (for a best classical-based song in a Hindi film), the Lions International Best Promising Singer award, the All India Cinegoers Association award, and the All India Film-goers Association award for the Best Playback Singer in 1971.

She went on to sing a few songs each for music directors of Hindi. Besides Hindi and Tamil, Vani Jairam has made recordings in Gujarati, Marathi, Marwari, Haryanvi, Bengali and Tulu, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, and Oriya. She has been awarded many prestigious awards, among them Best Female Playback Singer for the states of Gujarat (1975), Tamil Nadu (1980), and Orissa (1984). One of her most famous Marathi songs, "Runanubandhachya", is a duet with the classical Hindustani singer Kumar Gandharva. This song was composed by Vani's mentor Vasant Desai for a Marathi drama called Dev Deenaghari Dhaavlaa.

Vani Jairam has recorded "Holi Songs" and "Thumri Dadra & Bhajans" with Pandit Briju Maharaj. She has also recorded "Gita Govindam" composed by Prafullakar with Odissi Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra playing the Pakhawaj. Vani Jairam has also released "Murugan Songs" with songs written by her with music composed by her.

Her more recently released songs include "Thiruppugazh" in the film soundtrack for Kaaviya Thalaivan, and "Narayana" in the film Ramanujan.

Awards:

The P. Suseela Trust honoured Vani Jairam at a grand function in Hyderabad, with a citation and a purse of one lakh. The event was widely covered on television. On 28 May 2014, Vani was felicitated in Bhubaneshwar for her contribution to Odia films. Preceding it was the PBS Puraskar Award in Hyderabad, instituted in memory of the inimitable P.B. Srinivas. On 30 July 2014, Yuva Kala Vahini, an organisation in Hyderabad, presented her with the 'Pride of Indian Music Award. ETV Kannada channel felicitated Vani Jairam by giving the title Evergreen voice for her outstanding contribution to the Kannada film industry. Actor V. Ravi Chandran, actress Jayanthi, filmmaker Bhagawan, Vani's husband Jairam, and others were present. She spoke to the audience in pure Kannada and sang some of her own Kannada film songs. Vani remembered Dr.Rajkumar on the stage and said that she is missing her favourite star.

National Film Awards:

1975 – Best Female Playback Singer Tamil– Various songs (Apoorva Raagangal)

1980 – Best Female Playback Singer Telugu– Various songs (Sankarabharanam)

1991 – Best Female Playback Singer Telugu – "Anathineeyara Hara" (Swathi Kiranam)

Filmfare Awards:

2015- Nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer – "Olanajali Kuruvi" - 1983 (2014 Malayalam Film)

2013– The 60th South Indian Filmfare Award for Lifetime Achievements

1980 – Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer – "Mere Toh Giridhar Gopal" (Meera)

State Awards:

1972 – Gujarat State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Ghoongat

1979 – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Female Playback – Azhagae Unnai Aradhikkiren

1979 – Nandi Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Shankarabharanam

1982 – Odisha State Film Award for Best Singer – Debjani

Other Awards:

1972 – Mian Tansen Award Best Film Playback Singer of 'Classical Song' in Films for "Bol Re Papi Hara" given by Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai.

1979 – Her songs in the Pandit Ravi Shankar-scored film Meera brought her the Film World (1979) Cine Herald (1979) for "Mere To Giridhar Gopal".

1991 – Kalaimamani Award from Tamil Nadu State for her contribution to Tamil film music.

1992 – The youngest artist to be awarded the "Sangeet Peet Samman"

2004 – M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar – Life Time Achievement Award from Tamil Nadu Government.

2005 – Kamukara Award for her outstanding contribution to film music in general and in all four South Indian languages in particular

2006 – Mudhra Award of Excellence from Mudhra Academy, Chennai.

2012 – Subramanya Bharathi award for her contribution to music.

2014 - Life Time Achievement Award of Radio Mirchi given at Hyderabad on 16 August 2014

2014 - Asiavision Awards - Best Playback Singer Award for the song 'Olanjali Kuruvi' from the Film "1983'

2014 - Kannadasan Award by Kannadasan Kazagam,Coimbatore

015 - Life Time Achievement Award from Raindrops on Women Achievers Award Ceremony Chennai.

2016 - Red FM Music awards 2016 for Best Duet with Yesudas

2017 - Vanitha Film Awards -Best singer

2017 - Ghantasala National Award

2017 - North American Film Awards - New York- 22 July 2017 - Best Female Playback Singer - Malayalam

Other titles:

2004: Kamukara Award

2007: South Indian Meera