Kattassery Joseph Yesudas (born January 10, 1940), better known as K.J. Yesudas, is an Indian classical musician and playback singer. He is also a renowned Indian classical musician and has performed in many concerts around the world. Born in Fort Kochi, Kerala, Yesudas studied music under the tutelage of his father, Augustine Joseph, who was also a singer and an actor. He later trained under the legendary Indian classical musician Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar. K.J. Yesudas made his singing debut in the Malayalam film Kalpadukal in 1962 and has since recorded over 80,000 songs in various Indian languages, including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi. "Aaro Nee Aaro," one of his most celebrated performances, appeared on the soundtrack of the 2011 Malayalam historical drama Urumi. He has received several awards and honors for his contributions to Indian music. In 1976, he was awarded the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for his work on the film Chitchor. He was also awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, in 2002 and the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honor, in 2017. In addition to his work in the film industry, K.J. Yesudas has also been an active performer of Indian classical music. He has given numerous classical music concerts in India and around the world, and has released several albums of classical and devotional music. He is also a trained Carnatic musician and has performed in several prestigious music festivals in India. Throughout his career, K.J. Yesudas has been a respected and beloved figure in the world of Indian music. He continues to be active in the industry and is considered one of the greatest Indian playback singers of all time.
