Baburaj

Mohammad Sabir "Baburaj" (also known as M. S. Baburaj, Malayalam: ബാബുരാജ്‌) was a Malayalam music composer. He is often credited for the renaissance of Malayalam film music.

Early years

His early childhood was spent in destitution and poverty. His father,Jan Khan, who was a Hindustani musician from Bengal who frequently held concerts in Kerala, deserted his Malayali mother when he was very young, and returned to his native Kolkata. Baburaj thus became a semi-orphan, often singing songs in trains to make a living. But as luck would have it, a policeman, Kunjahammed (he was called Kunjahammed Ka), an enthusiast of music, from his native town of Kozhikode, noticing the boy's vocal talents, decided to adopt him.

Music career

One of his greatest achievements was the introduction Hindustani strains into Malayalam popular music. He successfully composed melodies based on Hindustani Ragas and blended Malayalam lyrics in them. Most of the lyrics were written by eminent poets of Kerala like P. Bhaskaran and Vayalar.

Baburaj though a successful composer, was never a careerist. He was known to be an alcoholic and finally died nearly a pauper. Today, various clubs and musical organisations conduct many stage programs in honor of Baburaj ("Babuka" to his own townspeople), and their earnings are handed over to his family. The "Manorama Music" company, chanced upon an old audio cassette of Baburaj rendering some of his own compositions. It was recorded during those heady musical evenings that Baburaj and his friends occasionally indulged in during the 1960s. The cassette was re-mixed and became an instant hit.

ingles

* "Thamsamenthe Varuvan Pranasakhi" (Why so late, my dear)
* "Oru pushpam mathramen, hridayathil sookshikkam" (Only a flower do I treasure in my heart)
* "Vasantha panjami naalil.." (On that night of the full moon)
* "Kaneerum swapnangalum, vilkkuvanaayi vannavan njan" (Tears and dreams have I come to offer you)
* "Pathiravayilla Pournamisandhyakku Pathinezhoe Pathinettoe Prayam"
* "PottathaPonnin Kinavu Kondoru Pattunoolonjala Ketti Njan"
* "Panja Varna Thatha Pole Konji Vanna Penne"
* "Pranasakhee njan verumoru"
* "Surumayezhuthiya mizhikale"

Filmography

The following is an incomplete list of movies that Baburaj had composed songs for. All the films are in Malayalm.

* "Agniputhri" (1967)
* "Agnisaakshi"
* "Ambalapravu "
* "Anaarkali" (1966)
* "Anju Sundarikal"
* "Anveshichu Kandethiyilla" (1967)
* "Bhagyajathakam"
* "Bhargavi Nilayam" (1964)
* "Inspector"
* "Karthika" (1968)
* "Karutha Kai
* "Kattuthulasi"
* "Kuttikkuppayam" (1964)
* "Lora Nee Evide" (1971)
* "Manaswini" (1968)
* "Moodupadam" (1963)
* "Palattu Koman" (1962)
* "Pareeksha" (1969)
* "Pariksha" (1967)
* "Poochakkanni" (1966)
* "Pulliman" (1971)
* "Punaradhivasam" (2000)
* "Sambhavami Yuge Yuge" (1971)
* "Sarpakkadu"
* "Subaida"
* "Thacholi Othenan" (1964)
* "Tharavattamma" (1966)
* "Udyogastha" (1968)
* "Umma" (1960)
* "Yaagashwam"

ee also

* List of Indian composers