Manikka Vinayagam

Vinayagam was born on 10 December 1943 in Mayiladuthurai in the then Madras Presidency. His father Vazhuvoor B. Ramiah Pillai was a Bharatanatyam dancer while his uncle C. S. Jayaraman was a singer, music director, and actor in the Tamil film industry. He was introduced to Carnatic and Hindustani music by his uncle. He picked up the Nadaswaram, a wind instrument, in his youth.^[1]

Vinayagam debuted as a playback singer in the Tamil film Dhill, with the song "Kannukkulla Gelathi" composed by Vidyasagar. His debut in acting was for Thiruda Thirudi playing the father character to Dhanush. Since then, he has sung close to 800 songs in various languages. Apart from these, he has sung close to 15000 devotional folk, love and Carnatic music songs.^[2] Vinayagam also had an orchestra Starlings, which consisted of musicians and singers who were children of other actors.^[3]

Vinayagam died from a cardiac arrest at his home in Chennai, on 26 December 2021, at the age of 78.^[4][5]

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