Vadakkumgara Mohammed Kutty (known as V. M. Kutty; 16 April 1935 – 13 October 2021) was an Indian Mappilapattu singer, writer and composer. Also known as the Sultan of Mappilapattu,[1] he is often credited with having performed Mappila songs on stage for the first time in 1957.[2]
Kutty had imbibed the first music lessons from his paternal uncle Unneen and aunt Pandikasala Ottappilakkal Fathimakutty.[3] For Kerala’s Muslim women, it was compulsory to learn the songs written in Arabi Malayalam. It was Fathimakutty who initiated Kutty into the world of Mappilappattu.[2]
Career
Mappilapattu are rooted in the folk tradition of Kerala’s Muslim community. The songs were traditionally sung in the households of Muslims of Eranad in connection with occasions such as birth, marriage and death. Kutty was reportedly the first to popularise the songs outside the community and sung them at public events.[11] Kutty began his Mappilapattu career by singing for All India Radio, Kozhikode in 1954.[12]
Kutty formed a music group exclusively for Mappilapattu songs in 1957, Kutty's Orchestra.[1] It was through Kutty's troupe that many women artistes made their stage debut. And one among them was Vilayil Faseela. She joined the troupe in 1970 and the troupe went to known as VM Kutty-Vilayil Faseela Group, due to the duos popularity.[13]
In 1962, Kutty recorded few of his songs and released it through HMV as gramophone record.[2] Kutty conducted performances across Kerala and major cities of India. With the Gulf migration from Kerala picking up pace in the 1980s, his music programmes were much in demand there. The VM Kutty-Vilayil Faseela pair becomes superhit.[14] When his first gramophone records of folk songs became a hit, he followed it up with numerous music cassettes.[1]
He penned lyrics for Malayalam movies Mark Antony and Poovalliyum Kunjadum. He had written around a dozen books on Mappilapattu and its history and cultural and literary traditions. He had composed music for many folk songs, was playback singer for seven movies and also acted in movies Ulpathi, Pathinalaam Raavu and Paradesi.[1][3] Kutty has composed songs for the Yesudas' Tharangini mappila songs albums Mylanchi Pattukal Vol. 1 (1984) which includes his most popular composition Samkrutha Pamagari and Mylanchi Pattukal Vol. 3 (1986).[15][16]
Personal life
V. M. Kutty married Amina and they had eight children. After the demise of Amina he married Sulfath.[8][17]
Death
V. M. Kutty died at the age of 86 on 13 October 2021 at Kozhikode. He was under treatment for heart-related ailments.[6] The funeral was held at the Pulikkal Juma Masjid buriyal ground after the body was kept for public homage at Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar Mappila Kala Academy.[1]
^Shefeek, E. P. (14 October 2021). "മൈലാഞ്ചി പാട്ടുകൾ" [I have finished studying the song - Yesudas to VM Kutty]. Madhyamam (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
