Alphons Joseph

Alphons Joseph is an Indian music director and playback singer who works in Malayalam film industry. He debuted with 2003 movie Vellithira. Alphons is also noted for singing "Aaromale" from the film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, which was composed by A. R. Rahman.

Alphons Joseph
Born (1973-07-08) 8 July 1973
OriginThrissur, Kerala
GenresFilm score
Occupation(s)Composer, Music Director, Singer, Instrumentalist, Voice Trainer
Instrument(s)Guitar, Vocals
Years active2003–present
Member ofRexband[1]
WebsiteOfficial Website

Personal life and early career

Alphons was born in Kaachery near Nadathara, Thrissur, Kerala, India to a musically affluent Christian family. His mother was Thankamma and father was Koladi Joseph, a tablist and a singer but by profession, a KSEB sub-engineer. Alphons was the second among their 7 children. His elder brother, Joemon is a pianist and has composed music for two Malayalam films. His younger brother Paulson is a well known exponent of Sitar and has got First Rank in M.A. Hindustani from Dharwad University. He was introduced to Music by his father's younger brother K. K. Paul, who was a well known violinist. Alphons considers Philip, another talented musician from Thrissur, as his mentor and guru. He was the one who diverted Alphons to Western Classical Music and ghazals.

Alphons has had professional training in Carnatic music from Shri. Mangad K. Nadesan (A. I. R) and has secured 7th grade in classical guitar and 7th Grade in Western Music Theory from London Trinity College of Music. He took up music as a profession after he received the Kala Prathibha award by Calicut University for the years 1990 and 1992.

He is the lead guitarist, vocalist and one among the founders of Rexband, a gospel music band with a few albums to their credit. This band experimented a lot in gospel music by blending Western music with Hindustani and Carnatic. They have listeners all over the world and the only Asian Band, which got a chance to participate in World Youth Day. From 2000 onwards, he started working as a composer and a sound engineer in Asia-net Radio 657AM, a radio station in Dubai. He worked there even after the release of his first film soundtrack and composed many jingles and title songs as part of his work. Apart from his master's degree in computer application from IGNOU, he completed his M.A. in Music from Calicut university. He was a permanent judge in the Reality Show Amrita TV Superstar 2. He was also a part of A. R. Rahman's JaiHo Concert – The Journey Home.

Career

As a music director

Alphons was introduced to director Bhadran, who was looking for a new music director for his movie Vellithira, by Leo Thadevus, a friend of Alphons, who himself later on became a film director. The audio release function of Vellithira was held with several film personalities participating in the grand function including composer A. R. Rahman who appreciated Alphons for the good orchestration of the songs. The songs especially "Hridayasakhi" and "Nee Manimukiladakal" won him immediate attention. "Kera Nirakal" from Alphons' next film Jalotsavam was a super hit and won him critical accolades. The next superhit from Alphons came with Amal Neerad directed movie Big B in which the songs "Vida Parayukayano" sung by Shreya Ghoshal and "Muthu Mazha" got high acclaims.

As a playback singer

Alphons had sung some songs by his Rexband and some film songs which had music created by him. But in 2010, Alphons got a big break as a singer for singing "Aaromale", a song composed by Academy Award winner A. R. Rahman in the acclaimed soundtrack for the Tamil film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa. The film as well as the song became a huge success in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and overseas and the composer called his rendition "soulful". Alphons is now a part of the Jai Ho Concert- The Journey Home World Tour by A.R.Rahman. Recently he sang a song "Nee Yeppa pulla Solla ppora" for the movie "Kumki" music by D Imman. Another song called "Engo Oodugindrai" from the movie "Pizza", music by Santhosh Narayanan. Next one was "Yarukkum Thozhanillei" from the movie "Thanka meengal", music by Yuvan Shankar Raja. He has sung the Malayalam portion of the song "Chellena oru mazhai thuli" from the movie "Raja Rani" and he himself wrote the Malayalam lyrics for that song and music was composed by G V Prakash. He continues to sing in Tamil film industry for many other music directors. His recent Malayalam rendition in Bijibal's music direction for the movie Rajamma@Yahoo got special appreciation and the song titled as "Mananivalude" was a khavali song.

