Lyricist Yusufali Kechery dead

KOCHI: Veteran poet and lyricist Yusufali Kechery died of bronchial pneumonia in a private hospital in Kochi on Saturday. He was 81.
He was a devout Muslim - many would say he was very orthodox in his religious beliefs - but through his lyrics Kechery emerged as a symbol of Kerala's syncretic culture with megahit songs like Krishnakripa sagaram and Aalila Kanna that evoked love for Lord Krishna.He wrote lyrics for several non-film devotional albums too.
He was influenced by the old masters of Hindi music like Rafi, Noushad and Noorjahan and always cherished his brief association with his idol Noushad for the film Dhwani.
As a poet too, Kechery won the highest recognition by winning the Odakuzhal, Vayalar and Asaan awards. ''He was a prolific writer and when the vision of a writer fades it is easy to imagine, how he must have felt,'' said Sreekumaran Thampi who has done a documentary on Kechery.
Kechery is survived by wife Khadeeja and children Ajitha, Baiji, Haseena, Sabeena and Suraj. The funeral will be held on Sunday at his hometown of Kechery.