Kaviyoor Revamma - Carnatic musician, Film Playback Singer (Malayalam)

VIDEO: Kaviyoor Revamma - A Memoir - By Dr. S. Parvathy

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Monday 27, October 2025, 05:30.

Kaviyoor Revamma:

About:

birth 14April 1930 Kaviyoor

death 12 May 2007

Nationality  India

Known Film Playback Singer

Introductions:

Dr. C.K. Revamma (14 April 1930 – 12 May 2012) was a Malayalam playback singer and Carnatic musician.

VIDEO: Ragaanjali : Dr. Kaviyoor Revamma

Biography:

Revamma was born on April 14, 1930, in Kaviyoor. She passed Ganabhushanam from Thiruvananthapuram Music College. She completed her university education from Stella Maria College, Thiruvananthapuram and Stella Maria College, Chennai.She has also served as the head of the Department of Indian Music at the University of California, Berkeley. She was the principal of Thrissur Government College. She made her debut as a playback singer in 1950 with the film Sasidharan. She has sung in about twenty films like Mudiyanaya Puthren and Sabarimala Swami Ayyappan. 

List of Malayalam songs sung by Kaviyoor: 

VIDEO: Marayaathe Vilasaavoo

Onamthumbi Onam

Adi thozhunnenambike

Anpu in Ponnambalam

I'll get it tomorrow

Malayala Malarvadiye

Mom is in Paris

Oh God, Ocean of Mercy

Kalitakalamaya

Hope is shattered.

It's hot and hot

Chanchala Chanchala Sundarapada

Awards:

Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi's Lalitha Gaana Award (1975)

Reference:

1.

VIDEO: Thornidumo Kanneer Video Song | Jeevithanouka | Kaviyoor CK Revamma | Mehboob | Malayalam Old Songs

Dr. C.K. Revamma (1930–2007), also known as Kaviyoor C.K. Revamma, was a renowned Carnatic vocalist and an early Malayalam playback singer. 

Early career and education:

Revamma began learning Carnatic music at the age of eight.

She received her "Ganabhushanam" from the Thiruvananthapuram Music College.

She was a top-ranking student, achieving the first rank in her B.A. and M.A. music degree programs.

She was also the first person to receive a Ph.D. in music from Kerala University.

Her post-doctoral research in ethnomusicology was conducted at UCLA with a Fulbright scholarship. 

Career in academics:

Revamma had a distinguished career as a music educator.

She served as the head of the Department of Music at Women's College in Thiruvananthapuram.

She was the principal of the Government College in Thrissur.

She also served as a visiting professor at universities in the United States and retired as Deputy Director of Collegiate Education. 

Playback singing:

VIDEO: Nee En Chandrane.. നീ എന്‍ ചന്ദ്രനെ ...

In the 1950s, Revamma was part of a popular singing trio in Malayalam cinema along with P. Leela and Jikky.

She lent her voice to songs in about 20 films, including the musical hits Jeevitha Nouka, Navalokam, Neelakuyil, and Sasidharan.

Her famous duet with A.M. Rajah, "Nee en chandrane, njaan nin chandrika," from the movie Avan Marannu remains a classic. 

Legacy and death:

In 1975, she was honoured with the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award.

She was born on April 14, 1930, in Kaviyoor, Kerala, and passed away on May 13, 2007.

After her playback singing career, she dedicated her life to music research and teaching. 

VIDEO: Kaviyoor Revamma - Documentary Film by Lenin Rajendran

2.

Dr. C. K. Revamma – A Pioneer in Malayalam Playback Singing and Carnatic Music

Dr. C. K. Revamma, an early playback singer in Malayalam cinema and a distinguished Carnatic musician, was born on April 14, 1930, in the renowned Chamakkal Ezhava family at Kottoor, Kaviyoor in Pathanamthitta district, to C. K. Padmanabhan and Narayani Amma. She became the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in music from Kerala University and later served as the Head of the Music Department at the Women’s College, Thiruvananthapuram. Revamma made her playback debut in the film Shashidharan and went on to sing in many Malayalam films, including Jeevitha Nauka, Navalokam, Neelakuyil, Shashidharan, Ponkathir, and Chechi. Along with P. Leela and Jikki, she was celebrated as part of the famous “Gana Thrayam” (the trio of songstresses) of early Malayalam cinema. During the 1950s, Revamma lent her voice to about twenty Malayalam films. She immortalized Sri Narayana Guru’s “Janani Navamanjari” with her unique voice and also earned a Post-Doctorate in Tibetan Music from the University of California. Revamma later held prestigious positions, including Principal of Women’s College, Thiruvananthapuram, Principal of Thrissur Government College, and Additional Director of Higher Education. She also served on the academic boards of Kerala, Calicut, and M.G. Universities, and worked as a Visiting Professor at various universities in the United States. Her brother was the late R. P. Lalaji, widely regarded as the pioneer of Kerala’s IT sector. Revamma was married to Kollam Panthiyil Sridharan, a leading businessman in Madras. They had three children – Krishnan Sridharan (Engineer, USA), Parvathi Jeevan (former Dean and Associate Professor of English, F.M.N. College), and Dr. Raman Sridharan (Pediatrician, USA). The gifted Dr. C. K. Revamma passed away on May 12, 2007, in Kollam.

VIDEO: Paahi Thaaye Video Song | Jeevithanouka | Kaviyoor CK Revamma | Mehboob | V Dakshinamoorthy

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