The Nambudiri Brahmins, also transliterated Namboothiri, are Hindu Brahmins from the Indian state of Kerala.

Nambudri nambũdiri is derived from nambuka "to trust" and tiri (from Sanskrit śrī) "blessed". Popular etymology derives the name from Malayalam nambu "the Veda", ōthu "to teach" and tiri "holy".

Nambudiri mythology associates their immigration to Kerala from the banks of Narmada, Krishna and Kaveri rivers with the legendary creation of Kerala by Parasurama, an avatar of Vishnu. In the Travancore State Manual, Nagam Ayya also says that they came from the region between Krishna and Godavari.

Kalpathy Balakrishnan is an Indian percussionist who plays the chenda (a traditional Kerala drum), Thayambaka, Panchari melam, and Panchavadyam. He was born in a small village called kalpathy in the palakkad district of Kerala. He won Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi Award for the best thayambaka artist.

Kaithapram Vishwanathan Nambudiri is an eminent musician and music director from Kerala, India. He has directed several hit songs in Malayalam movies. His brother Kaithapram Damodaran Nambudiri is very famous lyricist in Malayalm Movies and a well acclaimed poet.

An alumnus of Thiruvananthapuram Music College, Viswanathan made his debut with Kaliyattam directed by national award-winning director Jayaraj.

Earlier, he had handled the orchestra for the songs of his brother in Jayaraj's Desatanam, a moving story of a boy being forced into spiritual life by his parents.

Since then he has done music for about 20 films, many of which were directed by Jayaraj including Kannaki and Thilakkam.

Besides Yesudas, his scores had been rendered by top singers like P Jayachandran, K S Chithra and G Venugopal, who got the state award for best singer for the film Ullam.

Born in Kannadi Illam in Kaithapram village near Payyanur in north Kerala, Viswanathan had his early lessons in music from his father Kesavan Namboodiri, who was known as 'Kannadi Bhagavathar'.