For the season in Chennai, Trichy Sankaran talks about his fascinating journey as a percussionist
Known for his subtle and sensitive accompaniment, Trichy Sankaran quipped, “Accompaniment requires an IAS – participation, attitude and aesthetics, and better drumming patterns.”
The veteran mridangam exponent and academic, who turns 80 the next year, has contributed to many stalwarts including Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, Musiri Subramaniam Iyer, Chembai Vaidyanath Bhagwat, Ramnad Krishnan, Madurai Mani Iyer, GN Balasubramaniam (GNB), MD Ramanathan, KV has played. Narayanaswamy, Semmanagudi Srinivasa Iyer and Flute Mali.
He began his training in Tiruchi with his cousin Poovalur Venkataram Iyer, before joining the maestro, Pazani Subramaniam Pillai. The most famous of Pillai’s students, in 1971, at the behest of John Higgins (better known as Higgins Bhagavathar), Sankaran moved to Toronto. Now retired as a professor at the University of York, he has been so regular at démur music sessions that many do not realize that he does not live in Chennai.
concerts this year
Sankaran has several concerts this year, including Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, Mylapore Fine Arts, Tyaga Brahm Gana Sabha and more. Tomorrow he will perform at Chennai Fine Arts along with VV Subrahmanyam and VVS Murari. On Sundays, he plays with Lalgudi GJR Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi in the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha. “I have played for many great musicians in the Krishna Gana Sabha,” he recalls fondly, “in Lalgudi Jayaraman’s first violin duet with his sister Mrs. Brahmanandam with my mentor. Krishnan and Viji carry on their father’s illustrious legacy. Doing a great job to keep up.”
Much of Sankaran’s learning came from playing the double mridangam with Pazhani Subramaniam Pillai, beginning with his debut in 1955 for the Alathur Brothers. “It was fascinating to see my mentor adopting his game for each and every artist. For example, his accompaniment for GNB will be very different from the way he played for Madurai Mani.” Pillai’s left-handedness and Sankaran’s right-handedness allowed him to clearly see his master’s technique.
Speaking about the change in attitude towards mridangam playing, Sankaran says, “I would not like to generalize, but the play is more single-complete (full of rhythmic syllables) than atmiya.” He advises young enthusiasts to attend music festivals and engage in ‘creative listening’ – paying attention to why, where and when something is played. He believes that percussionists should consider the ‘intent of the material’ rather than grouping everything into numerical order. “Care must be taken in the selection of the chord or foundational pattern for a song. For example, one cannot play the standard Mishra chapu solos for ‘Ninnu Vinaga Mari Dikkevarunnaru’ (Purvakalani), which is in Viloma Chapu. The moves of the piece should pay attention to how the accompaniments are stacked, and add the perfect solace to enhance each accompaniment.”
Since Sankaran is known for his ability to elevate a concert performance, do young musicians who play with him seek advice from him? He says that many artists do this. “However, I don’t impose my opinion. If asked, I suggest it. Some artists include songs that I like or try new choruses. He’s in tune with the tendency to incorporate mridangam-based choruses into music. Per cautions.” It will lack aesthetics. It should be remembered that the Korvai composed for music is prescribed for a particular raga and song.
At a concert in Coimbatore in 1971, Trichy Sankaran, John B. Higgins and V. Thiagarajan. photo Credit: Hindu
Recalling how the old musicians and percussionists worked together, he says, “Madurai Mani Mail would have settled on Shadjam. My master will take it to Chapu, knowing that Mani will stop there. Then only the voices of Meetu Solu and Chapu could be heard. Madurai Mani enjoyed it so much that he used to leave some four avatars free for Sir to play. Sankaran agrees that when vocalists, flutes and string players hold onto notes or create space between notes, it prompts percussionists to come up with imaginative rhythm patterns. There were other classic combinations like GNB-Pillai, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar-Palghat Mani Iyer, KVN-Palghat Raghu and Semmanagudi-Shankaran, all of whom demonstrated great mutual understanding.
Sankaran has always been a vocal supporter of all small (spontaneous ‘time flow’ pattern) over Kanakku (mathematically centered sequence). From the outset, he focused on the music as a whole, rather than on rhythmic calculations, and strongly recommended that percussionists also learn vocal music. he thinks that while one should know Kanakku, it should be used only when appropriate, and with discretion. He insists on playing the entire concert, including korvai and tani avartanam, without any pre-determined calculations, as if systematic, purposeful constructions in a song.
According to Sankaran, Guna should be performed only in Tani Avataranam, which should not exceed 10 minutes in a two-hour concert. “It would be nice if all the percussionists on stage played with a mutual understanding of the proportions of the overall concert. Nothing pleasant happens overdue.”
Sankaran has nothing against the current norm of short concerts, and says they can be impressive with proper planning. “Years ago, All India Radio pioneered both 60-minute and 90-minute programmes. Apart from choosing contrasting ragas, go for different kalapranamas (gati), not just variations in taal. If the tempo and songs are chosen appropriately, with some simple beats, an excellent concert can be produced.”
During the lockdown, Sankaran worked on a composition, ‘Chappu Tala Malika’, which was set to a 24 beat rhythm, based on the Karharpriya or Dorian mode of 3+5+7+9 (Teesram, Khandam, Misram and Sankiranam) ) is counted as. He presented it last month at an event called ‘A Life in Rhythm’ organized by his student Curtis Andrews in Vancouver. “We had guitars, vibraphones, mridangams, drum sets and more, and Kaushik Sivaramakrishnan, a Carnatic violinist from Edmonton, also joined in.” He has also worked on parting ways for some korvais and nadis, which he will perform at his upcoming Margazhi concerts.
“My mentor said that I should follow the path shown by him but create my own style. I believe I have done it successfully,” says the veteran.
The Chennai-based writer writes on Carnatic music and composers.
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