Dr. Seerkazhi S. Govindarajan - Topic

Sirkazhi Govindarajan was an Indian Tamil Carnatic vocalist and a leading playback singer of Indian cinema. He was born on Jan 19, 1933 in the small town of Sirkazhi.

He had performed abroad widely starting as early as 1958. He has sung in U.K., U.S.A., Canada, Europe-France, Germany and Switzerland, Malaysia, Singapore, SriLanka, Nepal and Mauritius. Most of his concerts were benefit performances towards building temples and scholarships for Indian Children. Fans around the world, including those from SriLanka, Malaysia, and Singapore were lucky to listen to him performing concerts for over 6 hours, rain or shine.

'Isai Thilakam' Sirkali's career took another dimension when he was asked to take up acting. He had the acting bug in him and the apprenticeship at Devi Nataka Sabha and The Modern Theaters gave him the confidence. However, he took great care to see that his roles were aimed at spreading devotion and spirituality musically. The role of Agathiyar seemed to be tailor-made for him.

Sirkali is appreciated for his clear diction while the classical content is intact. His powerful voice, well disciplined by whipcord training, and sheer dedication and discipline helped him arrive in the "exclusive circle" of musicians, honored with many awards. He was honored by the State and Central Academy and by the President of India as 'Padmashri'.