Artist Information How best can we describe Guruvayoor Dorai? If you can walk with kings and not lose the common touch... yours is the universe and all that is there in it could well be the best way to describe Vidwan Guruvayur Dorai.   Few others have had the privilege of rubbing shoulders with all the stalwarts in Carnatic music. Dorai attributes his inspiration to his sister Guruvayur Ponnammal who was a famous singer in her time. His father often wondered what profession his son would choose, but when he found that young Dorai kept drumming his fingers on chairs, tables or whatever else he could find, he felt that mridangam was the right choice for him. He was sent for training at the age of 6 to the eminent mridangam vidwans Sri. Palghat Subba Iyer, Sri. E. P. Narayana Pisharody of Eranallur and later to Sri. Palani Subramaniam Pillai.   Dorai's career started off at the age of 8, when he had the privilege to accompany the legendary Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, on the mridangam for the first time on stage in 1943. He started playing for concerts in Bangalore and Mysore and met Sri. Muthiah Bhagavathar at Mysore and got his blessings. He accompanied big names in Carnatic music like Flute Mali, Palladam Sanjeeva Rao, Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu and later Semmangudi, Alathoor, MDR, Prof. Mysore Ramarathnam, KVN time after time. The mridangam is not easy to accompany a soft instrument like the veena, says Dorai, but he did it with finesse for veterans like Emani, Chitti Babu, S. Balachander, K. S. Narayanaswami, M. A. Kalyanakrishna Bhagavathar. It was a rare combination of Nadaswaram and Mridangam when Dorai accompanied Nadaswara Chakravarthi T. N. Rajaratnam Pillai.   Guruvayur Dorai has also taught at several music schools. He was a visiting Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle between 1977-78. In 1979, he taught at the Sydney University, Australia in conjunction with Prof. T.N. Krishnan. Dorai was also the Dean of Temple of Fine Arts, an international organisation for the promotion of Music and Dance in Kaula Lampur.   Dorai is the recepient of numerous awards. Noteworthy among them are:   Kalaimamani - title conferred in 1990 by the TamilNadu government  Asthana Vidwan of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam - 1991  Kala Shiromani - conferred by Percussion Arts Center, Bangalore, 1996  Laya Gnana Vibushan - title conferred by Yazh Sangeetha Sabha, Perth, Australia Sangeeth Natak Academy award- 1997   2003 year marks the 60 th year on the Mridangam for Vidwan Guruvayoor Dorai. His first maiden appearance on stage was in 1943 when he accompanied the legedary vocalist Chembai. Vidwan Guruvayoor Dorai has been a most sought after mridangam aritist, taking every concert that he accompanied to new heights every single time, with his impeccable style and his gifted ability to accompany artists from various schools of music, and bring out every single note just to the right quantum in each and every concert. He has been able to help bring out the best in the artist's time after time. As an elderly statesman he continues to serve the field of music with distinction. He is being felicitated by the Music Academy Madras on this special occasion in December 2003. Vidwan Dorai is also marking the 60 th anniversary by opening the Gurvayur Dorai Trust dedicated to the promotion, nurturing of younger generation artists and preservation fine arts.