Chinnaponnu

Chinnaponnu
Chinnaponnu
	Chinnaponnu in a Puthuyugam interview
Background information
Born	Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu, India
Genres	Filmi, Folk music
Occupation	Playback singer
Instrument	Vocalist
Years active	1990–current

Chinnaponnu (also credited as Chinna Ponnu or Chinnaponnu Kumar) is a folk and playback singer from the state of Tamil Nadu, India.

Early life

Chinnaponnu was born in Suranam, a small village in Sivagangai district, Tamil Nadu, India. She started performing in temple festivals and churches when she was 13 years old. Soon afterwards, she began singing professionally in the troupe of fellow folk artist Kottaisamy, whom she credits as a mentor. Later her voice brought the attention of K.A. Gunasekaran, a leading researcher on the folk arts and folk songs of Tamil Nadu, who also had close ties to the Communist Party of India. Gunasekaran helped promote her performances in different parts of the state.^[1]

Career

In 2004, she broke into the Tamil film industry as a playback singer with the song "Annanoda Paatu” in the hit film Chandramukhi, starring Rajinikanth and Jyothika.^[2] This led to television appearances and interest from other music directors.

In the year 2010, she won the Edition Award 2010 for the song "Theeka Theeka" from the film Suriyan Satta Kalloori directed by S.S. Pandian. In the same year she was also one of the artists featured in the theme song for the World Classical Tamil Conference 2010, composed by A. R. Rahman, with a video directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon.^[3]

In 2010 and 2011, her troupe was one of the headlining acts at the Chennai Sangamam festival. In June 2011, she appeared on MTV Coke Studio television series in the episodes 'Vethalai' and 'Tere Naam' along with singer Kailash Kher and Papon.

In 2012, she entered the Telugu film industry with the song Pattuko Pattuko in the hit movie Bus Stop with music by JB and G. Anil.

Nakku Mukka

Her next major hit, "Nakku Mukka", was featured in the 2008 film Kadhalil Vizhunthen. For this song she was honoured with the Kannadasan Award for best folk singer in a Tamil film. A different version of "Nakku Mukka" (with changed lyrics) was featured in a short Times of India ad film entitled A Day in the Life of Chennai, which won two Gold Lions at Cannes in 2009.^[4]^[5] The song even featured in the Bollywood hit film The Dirty Picture.

Bigg Boss Tamil

She was a contestant in Bigg Boss (Tamil season 5). She got eliminated on Day 28 due to the lack of public votes.

Discography

Cassettes

Suriya Thoranam, her first audiocassette, released by Father Bakianathan.

Thannane, with songs written and composed by K.A. Gunasekaran, released by the CPI.

Chinnaponnu recorded many other cassettes in her childhood and young adulthood which were sold and circulated informally. A CD re-release of the best of these tracks is planned.

Solo CDs

Marikkozhunthae (Symphony Records, 2005)

Thannane Thannane (Symphony Records, 2009)

Playback singer

Song	Film	Music Director	Language
Annanoda pattu	Chandramukhi	Vidyasagar	Tamil
Aathi Sivanae	Thagappansamy	Srikanth Deva	Tamil
Mannarkudi Kalakalakka	Sivappathigaram	Vidyasagar	Tamil
Naalugopura	Karuppusamy Kuththagaithaarar	Dheena	Tamil
Nakku Mukka	Kadhalil Vizhunthen	Vijay Antony	Tamil
Theeka Theeka	Suriyan Satta Kalloori	Deva	Tamil
Dindu Kallu	Dindigul Sarathy	Dheena	Tamil
Aakayam Edimughanka	Eesa	Haran	Tamil
Aaravaili	Avargalum Ivargalum	Srikanth Deva	Tamil
Aakayam Edimughanka	Eesa	Haran	Tamil
Kattu Sirukki (Slow Version)	Raavanan	AR Rahman	Tamil
Aaraaro Aaraaro	Pannaiyarum Padminiyum	Justin Prabhakaran	Tamil
Pattuko Pattuko	Bus Stop	JB and G. Anil	Telugu
Kaatuka Kallu	Sarocharu	Devi Sri Prasad	Telugu
Mirchi	Mirchi	Devi Sri Prasad	Telugu
Thappathaan Theriyum	Maari	Anirudh Ravichander	Tamil
Moonu Kodi	Oru Kanniyum Moonu Kalavaanikalum	Natarajan Sankaran	Tamil
Love In Wheels - Theme	Thodari	D.Imman	Tamil
Vodu Vodu Vodu	Bramman	Devi Sri Prasad	Tamil
Aararo	Katha Solla Porom	Pavan Kumar	Tamil
Bam Bam Bambaram	Raja Mandhiri	Justin Prabhakaran	Tamil
Oppaari	Saithan	Vijay Antony	Tamil
Anna Nadai	Thagaraaru	Dharan Kumar	Tamil
Oorellam Vettu Sattham	Thilagar	Kannan	Tamil
Valliamma	Seedan	Dhina	Tamil
Chikku Bukku	Madha Gaja Raja	Vijay Antony	Tamil
Vatta Vatta	Seeni	Srikanth Deva	Tamil
Anicham Poovazhagi	Thaandavam	G.V.Prakash Kumar	Tamil
Hello Brother	Irumbu Kuthirai	G.V.Prakash Kumar	Tamil
Kokkara Kozhi	Saivam	G.V.Prakash Kumar	Tamil
Athamaga Pudikavillai	Kannakkol	Bobby	Tamil
Koova	Ondraga Originals	Karthik	Tamil
Vengamavan	Natpe Thunai	Hiphop Tamizha	Tamil
Ready Steady Go	Anbarivu	Hiphop Tamizha	Tamil
Ningi Nela	F3	Devi Sri Prasad	Telugu
Oorukaaran	Non-album singles	Hiphop Tamizha	Tamil

Personal life

In 1990 Chinnaponnu was married to composer and percussionist Selva Kumar (who generally performs under the name Kumar) at Thanjavur Mariamman Temple. They have composed music and performed together ever since.

In 2008, Chinnaponnu was involved in a serious car accident, in which her driver was killed.^[6] She sustained head injuries and was hospitalised for several weeks, but was performing and recording again within a few months.

In 2021, Chinnaponnu participated in the reality show Bigg Boss Tamil Season 5 and became the only aged female contestant to survive in the house for 4 weeks.

In 2023, Chinnaponnnu is participating in Zee Tamil show Super Jodi.

References

^ Chinna Ponnu dreams big, archived from the original on 1 March 2011
^ "These are songs packed with healing effect", The Hindu, Chennai, India, 14 March 2007, archived from the original on 9 April 2008
^ Chinna Ponnu on cloud nine
^ "TOI wins India its first Gold Film Lions at Cannes". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012.
^ "A Day in the Life of Chennai". Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
^ The Hindu (14 November 2008). "Singer Injured in Road Accident". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 20 September 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2011.

External links

Chinnaponnu at IMDb
https://web.archive.org/web/20110302074117/http://chinnaponnu.com/index.html
http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2009/a-day-in-the-life-of-chennai/ Archived 14 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine

[1] Chinna Ponnu dreams big, archived from the original on 1 March 2011

[2] "These are songs packed with healing effect", The Hindu, Chennai, India, 14 March 2007, archived from the original on 9 April 2008

[3] Chinna Ponnu on cloud nine

[4] "TOI wins India its first Gold Film Lions at Cannes". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012.

[5] "A Day in the Life of Chennai". Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2011.

[6] The Hindu (14 November 2008). "Singer Injured in Road Accident". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 20 September 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2011.

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