RAMESH VINAYAKAM, MUSIC DIRECTOR

[S.NAGESWARAN]

Dear Rasikas,

I am proud to be associated with Sri Ramesh Vinayakam, a multi phased personality
since his childhood days.


I am giving the complete profile of Sri Ramesh Vinayakam here below.

Before going through his profile, I want to narrate the following.
Coming from a middle class family and after passing the B COM Degree, he had to take a job compulsorily
and joined a company for the day to day accounting works. After working for three months, he narrated his works to his parents thus. "When I am going through the accounts, instead numbers in the accounts, I am seeing the carnatic music swarams and I am not able to do the accounts works.
I want to resign from the job and pursue music further. I am confident that I will be able to earn money through music to sustain our livelihood and YES, HE HAD SUCCEEDED IN THE MUSIC FIELD.

Overview:
Ramesh Vinayakam is multifaceted – Music Director, Composer, Singer, Lyricist, Arranger and Researcher.His expertise extends from Film Music to Classical and he is known for his unique composing abilities and carved a niche for himself.
His music for a biopic ‘Ramanujan’ – a bilingual (Tamil & English) period film on our country’s greatest mathematical genius – has been rated as the Best of 2014. The songs of the film have received rave reviews – both the songs and background score being highly appreciated and is one of the highpoints of the film. The compositions were a mix of both Indian and Western music styles of the period taking the music lovers to a higher plane.

Ramesh Vinayakam scored music for a Hollywood movie ‘A Common Man’ starring Sir Ben Kingsley, which won Gold at Madrid, Spain and Bronze in New York Film Festival, 2013.

Ramesh Vinayakam has conducted workshop of Cure Through Music to the Cancer Patients of Cancer Institute, Adyar, Madras – during the workshop the Cancer Patients were completely immersed in the music demonstration given by Ramesh Vinayakam.

A Tamil Song/poem composed by Ramesh Vinayakam – Specially selected for the purpose of playing it to the Soldiers of Indian Army who were protecting the boundaries of the Nation during Kargil War.

Innovations, Research contribution, Awards
Ramesh Vinayakam innovated and has devised ‘The Gamaka Box’ - acomprehensive Notational System for Indian Classical Music, which has attracted encomiums from great musicians and musicologists of Classical field including Shri LalgudiJayaraman, the great violin legend to Shri Pappu Venugopala Rao, Secretary, Music Academy, Chennai.
Ramesh Vinayakam has discovered many new Ragas, including PRATHIDHWANI – named so by Dr S Ramanathan, the great Musician/Musicologist.
Ramesh Vinayakam is also a Poet and Lyricist, having written songs/poems in Tamil, English and Sanskrit. His kritis have been performed in the classical platforms.
As a singer, Ramesh Vinayakam has performed a number of songs for other music directors – a rare feat for any composer and has also won Filmfare Award as the ‘Best Playback Singer’.
He is also a Journalist, writing for Sruti, Performing Arts Magazine, regularly.
Ramesh Vinayakam has composed music for all kinds of Genres from Film Music, Corporates to Ad Film, Fusion Music, Animations, etc.,

He has conducted many Lecture demonstrations and workshops inclucing the ones in the prestigious Music Academy, Kalakshetra Foundation, University of Madras among others.

Background:
Ramesh Vinayakam took to music at an early age. He wrote and composed his first song when he was 12 years old. Ramesh Vinayakam learnt Carnatic music at an young age from his parents, Mr Vinayakam and Mrs ValliVinayakam and later from Smt RukmaniRamani, daughter of Shri Papanasam Sivan. He learnt Western Music from Mr Jacob John, the great Piano Teacher.
Ramesh Vinayakam, in his student days, has won many an award in various competitions even rendering his own compositions – during one such occasion he was awarded by our late Chief Minister, Shri M G Ramachandran in one the music competitions.

