TV Gopalakrishnan

Tripunithura Viswanathan Gopalakrishnan (born 11 June 1932 in Tripunithura, Kerala) is a Carnatic and Hindustani musician from Chennai. Gopalakrishnan hails from a family of musicians spanning over two centuries. His father was a court musician for the Cochin Royal Family. He is one of the rare musicians who is equally proficient in both Carnatic and Hindustani Vocal, mrudangam and violin. Gopalakrishnan started playing the mridangam at the age of four and had his arangetram at the Cochin palace at the age of six. He is one of the senior most a disciples of Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. Hailed as an innovator of Indian Jazz, TVG has toured all over the world with the legends like George Harrison, Bob Dylan, John Handy, Ravi Shankar, Ustad Alla Rakha, etc. He has also collaborated with drummer/composer Franklin Kiermyer, Don Peake, Seigfried Kutterer and Carola Grey on many occasions. Gopalakrishnan was given the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990. He has been awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in the year 2012.