Johnson

Johnson is a two time National Award winning Indian composer of film scores who has given music to some of the most important motion pictures of Malayalam cinema. He is noted for his lyrical and expressive melodies together with simple but rich tonal compositions of thematic music. Johnson is the one of two composers of Malayalee origin who has won a National Award for the best composition (the other being Ousepachen).

Biography

Johnson was born in Thrissur, Kerala in South India to a Christian ("Nasrani") family. His parents were Antony and Mary. Johnson completed his B. Com degree from Saint Thomas College, Thrissur. While young, he learned to play the violin and studied basic elements of European classical music. In his youth he was involved with a music group called 'Voice of Trichur', of which he was the music composer. The group used to perform music throughout Thrissur and neighbouring regions in Kerala. This brought him in contact with a music director of Malayalam cinema, G Devarajan. Devarajan offered him assignments in the film industry as an assistant music composer. Later, Johnson got his first major assignment as main composer for the film 'Aaravam' (1978).

He came to prominence through his collaboration with the great Malayalam director Padmarajan. This productive collaboration saw the detailed screenplay and cinematography of Padmarajan become a fertile ground for expressive musical narration and thematic scores for Johnson. This is seen in some of the greatest motion pictures of Malayalam cinema, like Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal (1986), Oru minnaaminungintaey nurunguvettam (1987), Nombarathipoovu (1987) and Perumthachan (1990). He is also noted for his collaboration with the Malayalam lyricist Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri. Johnson is affectionately called as the 'John Williams' of Malayalam cinema, after the legendary Hollywood composer John Williams. Johnson won National awards for two consecutive years. He won his first National Award in 1994 for the motion picture Ponthan Mada (1993). The next year he got his second award for best background music (Sukrutham) he is the only malayalee music director who received two national awards

His skilful integration of textual rhythm of the lyrics together with rich tonal arrangement, redefined songwriting in Malayalam cinema, since the late 1980s. In his film scores, Johnson combines native South Indian melodic patterns with the harmonic structure of European classical music and this has attained an expressive form of narration through film score.

He composed many memorable songs like Anuraginee, Aadiva katte, Swarnamukile, Ennittum Nee enne, Gopike nin viral, Nee nirayoo jeevanil, Kanneer poovinte, Madhuram Jeevamrutha bindu, Moham kondu Njan, Melle Melle mukhapadam,Thane poovitta moham, Mandaracheppundo,Aakashamake, Rajahamsame, Mounasarovaramake, Devanganangal Kayyozhinja, Devi athmaragamekan, Thangathoni, Kunnimnicheppu thurannu, Ponnil kulichu ninnu, Aadyamay kanda naal and Enthe Kannanu Karuppu niram. Prominent directors like Padmarajan (Koodevide, Njan Gandharvan, Namukku Parkkan Munthirithoppukal etc.) Bharathan (Parvathy,Palangal, Ormakkayi, Kattathe Kilikkoodu, Ente Upasana, Oru Minnaminungnte Nurungu Vettam,Ozhivukalam,Malootty, Chamayam,Churam etc.) Sathyan Anthikkad (above 25 films),Mohan (Oru Katha Oru Nunakkatha, Sakshyam, Pakshe, Angane Oravadhikkalath etc.) Sibi Malayail (Kireedam, chenkol, Dasharatham), Sreenivasan (Vadakku Nokki Yanthram, Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala), Kamal (Peruvannapurathe visheshanagal, Shubhayathra, Ee Puzhayum Kadannu, Paavam Paavam Rajakumaran etc.) Balachandra Menon (Shesham Kazhchayil, Premageethangal, Kilukilukkam, Kelkatha shabdam etc..) used his extraordinary musical skills for their films.

sathyan anthikad-johnson team was a great success in Malayalam film..johnson did music for more than 23 films directed by sathyan anthikad out of his 49 movies till date

Of late, he is working as a jury member of the reality show Gandharva Sangeetham in Kairali TV, a Malayalam television channel.

References

• Johnson at the Internet Movie Database