He also held the post of Secretary (Fine Arts) in his Alma mater, A M Jain College, Chennai.
As a Pianist, Ramesh Vinayakam took to teaching as well, sending Students to Trinity College, London, to continue the legacy of his Piano Teacher Jacob John, who handed over the baton of Teaching Western Music to Ramesh Vinayakam.
Ramesh Vinayakam has films to his credit in both Tamil and Telugu and other works of different genres including Corporate Films, Ad Films, Documentaries, Animation Films, Fusion Music, Dance Ballets, Theme Music, TV Serial Title Songs etc.,

Body of Work includes:
Film composition/scoring
Name of the Film Language Genre
Mosakutty Tamil Drama
Ramanujan Tamil/English Bio picture
A Common Man English Thriller
Sollakkathai Tamil Romance
Jerry Tamil Romance
AzhagiyaTheeye Tamil Drama
University Tamil Romance
Yey Nee RombaAzhaga Tamil Drama
Irukkay
Speed Dancer Telugu Romance
Aunty Telugu Drama
ManchiRojulu Telugu Drama
PailaPacheesu Telugu Comedy

TV Serials composition (Title song)
Name Channel Genre
Kalabhairavar Jaya TV Drama
SabhashMeena Jaya TV Comedy
Anjarai Petti Zee Tamil Culinary
RojaKoottam Star Vijay Drama
SimranThirai Jaya TV Drama
CrazyinVidathaSirippu Jaya TV Comedy
Yes or No Jaya TV Chat Show
Crazy Ellamay Easy Jaya TV Comedy
Nil Gavani Crazy Sun TV Comedy
Manasatchi Raj TV Drama
Crazy Times Star Vijay Comedy
Pralayam Star Vijay Thriller
Sneha ETV Drama
Private Eye Asianet Thriller

Corporate & Ad Films
Ramesh Vinayakam has also composed music for various Corporate and Ad Films Makers
Samsung
Hindustan Thomson Associates
R K Swamy
Lintas
Nokia Ring Tones
Real Image
Rajiv Menon – Adfilm maker
Director G B Vijay
Le Style
HUDCO
Texmaco Cement
Ditty
Eurocon Tiles
KarurVysya Bank
Chit Chat Icecream
Oxo
Kumaran Silks
Kadal Shampoo
Dukes Marie
VGP
Caroborandum Universal
Vijaya Ghee
Fruitnik
Bajaj
Hero Cycles
Parry Sugar
Arun Ice Cream
NathellaSampathuChetty Jewellers

Compositions
Name of the Album Language By
Appaji20 Multi PujyasriGanapathy
Sachidanantha
Swamiji Mutt
Naadhavaibhavam Multi The Art of Living
Sri Rama Dhootham Tamil ShivasamySubramaniam
Moksha Mantra Sanskrit Times Music
Sri Swamiji 60 Tamil Pujyasri Ganapathy
Sachidanantha Swamiji Mutt
Aha Oho Ayyappa Tamil geetha Cassettes
VetrivelShivasakthivel Tamil HMV
Krishna Janardhana Tamil AVM
SamboMahadeva Tamil HMV
Prathidhwani Tamil Sangeetha Recording Company

Other works of Ramesh Vinayakaminclude:
Theme Songs for NaadhaVaibhavam Art of Living where 5000 carnatic musicians performed on stage – each genre from Carnatic to Hindustani to
Western to Tamil Folk to Irish.

Fusion Music for the Madras String Quartet.
Dance Ballets to commemorate the compoetion of 50 years of Government of India’s Regional Television Channel ‘DoordharshanPodhigai’
Music for Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu
Music for NFDC documentaries
Music Consultant for Dance Ballets of Mr Narasimhachari and Mrs.Vasanthalakshmi, the renowned and popular BharataNatyam maestros.

Won Best Music Director Award from Sangam Kala Group – presented by veteran Tamil Music Director, M S Viswanathan who was honoured the Lifetime Achievement Award
Won the Best Music Director Award for scoring music for TV serial RojaKoottam from Mylapore Academy
Won the Filmfare Award for 2010 as the Best Playback Singer for the Telugfilm Khaleja
Won the Best Music Director Award for Bharathi the tamil Play for Shradda
Professional Affiliations:
South Indian Film Union
AS CAP

The film songs and the complete film of "RAMANUJAN" can be downloaded from
the YOU TUBE JUKE BOX RAMANUJAN.

S.NAGESWARAN.
29.01.2016.

[thanjavooran]

Excellent write up. Good luck to Ramesh vinayakam !
Thanjavooran
29 01 2016

[CRama]

Wow. Great achievements of a very humble personality. Never knew so far. Thanks Nageswaran Sir for giving the details. Wish Ramesh Vinayakam many more achievements.

