Villu (Telugu: విల్లు) means in some South Indian Languages

Hari Villu kamal

Onavillu, a simple, short bow-shaped musical instrument

Villu (deity), a Mitanni fish-deity

Villu (film), a 2009 Tamil film directed by Prabhu Deva

Villu Paatu (or 'Bow Song'), an ancient form of musical story-telling art of South Kerala and Tamil Nadu

Villupuram, a district and town in Tamil Nadu

Name	"வைகை புயல்" KAIPULLA Vadivelu
Birthdate	September 12, 1960
Birth place	Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
Othername	Vaigai Puyal
Yearsactive	1992—present
Occupation	Film actor, Comedian, playback singer

Vadivelu (Tamil: வடிவேலு) (born 12 September 1960) is a Tamil film actor and playback singer. Post-2000, he has dominated Tamil films as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. He is renowned for his slapstick comedies.

Early life and career

Born in the southern city of Madurai, Vadivelu is popularly known as வைகை புயல்(Vaigai Puyal - meaning the storm from the Vaigai River, which flows through the city for his high sense of humor). Starting as a sidekick to the famed Goundamani-Senthil comedy duo, he rose to prominence after his role in Kadhalan. His Madurai Tamil accent (Tamil spoken in Madurai, a district in Tamil Nadu) is born to a father who was extremely poor and worked in a glass factory in Madurai. This forced Vadivelu to seek help from actor Rajkiran who was also from the same place as him. Actor Rajkiran taking pity on him brought him to Chennai, and made him an office boy in his studio and later gave a chance to act as small comedy role in his first movie called En Rasavin Manasile. The hits song Poda Poda Punnakku is Vadivelu's first role in that movie. This soon caught the attention of one of the versatile actors of Indian Cinema Kamal Hassan, who was fascinated by the antics of this man and offered roles to him in his future movies like Devar Magan and Singaravelan.

In most movies, Vadivelu plays a simpleton with good intentions but lands in trouble because of circumstances or eccentricities of the people he comes across. These roles involve heavy use of slapstick and puns, which has led him to being typecast. His comedy sequences typically end with him getting soundly thrashed and a closing one-liner from him bemoaning his situation or antagonists.

He starred in the lead role of the historical comedy spoof Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi. The movie features Vadivelu in a dual role, playing twin brothers. His next venture as lead star was in the movie Indiralohathil Na Azhagappan.

Apart from acting, Vadivelu is also a singer who has also lent his voice to songs in his movies. He often renders traditional Tamil village singing and dappan koothu. Some of his popular songs are "Ettana Irundha", "Orendu Onne" "Kundakka Mandakka", "Oonam Oonam" (a song that inspires the physically challenged) and the hilarious "Alwa Kudukuran."

Turning Point

Vadivelu and Actor R. Parthiban comedy combination in Bharathi Kannama gave a big turning point to Vadivelu. Their comedy combination movies made supper hit in Tamil cinema industry.

Controversies

On 21 September 2008, Vadivelu's residence, located in the Saligramam neighbourhood in Chennai, was pelted with stones by a gang, leaving several windows and furniture smashed and damaged. The actor had taken refuge in a room in his home and was safe. Vadivelu is said to have suspected Vijayakanth because of a recent controversy that broke out between the two. Vadivelu had previously filed a case against Vijayakanth for assault and the final court hearing will occur on Monday, 22 September 2008. The attack may have occurred in order to prevent Vadivelu from attending the court hearing.

Vadivelu has filed another case on Vijayakanth for attempt of murder and investigations are taking place. Vadivelu has also mentioned his keen interest on competing against Vijayakanth in the next assembly elections and "teaching him a lesson." In response, actor Vijayakanth told a press meet on September 22 that Vadivelu's allegations are .

