According to the singer, who has been entertaining audience with Indian classical music, besides devotional and film songs for decades now, said one life was "just not enough to learn music".
"I belong to a Christian family, but my father always taught me to go beyond religion. Such is the power of music. It transcends the concept of religion. Music is like an ocean to me and I believe in one life you can not finish learning it," Yesudas said, during the felicitation of this year's Padma awardees here yesterday.
"In our days children did not question parents and simply listened to them. I think my devotion to my father got me the Padma Vibhushan. All my masters who made me learn and listen to a variety of classical music have a big contribution in my life," he said.
Recalling his younger days, Yesudas, who has previously been awarded the Padma Shri (1975) and Padma Bhushan (2002), said it was important to surrender to God to achieve even a little in life.
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The event organised at Ashoka Hotel here, was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan along with P J Kurien, the Deputy Speaker of Rajya Sabha.
"He is not only popular in South but his Hindi songs have been popular in other parts of India as well. I may not understand Malayalam, but I can interpret the feelings he expresses through his songs. That is the magic of music, it goes beyond language.
"In the 60s and 70s, I remember we used to sing Yesudas' songs all the time. 'Jab deep jale aana' has been one of the most famous melodies that we sang," she said.
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