[thanjavooran]

I remeber to have attended a programme at Russian Cultural Academy in 1983 in which Ramesh Vinayakam with his band performed few songs composed by himself. Shri MSV who was a guest praised the efforts of the group mentioning that this was the only troupe that entertained with their own creations without venturing Cine songs. IIRC few present day top Artistes were present in his troupe.
Thanjavooran
29 01 2016

[S.NAGESWARAN]

Dear Rasikas,
I am reproducing an article by Sri Ramesh Vinayakam written in the HINDU titled
"PERFECT OSCILLATIONS"
for our Rasikas here under.

Friday Review » Music
chennai, December 5, 2013
Updated: December 5, 2013 18:04 IST
Perfect oscillations

By S. SIVAKUMAR

Special Arrangement
Ramesh Vinayakam
TOPICS
arts, culture and entertainment
music
One more aid is now available for the musician.
Gamaka, the nuance that adds beauty to the rendition of Carnatic music, has been ‘boxed.’ Ramesh Vinayakam, music director of repute, has created a gamaka box. “Music should be a continuous process and there should always be an urge to create something new, which should beget newer things.” With these introductory remarks, Ramesh addressed a group of students from the Music Department of the University of Madras and explained his concept of visualising the gamakas adopting a simple language.
Ramesh took the aid of five symbols that had specific meanings - the first and second were for the fast glide up/down, the third and fourth for the slow glide up/down and the fifth “to sustain.” These symbols were drawn inside a parallelogram that had four sides and three lines in it. He commenced from the bare basics, the aadhara shadjama and depicted the plain notes (swarastanams) first and then took the audience through a guided tour that landed them at the actual swaras themselves. (The Begada “Ma” for instance could be drawn/notated to get at its particular unique hue with accuracy). He annotated all this declaring Sankarabharanam scale as his base but proved that this could be applied to the entire spectrum of known scales. What was remarkable was that the protagonist never once attempted to sing or even signalled anything, but the gamaka-box on its own was able to orient the students and teachers towards their goal of singing half-notes, understanding the kaarvai depiction, begin and end zaaru as desired and even contemplate brigas to a certain extent. There was no room for glitches and remember it was a musically well-informed audience.
Ramesh stated that the full stop meant a halt or could be construed as the terminating point and added: “It is seldom used when expressing gamakas.” He highlighted the universal application of this concept and accepted that willing and open-minded practitioners would definitely need more sessions and hands-on experience to enjoy and appreciate it in a better way. The audience was more than convinced by the explanation offered of this theory and responded instantly through their “chorus-singing” as the gamakas came up on the white board. The openness and camaraderie with which they united was heart-warming.
Edward Albee had said this while talking of the kind of theatre that is evolving in the youthful mind of the present day:
“A theatre which engages than disengages, that would shake up than placate, that would be tough intense and adventuresome, that would raise questions not merely answers.” Ramesh Vinayakam’s perception of the gamaka-box left such an impression in the minds of those that had gathered.
Dr. Prameela Gurumurthy, HOD, Music Department, University of Madras, introduced Ramesh Vinayakam and his assistant Thamizh, to the audience and said that Ramesh had scored music in Hollywood, his first film being in English – ‘A Common Man’ - starring Lord Ben Kingsley. The composer is known for the gentleness he imparts to film music, an outstanding example being his score for ‘Nala Damayanti.’
Keywords: Gamaka, Ramesh Vinayakam
More In: Music | Friday Review | Chennai | Arts | Features | Music | Entertainment
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S.NAGESWARAN.29.01.2016.

[Rsachi]

Am going to listen to this! https://youtu.be/RWXj4uMYMIE

[S.NAGESWARAN]

Dear Rasikas,
The profile of Sri NERKUNAM SANKAR is given below.

