Bruce06828 at 18:45, 28 January 2026

2026-01-28T18:45:06Z

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{{Short description|Indian classical musician and stage actor}}
{{Indian patronymic|Joseph|Kattassery Augustine}}
{{Primary sources|date=June 2008}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kattassery Augustine Joseph
| image = 
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date text|24 March 1912}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Augustine Joseph profile at m3db |url=https://m3db.com/augustine-jospeh |website=M3DB.com}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Mattancherry]], [[Kingdom of Cochin]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age text|3 February 1965|24 March 1912}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Augustine Joseph's obituary advertisement |url=https://m3db.com/sites/default/files/K_Agustine_Joseph_m3db.jpg |website=M3DB.com}}</ref>
| death_place = [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| other_names =
| known_for =
| occupation = [[Actor|Stage actor]], [[musician]]
| spouse = {{Marriage|Elizabeth|1937}}
| children = 7, including [[K. J. Yesudas]]
| relatives = [[Vijay Yesudas]] (grandson)
}}
'''K. Augustine Joseph''' (24 March 1912 – 3 February 1965) was an [[Indian classical music]]ian and [[Actor|stage actor]] from [[Kerala]], India. He was the father of Indian playback singer [[K. J. Yesudas]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/yesudasvijay-in-concert/article5823587.ece|title=Yesudas-Vijay in concert|work=The Hindu|date=24 March 2014|accessdate=5 September 2015}}</ref> and grandfather of singer [[Vijay Yesudas]].<ref>[http://www.yesudas.com/php/showContent.php?linkid=1 Who is (Padmashree)Dr. Kattassery Joseph Yesudas?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612195215/http://www.yesudas.com/php/showContent.php?linkid=1 |date=12 June 2018 }} at www.yesudas.com</ref>

==Life==
He was born in [[Kochi]], as the only son of Kattassery Augustine and Thresyamma, both farmers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/a-voice-that-still-casts-a-spell/article3279264.ece|title=A voice that still casts a spell|author=Staff Reporter|date=4 April 2012|newspaper=The Hindu|accessdate=6 January 2019}}</ref>

He married Puthanpurakkal Elizabeth in 1937, and they had seven children - five sons and two daughters - namely Pushpa (b. 1938), Yesudas (b. 1940), Antony (Nicknamed Antappan, b. 1943), Babu (b. 1945), Mani (b. 1948), Jayamma (b. 1953) and Justin (b. 1958) in chronological order. Among these siblings, Pushpa and Babu died of severe fever at a young age. Although Augustine Joseph was a self-identified Catholic, he believed in Oneness among religion and there was only One Supreme God who is called by different names in different religions. He had instilled that outlook on religion and spirituality in his children, which heavily influenced Yesudas' own worldview.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carnaticdarbar.com/interviews/2010/kj-yesudas.asp|title=Music is a continuous process of learning, says K.J. Yesudas - Carnatic Music Interviews - Darbar for classical music / classical dance|work=carnaticdarbar.com|accessdate=5 September 2015|archive-date=14 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914163927/http://www.carnaticdarbar.com/interviews/2010/kj-yesudas.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Augustine Joseph started training in music and acting at a very young age.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/music/Yesudas-and-Vijay-stage-a-Carnatic-concert-together/articleshow/33646288.cms|title=Yesudas and Vijay stage a Carnatic concert together|work=The Times of India|accessdate=5 September 2015}}</ref> By the 1940s, he had established himself as a musical icon in South India for his numerous performances, both in acting and singing, in stage plays based on Biblical and Hindu Puranic stories. In 1949, Augustine Joseph was approached by Malayalam film producer and director, [[Kunchacko Boban|Kunchacko]], who offered him a lead acting role in his upcoming film. That movie, ''[[Nalla Thanka]]n'', was released in 1950 to critical acclaim and was noted for being the "first big hit" in Malayalam Cinema. Augustine Joseph had also done playback singing for a five songs in the movie. In addition, Augustine Joseph played a minor role in the 1953 Malayalam film, ''[[Velakkaran]]'', where he had also done playback singing for two songs.

Augustine Joseph died of a suspected heart attack aged 53 in 1965. Yesudas, his son, later said in an interview that he had faced lot of money problems during this period and when his father died, the hospital authorities told him to give Rs. 1000/-.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-singing-maestro-yesudas-turns-73-1787631|title=Singing maestro Yesudas turns 73|date=2013-01-10|work=dna|access-date=2018-06-09|language=en-US}}</ref> It was the famous lyricist [[P. Bhaskaran]] who helped him during this period.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/Yesudas-Son-to-Enthral-Tripunithura/2014/03/26/article2130287.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905020204/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/Yesudas-Son-to-Enthral-Tripunithura/2014/03/26/article2130287.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 September 2014|title=Yesudas, Son to Enthral Tripunithura|work=The New Indian Express|accessdate=5 September 2015}}</ref> He was buried according to his wish at [[Kochi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.keralatourism.org/leadinglights/dr-k-j-yesudas/4|title=Dr. K. J. Yesudas|work=keralatourism.org|accessdate=5 September 2015}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===As an actor===
*Nallathanka (1950)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.malayalachalachithram.com/profiles.php?i=234|title=Augustine Joseph|work=malayalachalachithram.com|accessdate=5 September 2015}}</ref>
*Velakkaaran (1953)

===As a playback singer===
* Mahesha Maayamo ... Nallathanka 1950
* Sodara Bandhamathonne ... Nallathanka 1950
* Manoharamee Raajyam ... Nallathanka 1950
* Maanam Thanna Maariville ... Nallathanka 1950
* Aanandamaanaake ... Nallathanka 1950
* Paahimaam Jagadeeshwara ... Velakkaaran 1953
* Aanandamennum ... Velakkaaran 1953

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joseph, Augustine}}
[[Category:20th-century Indian male classical singers]]
[[Category:1912 births]]
[[Category:1965 deaths]]
[[Category:Singers from Kochi]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language playback singers]]
[[Category:Indian male playback singers]]
[[Category:Male actors in Malayalam cinema]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male actors]]
[[Category:K. J. Yesudas]]

{{India-singer-stub}}

Augustine Joseph - Revision history

Bruce06828 at 18:45, 28 January 2026