Ente Keralam; Ethra Sundaram; Invaluable Melody: Chittoor Gopi and His Lyrical Legacy with Didi Usha Uthup
NV Paulose, Chairman, Global TV +91 98441 82044
When the breeze carried fragrance of temple flowers in the silent lanes of Chittoor and the sounds of Tabla echoed rhythms of a spiritual heart, from the Verandas of an old ancestral home, a poet was born to set rhythm for the merger of simplicity with spirituality. He was Chittoor Gopi who rose to the fame to remain grounded and well settled at the foothills of humility. His lyrics are profound to touch many hearts. It was made out of legendary feathers that are immensely distinct.
Chittoor Gopi draws poems with interlaced lyrics when others attempted to write them word by word. What it means by drawing instead of writing? You may ask this immediately to negate the idea or to navigate them through a logical level of understanding. You cannot find a synaptic gap between the words in his lyrics.
Every bit of his words gets merged with the entire set of poems as if all of them are immersed in the origin of oceans. Taking a word out from its virgin thread will only make the London bridge falling down. His lyrics draw a connectivity between the heart that sings and the pen that writes so much so that you are not able to separate them from one another. Together it hit the neurons of the millions who hear them again and again. Invaluable are the merits of the combine.
Chittoor Gopi is an embodiment of humility, simplicity and spirituality. Every lyric he penned bore the depth of a timeless truth. He writes for the generations to come after generations to find meaning in their existence. He bridges listeners a little closer to their own soul. The feather touch arouses wisdom in them.
The Invaluable Musical Combine
Didi Usha Uthup and Chittoor Gopi were filled with an enduring love for music beyond narrations and explanations. Gopi conceived them impeccably and Didi delivered them immensely. Both could give an immeasurable treasure for Kerala to set their mental state of affairs about humanity and dignity. We should go an extra mile further to narrate the birth of Ente Keralam; Ethra Sundaram, a melody that springs and sprouts love and compassion in the heartbeats of Malayalees.
Chittoor Gopi has a heart that beats in every word he pens. Didi made many of his lyrics soulful to touch millions at the deep of their hearts. The combine stands out like a jewel in the crown; indomitable, inimitable, and sparkling.
When Didi Called for More Songs
It wasn’t a coincidence that brought Usha Uthup and Chittoor Gopi together; it was destiny. Didi, with her signature Kanjeevaram saree and booming voice, had already won hearts across the nation. But when she approached Gopi, asking, “Gopi, oru paattu ezhuthumo?”, she wasn’t merely requesting him for lyrics; she was inviting him to join her in the make of a new era in Malayalam music.
Their collaboration grew organically, with mutual respect and artistic understanding. From cinematic music to devotional melodies, every Malayalam song that Usha Uthup sang in recent decades carries Chittoor Gopi’s lyrical soul behind it. “Ente Keralam Ethra Sundaram;” A Song, A Sentiment, A Symbol of all the songs born from this remarkable duo, stands out as a timeless anthem.
With music composed by Usha Uthup herself and lyrics lovingly woven by Gopi, the song is a celebration of Kerala’s soul. Didi poured her affection for the state into every note, and Gopi responded by stitching together lines that sang not just about the land, but also the pride of its people.
What made this song iconic was not just its melody; it was the deep simplicity of Gopi’s words. He carefully avoided complex phrases, crafting lines that were as easy on the tongue as they were heavy with meaning. This allowed Usha Uthup, a non-native Malayalam speaker, to articulate each word with precision, clarity, emotion and perfection. Gopi recalls, “Didi would ask for the meaning and pronunciation of each word. She respected the language and honored the lines.”
Chittoor Gopi
Long before he became a lyricist of repute, Gopi was a passionate percussionist. As a young boy, he tapped rhythms on utensils, tables, and anything that made sound. His early mentor, renowned tabla artist K.C. Antony, recognized the spark and took him under his wing. Gopi soon found himself performing alongside the legends like Yesudas, Jayachandran, and Janaki Amma and others.
While cinema gave him a platform, Gopi never limited himself there. His work spans bhakti songs, educational songs, jingles, and public awareness campaigns. His writing reflects a blend of cultural rootedness and modern relevance, combining beauty with meaning. Perhaps the most touching aspect of his career is how he shaped Usha Uthup’s Malayalam repertoire.
Besides “Ente Keralam,” he penned hits like “Malabarin Oppana”, a song that gained new life with music by R.D. Burman. Each song they created together is a piece of history.
Chittoor Gopi carries the poetic legacy of his great-grandfather, Kesavan Ilayidath, a respected poet who once received honors from the Maharaja of Cochin. Growing up amidst his great-grandfather’s verses, Gopi absorbed the rhythm of poetry and the heritage that lives on through his lyrics.
There are lyricists, and then there are wordsmiths who feel every line before writing it. Chittoor Gopi belongs to the latter set of lyricists. His is a gentle craftsman of emotions and a melody-maker. His words carry fragrance of a soul.
