Abbreviations & Short Names - Acronyms used in Karnatak Music

An effort to provide full names / expanded forms for abbreviations / short names / acronyms / acronym used in Karnatak / carnatic / carnatak music circles / artists. For any additions / corrections please contact H.M.G. Murthy at murthyhmg@yahoo.com

AIR = All India Radio – started 1936

Alathur Bros = Alathur Sivasubramanya Iyer – SK1964

= Alathur Srinivasa Iyer – SK1965

AK = Smt.A.Kanyakumari - Violin

AK = Ayyalore Krishnan – Shishya of Tiger Varadachariar-Vocal

AR = Annavarapu Ramaswamy - Violin

AR = AKR = Alangudi K Ramachandran Iyer-Ghatam

AKC = A K C Natarajan (1930 - ) – Clarionet – SK 2008

AMS = A.Mallikarjun Sarma - Violin

ARI = Ariakudi Ramanuja Iyengar-1890-1967-Shishya of Puchi Iyengar - Guru of KVN

AS = Aruna Sayeeram

ASN = Alandur S Natarajan -violin

BCM = B.C.Manjunath – Mridangam

BJ = BBJ = Bombay Jayshri - Vocal

BMK = Mangalampalli BalaMuralikrishna Dr.-Vocalist-Composer-b 1931-SK1978

BRI = B.Rajam Iyer – SK1987 – Shishya of ARI – b.1922 -expired 03.05.2009

Brinda & Mukta -T.Brinda – SK1976 (1912-96) and her sister T.Mukta

BVR & BVL = B.V.Raman and B.V.Lakshmanan Shishyas of M.D.Ramanathan

CB = Chitti Babu – Veena (1936-)

CC = C Cheluvarai - Mrdanga

CD = Coibatore Dakshinamurthy - Violin

CN = Chalakudy Narayanaswamy – Violin

CR = Charumati Ramachandran (1951- )

CR = Charulata Ramanujan - Violin

CSM = C.S.Murughabhupathy – Mridangam – died 1999

CSP = Chittor Subramanya Pillai – Vocalistist

CR = Coimbatore Ramaswamy – Mridangam

CRM = C R Mani Iyer - Violin

CVB = Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar-Guru of Yesudas – SK1951(1895-1974)

DG = D.Govindaraja - Mridangam

DKJ = D.K.Jayaraman – Vocalist - brother of DKP – SK1990 (1928-1991)

DKP = D.K.Pattammal-SK1970 (1919-16.07.2009)

DM = Dayanand Mohite - Kanjira

DP = D.Pasupathi – Vocal – Shishya of Tiger Varadachariar

DPS = Delhi P Soundarajan – Violin

DRR = Dandamudi Ramamohana Rao - Mridangam

DVN = Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu (1893-1964)

EG = Erode Gururajan - Mridanga

ESK = Embar S Kannan - Violin

GD = Guruvayoor Dorai – Mridangam

GJRK = Lalgudi G.J.R.Krishnan - Violin

GNB = G.N.Balasubramanyam–Vocalist–Composer–1910-65-Guru of MLV-TVR-SK1958

HKN = H K Narasimhamurthy – Violin

HKV = H K Venkatram - Violin

HNB = H.N.Bhaskar – Violin

HPR = H.P.Ramachar – Kanjira

HSS = H S Sudheendra - Mridanga

HVS = Hemmige.V.Srivatsan - Violin

JBH = Jon B Higgins – Vocalist (1939 – 1984)

JS = Dr.Jyotsna Shrikanth – Violin – Medical Doctor

JV = J.Vaidyanathan - Mridangam

KA = Kandadevi Alagiriswamy – Violin (1925- )

KB = Kovai Balu – Violin

KG = Kadri Gopalanath – Saxaphone (1950- )

KMR = Kanadukathan M. Rajaraman - Mridangam

KJY = K.J.Yesudas – Shishya of CVB (Jan 10,1940- )

KK = Karaikkudi Krishnamoorthy – Mridangam

KMV = K M Vaidyanathan - Ghatam

KPA = Karkurichi P Arunachalam – Nadaswaram

KR = Kamalakar Rao - Mridangam

KRG = K.R.Ganesh - Mridangam

KRM = Karaikudi R Mani – Mridangam

KRMP = Kumbhakonam Rajamanickam Pillai

KRP = Kumbakonam Rajamanikkam Pillai – Violin

KS = Kalpakam Swaminathan- Veena – (1922 - )

KSS = Kallidaikurichi.S.Sivakumar – Mridangam Shishya of Palghat R Ragju

KSG = K.S.Gopalakrishnan – Flute

KSN = K.S.Narayanaswamy- Veena-SK1979

KVN = K.V.Narayanaswamy – Vocalist – shishya of ARI-SK1986 (1923-2002)

