Velmurugan is an Indian playback singer, lyricist, and musician born on 5 March 1980 in Viruthachalam (Virudhachalam), Tamil Nadu. He lost both parents at a young age; his father Dhanasekaran and mother Amirthambal passed away when he was in his teens. He studied at Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Mudhanai, and later took a Diploma in Music from Government Polytechnic College, Coimbatore. A trained musician skilled in Miruthangam, Violin, and Tappu, he began his career as a reporter for the agricultural magazine Naveena Velanmai. His turning point came when music composer James Vasanthan invited him to record a song. He made his playback debut with the folk song Madura Kulunga Kulunga from Subramaniapuram (2008, music by James Vasanthan). His subsequent hit songs include Aadungada Machaan (Naadodigal, 2009), Otha Sollala (Aadukalam, 2011), Sangili Bungili (Kanchana, 2011), Local Boys (Ethir Neechal, 2013), and Sandalee (Semma, 2019). He has performed at over 800 stage shows and holds a Guinness World Record. He received the Tamil Nadu Government Award for Best Playback Singer (2019). In 2020, he participated in Bigg Boss Tamil Season 4 as a commoner contestant and was evicted in Week 4, finishing 17th.
Tamil folk playback songs Madura Kulunga Kulunga from Subramaniapuram (2008), Otha Sollala from Aadukalam (2011, sung for Dhanush), Aadungada Machaan from Naadodigal (2009), and Sangili Bungili from Kanchana (2011); Tamil Nadu Government Award for Best Playback Singer (2019); Guinness World Record holder.