Songs sung by vadivelu

Recent filmography

{| class="wikitable" ! Year !! Film !! Role !! Notes |- | rowspan="1"| 2006 || Thalainagaram || Naai Sekar || |- | rowspan="1"| 2007 || Marudhamalai || Aettu Aegambaram || |- | rowspan="7"| 2008 || Kannum Kannum || || |- | Seval ||Thapaal Thangavelu || |- | ''Kee.Mu || maadasaamy || |- | Theekutchi || || |- | Ellam Avan Seyal ||Vandu Murugan || |- | Kuselan || Saloon Shanmugam || |- | Muniyandi Vilangial Moonramandu ||Maniyaatti Saamiyaar Sorimuthu Ayyanaar || |- | Kathavarayan ||Kanduvetti Karuppu || |- | Indiralohathil Na Azhagappan ||Azhagappan/Indran/Yama Dharmarajan ||second film as hero |- | rowspan="7"| 2009 || Villu || Maadasaamy || |- | Vedigundu Murugesan || Alert Arumugam || |- | Azhagar Malai || Kaathamuthu || |- | Kanthaswamy || Thengaakadai Thennappan || |- | Peranmai || Soosai || |- | Aadhavan || Banerjee alias banner kuppan || |- | Jaganmohini || || |- | rowspan="7"| 2010|| Kacheri Arambam || Deepavali || |- | Sura || Umbarlla|| |- | Thillalangadi || Jackie|| |- | Nagaram|| Style Paandi|| |- | rowspan="7"| 2011|| Kaavalan || || |- | Ilaignan || || |- | Kulasekaranum Koolipadaiyum || || Filming |- | Malaiyoor Mambattiyaan || || Filming |- | Ponnar Shankar || || Filming |- | Lucky Jokers || || filming; malayalam || |- | Medhai || || filming |- | Ulagam || || filming |- | Kodiesvaran || || delayed since 1999 || |- |)

Telugu voice

He is usually covered by Brahmanandam for voice in Telugu versions of movies.

References

External links

Category:Indian comedians Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian Hindus Category:Tamil comedians Category:Tamil actors Category:Tamil Indians Category:Living people Category:1960 births

Name	Daddy Yankee
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Ramón Luis Ayala Rodriguez
Also known	El Cangri El Jefe The Big Boss and King Of Reggaeton.
Born	February 03, 1977
Origin	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Genre	Reggaeton
Years active	1992–present
Label	El Cartel, Interscope, Sony Music Latin
Url	www.daddyyankee.com

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodriguez (February 3, 1977), known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award winning Puerto Rican reggaeton recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, where he became interested in music at a young age. In his youth he was interested in baseball, and aspired to become a Major League Baseball player. He was unable to continue this sport when he received an injury to one of his legs, leaving him unable to walk correctly. He then became involved in the underground rap movement that was in its early stages in Puerto Rico, later to be called Reggaeton. After receiving lessons from several artists within the genre, he developed an independent career, first recording in a production titled Playero 37. After this he began to produce independent albums. His first solo album was No Mercy. He subsequently formed a duo with Nicky Jam, and then continued his solo career with the releases of El Cartel and El Cartel II. This led him be one of many pioneers of the reggaeton genre earning him the nickname Papi Vaquero.

In 2002 El Cangri.com became Ayala's first album with international success, receiving coverage in the markets of New York and Miami. Barrio Fino was released in 2004, and the album received numerous awards, including a Premio Lo Nuestro and a Latin Billboard, as well as receiving nominations for the Latin Grammy and MTV Video Music Awards. Barrio Fino performed well in the sales charts of the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Japan. On June 5, 2007, El Cartel Records released , which was ranked as the top-selling album in Latin music genres in 2007. He promoted the album with an international tour which began in the United States and continued through Latin America, breaking attendance records in Ecuador and Bolivia.

His performances have appeared on more than 70 albums, including compilations such as Mas Flow 2 and Blin Blin vol.1. Outside of his work as a musician, Ayala has also worked as an actor and producer. Throughout his career, he has been generally reluctant to discuss his personal life, but has publicly expressed the importance of his wife and children to him.

Early life

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodriguez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was influenced by several musicians in his family, including his father and some of his mother's relatives. During his childhood he practiced singing and focused on lyrical improvisation. Although Ayala first aspired to join the ranks of baseball’s Major Leagues, he abandoned this goal after being involved in an accident—at age seventeen, he was caught in the crossfire of a barrio gun battle and received two bullet wounds. One bullet grazed his arm and the other, from an AK-47, hit him in the right thigh and left him with a permanent limp.

Following the incident, he became interested in the underground rap movement, which at the time was in an early organizational stage. He also took more interest in the events that took place in the neighborhood in which he was raised, a public housing project named Villa Kennedy. The following year VI Music produced Los Homerun-es. Ayala had enjoyed salsa music since he was young, and this led him to include music of genres besides reggaeton in the album.