KVP = K V Prasad - Mridangam

KVI = Kuttalam Viswanatha Iyer - Mridangam

LGJ = Lalgudi G Jayaraman – Violin (1930 - )

LV = L.Vaidyanathan – Violin (d: 2007@65) – elder brother of L.Shankar and L.Subramanyam

Malladi Brothers = Shri Ramprasad & Shri Ravikumar (Vocal)-Shishyas of Nedunuri

MAK = M.A.Krishnaswamy - Violin

MAS = M.A.Sundaresan - violin
MC = M.Chandrasekharan-Violin – SK2005 (1937- )

MDR = M.D.Ramanathan – Vocalist (1923-1984)-Shishya of Tiger Varadachariar

ME = Mannargudi Easwaran –mridangam (1947 -

MMD = M.M.Dandapani Desikar

MGP = Mayavaram S Govindaraja Pillai – Violin

MK = Mani Krishnaswamy – SK1993

MKI = Madurai Krishna Iyengar – Mridangam

MKN = Mavelikkara Krishnamurthy Nair - Mridangam

MKT = M.K.Thyagaraja Bhagavatar – Tamil film star, singer of 1940s

MLV = Madras Lalithangi Vasanthakumari Dr.-Vocalist – shisyaa of GNB-SK1977 (1928-1990)

MLV = Bangalore M L Veerabhadraiah - Mridangam

MMI = Madurai Mani Iyer – Vocalist – SK1959 (1912-1968)

MN = Mysore Nagraj - Violin

MSA = M.S.Anantharaman (grandson of violin maestro Parur MSA brother of MSG)

MSG = M.S.Gopalakrishnan – Violin – SK1997 (1931- )

MSG = M.S.Govindaswamy – Violin – senior AIR staff artist

MTC = Mysore,T.Chowdaiah –Violin (1895–1967)-SK1957

MVD = Mysore.V.Doraiswamy Iyengar – SK1984

MVR = Mysore V Ramaratnam - Vocal

MVI = Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer – Vocalist – Guru of SSI-SK1945 (1896-1970)

MS = Mayuram Somu - Kanjeera

MS = Madurai Somasundaram = M.Somu–Vocalist– Shishya of Chittor Subramanya Pillai

MSI = Musiri Subramanyam Iyer – Vocalist-SK 1939

MSS = Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulaxmi - Bharat Ratna-SK1968 (1916-2004)

MVS = Maharajapuram V Santhanam – son of MVI – SK1989 (1928-1992)

NG = N.Govindarajan – Ghatam

NGR = N G Ravi – Ghatam/Kanjira

NGS = Narada Gana Sabha - Chennai

NM = Nagai Muralidharan – violin – Shishya or R S Gopalakrishnan

NN = Neyveli Narayanan - Mridangam

NNK = Nedunuri.N.Krishnamurthy – Vocalist = NK – SK1991-Guru of Malladi Bros Shishya of SriPada Pinakapani

NR = N.Ramani Dr. – Flute

NRN = Neyveli R Narayanan - Mridangam

NRS = Nyveli.R.Santhanagopalan-Shishya of TNS [06.09.1963-]

NSG = Nagarkovil S Ganesa Iyer - Mridangam

NSS = Nagai.S.Soundararajan – Mridangam-Ghatam

OB = O.Balu - Violin

OV = Voleti = Oleti Venkateswarulu (1928-1989)-Shishya of SriPada Pinakapani

OST = O.S.Tyagarajan – Vocalist

PDP = Pudukottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai -Mridangam/Kanjira

PK = Pudukode Krishnamurthy-Vocal

PKK = Palghat K Kunjumani – Mridangam

PKSV= Papa S.Venkataramiah – Violin

PM = Pudukottai Mahadevan - Kanjira

PMI = Palghat Mani Iyer – Mridangam – In fact he was Palghat T.S.Mani Iyer=TSM-SK1966

PRR = Palghat R. Raghu – SK 2007

PRR = Palghat.R.Ramprasad – grandson of PMI

PS = Papanasam Sivan – SK1971 at 81years –Composer

PSI = Parur Sundaresha Iyer – father of MSG. He introduced Violin to Karnatak music

PSN = P.S.Narayanaswamy - Vocalist

PSP = Palani(Pazhani) Subramanium Pillai – Mridangam/Kanjira (1908 – 2008)

PSP = Pudukottai Swaminataha Pillai

PSS = PArThasArathi swAmy sabha

PU = P.Unnikrishnan – Shishya of Dr.S.Ramanathan

PVAS = Palghat V A Sundaram – Ghatam – accompanied GNB

RC = Ranganatha Chakravarty – Ghatam

RJ = Radha & Jayalaxmi - Vocalists

RK = Ramnad Krishnan - Vocalist

RKS = R.K.Srikanthan – Vocalist – SK 1995 (1920- )

