Thiruvizha Jayashankar Biography 
Thiruvizha Jayashankar is a Nadaswaram expert and musician from Kerala, South India born in a traditional musical family. He has worked with All India Radio, Thiruvananthapuram till his retirement in 1965, for almost 3 decades. Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award and Fellowship, Kalaimamani from the Government of Chennai and Central Sangeet Natak Academy Award are the major honours received by him. Among his disciples, Haripad Murukadas and Vettikkavala Sasi Kumar are popular.
He was born in 1940 in a small village Thiruvizha, Alappuzha in a musical family as the son of nadaswara maestro Thiruvizha Raghava Panickar and grandson of Thiruvizha Sanku Panickar. He was interested in music and drawing since his childhood. He was initiated to the world of nagaswaram by his grandfather and later guided by his father. His father was a regular performer of temples of central Travancore who gave advanced lessons in this musical instrument to his son. His arangettam was conducted in the year 1956 at the Pathiyoor Devi Temple, Kayamkulam when Jayashankar was 16. He completed his diploma (Ganabhooshanam) in music from RLV College of Music and Fine Arts in 1957, where the veteran playback singer K. J. Yesudas was his classmate. Then he took graduation in music from Government College, Chittur of Palakkad and post graduate diploma (Ganapraveena) from Swathi Thirunal College of Music, Thiruvananthapuram.
Though his father and ancestress were professional musicians, they discouraged him to choose music as a career as they were aware of its hardships. He was a visiting professor at Annamalai University, Chidambaram. His association with Valayapetty Subramaniam is regarded as a landmark in the field of Nagaswaram. He joined All India Radio Thiruvananthapuram in 1965 and worked till his retirement.
Published: N/A
Updated: February 20, 2014
