V. M. Kutty

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'', he is often credited with having performed Mappila songs on stage for the first time in 1957.

Kutty was known to be one of the most popular figures among mainstream Mappilapattu singers. He had also proven talent as a lyricist. Kutty played a major role in popularizing the Mappilappattu genre through experimenting with the traditional music stream. He was a member of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, Kerala Lalithakala Akademi and Maha Kavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar Smarakam. He was the vice chairman of Kerala Folklore Academy. He has also served as an honorary secretary to the Institute of Mappila Studies.

He won Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award under the category ''Keraleeya Kalakal'' in 1997. He received Kerala Folklore Academy fellowship in 2017. He was conferred with an honorary doctorate (D.Litt) by Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University. Provided by Wikipedia