RKS = R.K.Suryanarayan – Veena

RKS = R.KSriramkumar – Violin

RSG = R.S.Gopalakrishnan-Violin

RTP = Ragam, Thanam & Pallavi

RVR = Ramnad.V.Raghavan - Mridangam

RV = R.Vedavalli – Vocalist – SK2000

SB = S.Balachandar – Veena

SCM = Sheikh Chinna Moulana – SK1998

Sikkil Sisters = Neela & Kunjumani- SK2002

SK = Sangeeta Kalanidhi – Music Academy, Chennai

SKR = S.Kalyanaraman - Vocalist

SR = S.Rajam - Violin

SR = S.Ramanathan Dr. – Vocalist – SK1985 (1917-1988)

SP = Sripada Pinakapani –SK 1983, Guru of Dr. Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, Dr. Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana, Malladi Brothers (1913 - )

SPB = S.P.Balasubramanyam - Vocalist

SS = Sanjay Subramanyam – Vocalist (1968- )

SS = Satur A.G.Subramaniam Iyer - Vocalist

SS = S.Sowmya Shishyaa of Dr.S.Ramanathan

SS = Shertalai Sivakumar - Violin

SSI = Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer – Vocalist – shishya of MVI-SK1947(1908-2003)

SSR = Sandhyavandanam Srinivasa Rao - Vocalist

SVSN = S V S Narayanan - Mridangam

TAJ = Tiruvengadu A. Jayaraman – Vocalist - Shishya of MMI [expired Sept.2008]

TB = Thiruvarur Bhakthavatsalam - Mridangam

TC = T.Chowdaiah – Mysore Tirumakudalu Chowdiah– Violin– SK1957 (1895-1967)

TG = Mysore T Gururajappa – Violin – contemporary of T Chowdaiah

T G Krishna Iyer = Lalita Dasa – Composer

THV = T.H -Vikku-Vinayakram – Ghatam

TK = T.Kesavulu - Violin

TKG = T.K.Govinda Rao – Vocalist – SK1999-b1930-Shishya of Musiri Subramanya Iyer

TKJ = T.K.Jayarama Iyer – Violin – SK1960

TKM = TK Murthy – Mridangam – SK1994

TKR = T K Rangachari – Vocalist - (1912-1979)

TMS = T M Soundararajan

TMT = T.M.Tyagarajan – SK1981-Shishhya of SSI

TNK = TN Krishnan – Violin – SK1980

TNR = T.N.Rajaratnam Pillai – Vocalist

TNS = Tiruvaalangaadu N.Sundaresa Iyer - Violin

TNS = T.N.Sheshagopalan, Madurai – Vocalist-Guru of NRS

TP = Trivellore Parthasarathy-violin

TR = TRR = Tanjore Ramamurthy – Mridangam

TR = T Rukmini - Violin

TRB = T R Balu - Violin

TRM = T.R.Mahalingam – Flute

TRR = T.R.Rajaraman – Mridangam - Son of Palghat Mani Iyer

TRS = T.R.Subramanyam Prof Delhi university – Vocalist

TS = Trivellore Suvramaniam - Violin

TSB = T.S.Balasubramanyam

TS = Trichy Shankaran – Mridangam

TSV = Thiruparkadal S. Veeraraghavan (Violin)

TU = Thanjavur Upendran [1934-91] - Mridangam

TV = T.Vishwanatham – Flute

TV = Tiger Varadachariar – Vocal (1876-1950)-Shishya of PS Iyer

TVG = T.V.Gopalakrishnan – Shishya of CVB-Mridangam

TVR = T.V.Ramachandran – Vocalist - shishya of GNB

TVS = T.V.Shankaranarayan – Vocalist-Nephew & shishya of MMI-SK2003

TVV = T.V.Vasan – Violin-Ghatam

UKI = Umayalpuram Kodandarama Iyer - Ghatam

UKS = Umayalapuram K Sivaraman – Mridangam – SK2001

UNK = Umayalpuram N.Kodandarama Aiyar - Ghatam

US = Udupi Sridhar - Ghatam

US = U.Srinivas – Mandolin

VG = Vaikom Gopalakrishnan - Ghatam

VGN = V.Govindaswamy Naicker - Violin

VKR = V Kamalakar Rao – Mridangam (08.06.1936-

VSI = V.Sundaresha Iyer - Violin

VL = Vairamangalam Lakshminarayanan (1928-2004) shishya of TKR

VLK = V.L.Kumar - Violin

VR = Vellore Ramabhadran – Mridangam – SK2004

VT = V.Thyagarajan – Violin

VVR = V V Ravi - Violin

VVS = V.V.Subramanyam – Violin

VVS = V V Srinivasa Rao - Violin

Notes: Visit http://www.halfvalue.com/wiki-search.jsp?topic=List+of+Carnatic+singers&x=13&y=15

for detailed information on some of the above

First compiled April 2005 and updated lastly October 2009