Kalamandalam Tirur Nambissan

Tirur Nambissan was a famous Kathakali singer. Tirur Nambissan, whose name was Narayanan, was born at Tirur[] in Malappuram district of Kerala in southern India. He started learning music from the age of seven, while schooling at local boys high school. But he could not continue his formal education as well as music because of the unexpected death his mother, three brothers and father, besides suicide of younger sister -- all this before he was 15 years old. The boy was shocked.
Masters, including N K Vasudeva Panikkar, his first teacher in classical music, realised the music talent that the boy expressed through his light music, film songs, bhajanas, and guided him to Kerala Kalamandalam. Breaking the school education, the eighth form student started the journey to the world of Kathakali music under the guidanc of Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan, [] Sivaraman Nair, Kavungal Madhava Panikkar.
With Madambi Subrahmanyan Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Hyderali and Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri as contemporaries, he started to learn Kathakali music in Kalamandalam. Strict and powerful education (gurukulam style) from the great teachers and creative competition between the music students made them one of the best students of that batch at the Kerala kalamandalam. From the second year of the course itself, each one of four-member team was able and confident enough to control a Kathakali stage including the major set. Hard punishments as well as the parent-like love, advises, supports and from the teachers and their own hard work and group sharing moulded them more powerful. He completed the 8 year course successfully (with first class). It was the starting of a prominent Kathakali musician - Tirur Nambissan.[]'
After completing the course, each one started to struggle to earn the bread. Some of them reached ashore. But Nambeesan was alone. He realised that it is his duty to keep the precious stone - Kathakali, which he got from the great ancestors, without a single scratch. He knew the terrible waves of changing attitudes, in the society. Still he stood on his own stand. He was not ready to compromise in the Kathakali chitta. it was his stand that, the peculiar style (called as sopanasamgeetham) of music composition is enough sufficient and apt for the Kathakali. In another meaning, as a supporting music of a classical art, Kathakali music is in its utmost. So he was against to the experiments. Even he was a lover of light music, he concentrated to Kathakali music and was careful to keep the identity of that music which is different from other music. He considered that it is meaningless to compare Kathakali music with other music. according to him, the ragas fixed for each literature is enough sufficant for the expression of the Kathakali charectors. changing of raga is a mask to hide the inefficiency of singer to express the bhavam in the early composed raga. He used manodharmas to empower the bhavas of characters, standing inside the real frame of Kathakali. approval from the hearts of the Kathakali lovers is the great award to his career.
He worked as music teacher in PreurGandhiSevasadan[, internationalKathakali centre NewDelhi, Bombay, Unnayivariyer Smaraka Kalanilayam irinjalakkuda, Parassini Kaliyogam,peingode Kathakalipromotion Society, Kerala Kalamandalam in different periods. students of these institutions of the same period including SadanamJyothi, and Radhakrishnan, Private students poomully Vasudevan Namboodirippad, and vellinezhi Achuthan Kutty are the students of Tirur Nambissan too
He performed as ponnani (main singer) and as shakidi (helping singer) on thousands of stages in Kerala and out of Kerala. He was the main siger of the parassikkadavu muthappan kathakali yogam for a long period. He had been performing as ponnani with his classmates as the special invitees from parassini kaliyogam from second year of the kalamandalam course itself. His music supported the Kathakali performance of the great artists like keezhpadam Kumaran Nair,Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair,Vellinezhi Nanu Nair,Kalamandalam Gopi,Sadanam Krishnankutty,V.P.Ramakrishnan NairSadanam Ramankuttyas well as the artists of the younger generation. He accompanied with great musicians like kalamandalam Neelakandan Nambissan,Kalamandalam Unnikrishnakkurupp, Ramavarier,Kalamandalam Gangaharan,Madambi Subrahmanian Namboodiri, on the stage.Kalamandalam Subrahmanian, Rajendran,Palanad,Kottakkal Narayanan,Kala:Sreekumar,Narayanan Nambissan, etc. were his supporting musicians (shankidi). Kachery by sung by K.J.Yesudas.
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