In 2005 Ayala won several international awards, making him one of the most recognized reggaeton artists within the music industry. The first award of the year was a Premio Lo Nuestro within the "Latin music" category, which he received for Barrio Fino. His single "Gasolina" received the majority of votes cast for the second edition of Premios Juventud, in which it received eight nominations and won seven awards. The group's label had solicited the copyright permission to perform the single and translate it to a different music style, but did not receive consent to change the lyrics; legal action followed. During this period, Ayala and William Omar Landrón (more commonly known by his artistic name Don Omar) were involved in a rivalry within the genre, dubbed "tiraera". The rivalry received significant press coverage despite being denied early on by both artists. It originated with a lyrical conflict between the artists begun by Ayala's comments in a remix single, where he criticized Landron's common usage of the nickname "King of Kings". Don Omar responded to this in a song titled "Ahora Son Mejor", part of his album Los Rompediscotecas. The album was produced in 2006, and included the participation of will.i.am, Scott Storch, Tainy Tunes, Neli, and personnel from Ayala's label. Singles were produced with Hector El Father, Fergie, Nicole Scherzinger and Akon. Ayala performed in Chile as well, and established a record for attendance in Ecuador. He also performed in Bolivia, setting another record when 50,000 fans attended his Santa Cruz de la Sierra concert. At the moment of release, the album had sold 500,000 copies in the United States and 50,000 in Mexico. In July 2008, Ayala announced that as part of his work, he would produce a cover version of Thalía's song, Ten Paciencia. Prior to the album's release, Ayala scheduled several activities, including an in-store contract signing. On February 27, 2009, he performed at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. In this event, the artists receive awards based on the public's reaction. After performing "Rompe", "Llamado de emergencia", "Tú me dejaste caer", "Gasolina", "Limpia parabrisas" and "Lo que pasó, pasó" over the course of two hours, Ayala received the "Silver Torch", "Gold Torch" and "Silver Seagull" recognitions. The recognition is given to the artists that participate in community or social efforts throughout the year. The single "Grito Mundial" was released on October 8, 2009, in order to promote his ninth album, Mundial. Despite releasing "El Ritmo No Perdona (Prende)" more than a month before, that single was not considered the first official promotional single.

Film and other career projects

Ayala has negotiated promotional deals with several companies outside of the music industry, releasing merchandise under his name. In 2005, he became the first Latin artist to sign a deal with Reebok, in order to produce accessories, including the licensed clothing line "DY", which was released in 2006. He also teamed up with the company to have his own shoes and sporting goods made, which were first distributed on May 23, 2006.

In 2008, Ayala participated in a campaign to promote voting in the 2008 general elections in Puerto Rico. This initiative included a concert titled "Vota o quédate callao". On August 25, 2008, Ayala endorsed John McCain's candidacy for President of the United States, stating that McCain "has been a fighter for the Hispanic community". As part of this campaign, Ayala moderated a debate titled “Vota o quédate callao: los candidatos responden a los jóvenes”, which was aired on October 9, 2008.

Ayala has worked in the film industry as both an actor and producer. His acting debut was the lead role of Vampiros, a film directed by Eduardo Ortiz and filmed in Puerto Rico. The film premiered at the Festival of Latin American Cinema in New York, where it received a positive reaction. This led Image Entertainment to produce a DVD, internationally released in March 2005. While the film is not directly a biography, Ayala has stated that it mirrors his early life. After the premier, Ayala expressed satisfaction, saying that he had been invited to audition for other producers. On release, Talento de Barrio broke the record held by Maldeamores for the most tickets to a Puerto Rican movie sold in a single day in Caribbean Cinemas.

Ayala has been involved in the administration of three organizations, the first being El Cartel Records which he co-owns with Andres Hernandez. He also created the Fundación Corazón Guerrero, a charitable organization in Puerto Rico which works with young incarcerated people. On April 26, 2008, he was presented with a "Latino of the Year Award" by the student organization Presencia Latina of Harvard College, receiving it for his work with Puerto Rican youth and creating Corazón Guerrero. On February 6, 2008, Ayala announced in a Baloncesto Superior Nacional press conference that he had bought part of the Criollos de Caguas' ownership.

Personal life

Ayala married Mireddys Gonzalez when he was seventeen years old. The couple have three children: Yamilette, Jeremy and Jesairis. Throughout his career Ayala has kept most of his personal life private, rarely speaking about it in interviews. He has said that he avoids doing so because such details are the only aspect of his life that are not public and that they are like a "little treasure".

Studio albums

1995: No Mercy

2002: El Cangri.com

2004: Barrio Fino

2007:

2010: Daddy Yankee Mundial

2011: Daddy Yankee Prestige

Filmography

See also

Latin American music

List of Caribbean music genres

List of famous Puerto Ricans

List of Puerto Rican songwriters

Urban contemporary

References

External links

Official Site

Daddy Yankee's page on Reggaetonline

http://msnlatino.telemundo.com/entretenimiento/Premios_Billboard_2011/finalistas

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:American shooting survivors Category:People from San Juan, Puerto Rico Category:Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent Category:Puerto Rican rappers Category:Puerto Rican reggaeton artists Category:Puerto Rican singers Category:Puerto Rican male singers Category:Latin Grammy Award winners Category:Reggaeton musicians