Singer nonpareil K J Yesduas at 84

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kattassery Joseph Yesudas, the Indian singer luminary will turn 84 on Wednesday. Like the previous years, K J Yesudas will celebrate his birthday in Dallas, Texas, USA. The singer Nonpareil left Kerala during the earlier days of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been with his son and family in the USA ever since.

It has been a long-followed tradition for KJ Yesudas to visit the holy shrine of Kollur Mookambika Temple every January 10th and sing Kirtans inside the shrine. But due to reasons including Covid, the routine has been stopped for a few years. However, special Pooja rituals will be being performed tomorrow for Yesudas in many temples, including in Mookambika.

Soorya festival, a famous art event hosted yearly in Thiruvananthapuram would often kick start with a K J Yesudas concert in October. This routine had to be reversed for the past two years because of Yesudas’ absence. However, people within the singer's inner circle have confirmed that he would return to India soon.

Yesudas was born on January 10, 1940, in Fort Kochi, Ernakulam. The singer extraordinary has sung more than 50,000 songs, including in foreign languages, in a career spanning decades. He has won many honours including Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. His fans have long demanded that Yesudas be given Phalke Award and Bharat Ratna.