Nerkunam Dr. S. Sankar is one of the well-known kanjira artists in the field of Carnatic music. He started playing kanjira at the age of 12; he is the last and prime disciple of kanjira Maestro Sri G. Harishankar from whom he learned by gurukulavasam (living & studying with his teacher). He traveled far and wide with his Guru Harishankar. N.S. Sankar started his initial training in Carnatic percussion from Sri P. T. Subramaniam and Sri Shrivanchiyam K. Gopalan.
He was born on June 10, 1979 to Shri K. Suriyanarayanan & S. Vasantha in the native Nerkunam village in Tamil Nadu, southern India and later settled in Chennai for his studies and also for music. He is an ‘A’ Grade artist in the All India Radio for kanjira.
He has earned M. A. (Rhythmology) , M. Phil degree from the Department of Indian Music of the University of Madras. He has also earned Ph.D in music at QMC Chennai. He started an organization called KALAIMAMANI G. HARISHANKAR ADMIRER'S CIRCLE after the demise of his guru G. Harishankar for which he is the Convener & Secretary. Every year in the month of February, he organizes a Remembrance Day to G. Harishankar. On that occasion, we are honoring a senior musician with the award called G. Harishankar Memorial Award.
He has a wealth of experience accompanying great musicians including, Madurai Sri T. N. Seshagopalan, Sri T. V. Sankaranarayanan, Kadri Gopalnath, Sri O. S. Thyagarajan, Naively Sri Santhanagopalan, Sri Sanjay Subramaniam, Sri T. M. Krishna,Smt SudhaRagunathan, Smt Bombay Jayasri, Sri Ashok Ramani, Smt. Nithyasri mahadevan, Dr. Sri T. K. Murthy, Trichy Shankaran, Guruvayur Sri Dorai, Sri Srimushnam Rajarao, Mannargudi Sri Eshwaran, Thiruvarur Sri Bhakthavatsalam among many others.
Awards & Titles
He has won the All India competition conducted by All India Radio - Chennai in 1999 and was honored with the title Asthanavidwan from Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam.“YUVAKALABHARATHI” Title from Bharathkalachar sabha. Nerkunam Sankar also selected as Young Artist by Eyal Esai Nadaka Manram. . He has toured Mauritius with Shri Madurai G S Mani for ICCR ON FEB 2009.
CONTACT:NerkunamSankar No. 23, 1st Floor, ThiruvalluvarSalai
Thiru Nagar, Alvar Thiru Nagar, Valasavakkam, Chennai 600 087
Tamil Nadu, India ,Phone: 044-2486-5778 Cell: 98-411-35405 ,97-898-91233
E-mail:nerkunam.sankar@gmail.com
Web: http://www.myspace.com/nerkunamsankar

[Rsachi]

Mr Nageswaran,
Very bright, raga-based music with an emphasis on the voice vs electronic effects.
Mr Ramesh is very good! Thanks a lot for highlighting such a good musician.
I liked this track very much:
https://youtu.be/A-EURnZ57MA

[S.NAGESWARAN]

Dear Rasikas,
An article written by Sri Ramesh Vinayakam titled "Ramesh Vinayakam unlocks the gamaka" in the Times of India magazine is reproduced below.

Ramesh Vinayakam unlocks the gamaka
TNN | Jun 11, 2011, 04.54 PM IST
Ramesh Vinayakam
Composer and singer Ramesh Vinayakam tells CT about his latest innovation in Carnatic music...

"Isn't it a bit unfair," starts off Ramesh Vinayakam, "that Western music is able to pen down every note on paper while Carnatic music can't?"

That question sparked off a train of thought in the composer's mind, which now seems to have unlocked one of classical music's greatest mysteries — the gamaka. Since time immemorial, gamakas have been imparted only through kelvi gnanam and he was determined to come up with a visual representation of it.

Work on the gamaka box started more than couple of decades ago, when he repeatedly asked himself the question, 'Why can't we write and deliver the same thing in classical music?'

At that time, it sounded improbable and even a bit incredulous. "A lot of people thought it was impossible to be put down on paper," he says, "Back then, the more I thought about it, the more I dreaded the impossibility of the whole thing."

But now, post several hours of research, Ramesh has come out with an innovation that attempts to represent gamakas on paper. Published in the May issue of a magazine for the performing arts, the innovation uses symbols to denote the extent and tenor of the gamaka to be performed in classical music.

Explaining the need of a system for clearer notation, Ramesh says, "It's imperative, because every raga has many gamaka-inflected swaras and when they have to be applied is something that needs to be communicated unambiguously. After all, a small change or improvisation in a gamaka can transform a raga into an entirely different identity."

S.NAGESWARAN.
06.02.2016.