Porayath Leela (19 May 1934–31 October 2005) was an Indian playback singer, Carnatic vocalist, and a music director.^[1] She has recorded more than 5,000 songs in various Indian languages including Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Sanskrit, Odia, Gujarati, Marati. and also Sinhale. She is also known for her extensive history of collaboration in the songs with Music Composers v.Dakshinamoorthy, MS Baburaj, G Devarajan, ghantasala, MS Viswanathan , K. Raghavan, Br Lakshmanan, LPR Varma, BA chithambara athletes, AT ummer, MK Arjun,Johnson, ouseppachan, ilaiyaraja, and with the playback singers KJ Yesudas and Ghantalasa over the years.^[2] Leela is known for her sweet and melodious voice that she named Ganamani. She was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2006.^[3] She made her debut as a playback singer in the 1948 Tamil film Kangkanam.

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P. Leela
P. Leela in the late 1940s
Background information
Birth name	Porayath Leela
Born	(1934-05-19)19 May 1934 Chittur, Palakkad, British India
Died	31 October 2005(2005-10-31) (aged 71) Chennai, India
Genres	Indian classical music and playback singing
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instrument(s)	Vocalist
Years active	1948–2005

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Leela was born in 1934, in Chittur, Palakkad, Kerala to V.K. Kunjanmenon and Porayath Meenakshi Amma. She was the youngest of three daughters – Sharadha, Bhanumathi and Leela. V.K. Kunjanmenon was a teacher in Ramavarma Higher Secondary School at Ernakulam. Leela's father wanted her and her sisters to learn Carnatic music, and she states that her father was the reason she became a singer.^{[citation needed]}

Since the age of 13, she has sung some 5,000 film songs in all the South Indian languages – Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. She also sang for a Bengali film and in Sinhala movies. Her songs are known for their emotional touch and classical discipline. She made a name for herself by singing both in film industry and in Carnatic music. She considered it an honour to have sung in the same period as Subbulakshmi, M L Vasanthakumari and D K Pattammal – three giants of Carnatic Music.^{[citation needed]} She has worked under most of the great music directors and has sung with many of the major singers of the South Indian film industry.

Leela's first guru was Thiribuvana Manibhagavadhar, the uncle of musician T. V. Gopalakrishnan. Later she learnt from Paththamadai Krishna Ayyar, Maruthuvakudi Rajagopala Iyer and Rama Bhagavathar. Leela was trained in Carnatic music by doyens such as Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar and V. Dakshinamoorthy. Vadakkancheri Ramabhagavadhar was a close friend of Menon. He had settled down in Madras. He would invite Menon and Leela to Madras to learn music whenever he visited Ernakulam. The headmistress of the school where Leela was studying advised her father to take her to Madras for further training in music.

It was Menon's ambition to make his youngest daughter an accomplished singer. Menon resigned his job in Ernakulam and took Leela to Madras in 1944. They stayed with Vadakkancheri Ramabagavathar in Mylapore and the 10-year-old Leela started learning in gurukula style. Her father was particular that Leela do sadhaka (practice music) early in the morning.

In Madras, Leela had opportunities to listen concerts of singers like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, S. Ramanathan, G. N. Balasubramaniam, Chembai and others. Leela said this 'kelvi gnanam' (learning music by listening) helped her much in fine-tuning music and molding her.^{[citation needed]} Leela sang at many music competitions in the city winning prizes in 1946. Durgabai Deshmukh gave her the first concert at Andra Mahila Sabha. Leela was giving concerts in various places.

Main article List of songs by P. Leela

1. Sampoorna Ramayanam (1971)
2. Paramanandayya Shishyula Katha (1966)
3. Tirupathamma Katha (1963)
4. Mahamantri Timmarasu (1962)
5. Gundamma Katha (1962)
6. Dakshayagnam (1962)
7. Sri Seetha Rama Kalyanam (1961)
8. Deepavali (1960)
9. Sahasra Siracheda Apoorva Chinthamani (1960)
10. Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam (1960)
11. Krishna Leelalu (1959)
12. Pelli Sandadi (1959)
13. Mangalya Balam (1958)
14. Dongallo Dora (1957)
15. Panduranga Mahatyam (1957)
16. Preme Daivam (1957)
17. Sarangadhara (1957)
18. Bhakta Markandeya (1956)
19. Bhale Ramudu (1956)
20. Jayam Manade (1956)
21. Anarkali (1955)
22. Vadina Gari Gajulu (1955)
23. Vaddante Dabbu (1954)
24. Oka Talli Pillalu (1953)
25. Palletooru (1952)
26. Pelli Chesi Choodu (1952)
27. Patala Bhairavi (1951)
28. Navvite Navaratnalu (1951)
29. Paramanandayya Shishyula Katha (1950)

Leela married a lawyer, but the marriage was not successful. In her later years, Leela was busy rendering classical concerts and light music programs. Leela was staying with her sister's children in Defence colony, St. Thomas Mount (Parangimalai).

She was known for her ability to sing both classical and light, film music also her emotional touch and classical discipline she imparted.^[5] It can be well explained by her song in the film Chilamboli, Priyamanasa née composed by V Dakshinamoorthy and sung by her.^[6]

On her death, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha said

One of the greatest vocal musicians of India, who made a name for herself by singing exquisite songs in her mellifluous voice in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu both for the film industry, as well as in Carnatic music." She had also rendered melodious devotional songs.

Though she had been decorated with a number of awards including the Kalaimamani Award of the State Government for 1991-92, she was the epitome of humility and considered her contributions in the field of music a humble service to humanity and an offering to the Lord.

In her passing, we have lost a great singer, leaving a great void in the world of music.^[7]

P. Leela died on 31 October 2005, at 00:40 IST at Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre in Chennai. She was hospitalized in late September after suffering serious injuries sustained due to a fall at the bathroom in her home. Though she was operated on, her condition suddenly worsened due to pneumonia, probably a complication of asthma she suffered for a long time, and she went into a deep coma a day before she died. She was cremated with full state honours the same day at Besant Negar Crematorium.