Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram (born 11 August 1942), also known as Vikku Vinayakram, is a Grammy Award–winning Indian percussionist. He plays Carnatic music with the Ghatam and is credited with popularising this Indian instrument.
Vinayakram’s concert career began at the age of 13. His first performance occurred on 5 March 1957 at the Rama Navami festival in Thoothukudi. He was soon accompanying many famous vocalists in Carnatic music at the time, including Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, G. N. Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, M. S. Subbulakshmi and Maharajapuram Santhanam, among others. His foray into the international platform came in the early 1970s when he joined Shakti to play along with John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain.
Vikku Vinayakaram was awarded the Padma Shri, given by Government of India in 2002, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2012, the highest honour in the performing arts conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama and the Padma Bhushan in 2014.
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