Early life

Embranthiri was born in a poor Brahmin family in Vellayoor village of Malappuram district in Malabar. After completing his schooling, during which he learnt classical Carnatic music from a local teacher named Govinda Pisarody, teenaged Sankaran joined Kerala Kalamandalam in 1958. Madambi Subrahmanian Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Tirur Nambissan and Kalamandalam Hyderali joined Kalamandalam in the same year. His Kathakali music tutors at the institution were Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan, Kalamandalam Gangadharan, Sivaraman Nair and Madhava Panikkar.

Embranthiri wasn't a particularly promising singer during his student days, but soon after completing his training at Kalamandalam began being noticed for his sweet, emotion-laden voice and clear diction. At the same time he started finding stages in the southern Travancore region, he was employed—first in the Irinjalakuda-based Unnayi Varrier Smaraka Kalanilayam in 1965 and later, in 1970, at FACT Kathakali School near Kochi from where he eventually retired as a Kathakali music teacher.

Career

Embranthiri rose to professional prominence in early 1970s by updating himself on its voice culture that suited the general aesthetics of the times.^[2] His singing had a charismatic appeal that earned him admirers from the mass and the class alike. This, coupled with his ability to anchor the show as the lead musician (ponnani bhagavatar), won the trust of masters like Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Kalamandalam Gopi, Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair and Kottakkal Sivaraman.

Embranthiri's novel rendition style inspired several of his contemporary singers, chiefly Kalamandalam Hyderali and Venmani Kalamandalam Haridas. In Haridas, he found a perfect cueist singer (sinkiti), taking him under his wings soon after Haridas made a comeback to Kathakali after a decade-old break from the art form.

In August 1990, Embranthiri fell seriously ill, necessitating a kidney transplant the following year. He did return to Kathakali circuit months later but seldom rose to his vintage form. Acute diabetes led to amputation of his right leg less than a decade later, but a gritty and tenacious Embranthiri still chose to stay on as a singer, sitting on a wheelchair in one corner of the Kathakali stage.

Death

Embranthiri died on 13 November 2007, at a hospital in Aluva, off Kochi, near the house he built and had been living in during the autumn of his life. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.