As a Teacher

Alphons is also a teacher and the managing director of his own music school Crossroads School of Music. There are two branches of this music school - one in Pathadipalam and the other in Panampilly Nagar.

Discography

List of film scores and soundtracks composed
YearFilmScoreSongsNotes
2003 Vellithira Yes Yes
2004 Manjupoloru Penkutti Yes Yes
Jalolsavam Yes
2005 Iruvattam Manavatti Yes
Makalkku Yes
2007 Athishayan Yes Yes
Big B Yes
Black Cat Yes Yes One song only
2008 Pachamarathanalil Yes Yes
Aayudham Yes One song only
2010 Aathmakatha Yes
Cocktail Yes Two songs only
Elektra Yes Yes
2011 Payyans Yes
Seniors Yes One song and Drama theme music
Uppukandam Brothers Back in Action Yes
2012 Asuravithu Yes
Casanovva Yes Two songs only
Cinema Company Yes Yes
2013 Oidu Onthala Oidu (Telugu Film) Yes
Pranayakadha Yes Yes Two songs only
2014 Kathai Thiraikathai Vasanam Iyakkam Yes One song only
2015 Akkaldhamayile Pennu Yes Yes
2019 Lonappante Mamodeesa Yes Yes
2020 Varane Avashyamund Yes Yes
2022 Panthrandu Yes Yes
Sundari Gardens Yes

Playback singer

YearSongFilmComposer
2003 "Velichathin Vellithooval" Vellithira Himself
2005 "Kanneeril Pidayum" Iruvattam Manavatti
2007 "Oru Vakkum" Big B
2010 "Aaromale" Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa A. R. Rahman
Ye Maaya Chesave
"Pontharakame" Aathmakatha Himself
"Vennilavinumivide" Cocktail
"Lets Dance" Elektra
"Ormathan" Thriller Dharan
"Angine Angine" Puthumukhangal Shyam Dharman
2011 "Doore Vazhiyirulukayaayi" Payyans Himself
2012 "Aaromale" Ekk Deewana Tha A. R. Rahman
2012 "Engo Odugindrai" Pizza Santhosh Narayanan
2012 "Nee Yeppo Pulla" Kumki D Imman
2013 "Yaarukkum Thozhan Illai" Thanga Meengal Yuvan Shankar Raja
"Chilena Oru Mazhaithuli" Raja Rani G. V. Prakash Kumar
2013 "Doore" Kaanchi Ronnie Raphael
"Spirit of Amen" Amen Prashant Pillai
2014 "Ekkachakkay" Kappal Natarajan
"Kaatril Kathai Irukku" Kathai Thiraikathai Vasanam Iyakkam Himself
"Thamizhukku en Ondrei Azhuthavum" Tamizhuku En Ondrai Azhuthavum Thaman
"Mayako" Asurakulam C. Sathya
2015 "Mananivalude" Rajamma @ Yahoo Bijibal
"Aazhi Alai Neerum" Vizhithiru Sathyan Mahalingam
2017 "Emitemitemo" Arjun Reddy Radhan
2018 "My World is Flying" Hello Guru Premakosame Devi Sri Prasad
2020 "Mathi kanna" Varane Aavashyamundu Himself
2022 "Mayamoham" Sundari Gardens Himself
2022 "Ponni Nadhi (Malayalam)" Ponniyin Selvan A R Rahman

Other works

  • 2010 Commonwealth Games Theme song (Kerala State version)
  • 2011 Composed music for Medical research project Music for the foetus.

Awards and recognitions

  • Alphons was awarded the 2004 Film Critics Award for the song Kera Nirakal from the movie Jalolsavam.
  • 2011 Amrita TV FEFKA Film Awards – Best Music Director award for the songs of the movie "Atmakadha".
  • 2011 Vijay TV Music Awards – Best Debut Singer award for the song Aaromale.
  • 2011 L-Channel Film & TV Awards – Best Music Director award for the songs of "Cocktail".
  • 2011 Pala Communications Yuva Prathibha Awards – For all the achievements in the year 2010.
  • 2011 Radio mirchi music Awards – Best Singer Nomination for VTV Song Aaromale.
  • [Veteran Malayalam song composer Raveendran commented about Alphons that he is 'a composer to watch out for'.

References

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