Kerala - Kochi   

Sounds of music from fingers

The ghatam maestro is a regular face in the concerts of veteran musicians. In conversation with K.C. Gopakumar.

For Thripunithura N. Radhakrishan music is in his blood. Born into a family of rich music tradition, he had his first lessons of the mridangam from his father (the late) G. Narayana Swamy. He then went on to take the Ganabhooshanam and Ganapraveena degrees from Thripunithura RLV College of Music and Sree Swathi Tirunal College of Music, Thiruvananthapuram.

But his interest was in ghatam, an instrument so simple in design. He began exploring its tonal possibilities at the age of 11 and started playing it in classic music concerts. Since then Radhakrishnan has been accompanying prominent musicians like K.V. Narayanaswamy, M. Balamuralikrishna, K.J. Jesudas, T.N. Krishnan (violin), N. Ramani (flute), and K.S. Narayanaswamy (veena) in their concerts. Mr. Radhakrishnan says that there was a time when he played the instrument for 28 to 29 concerts a month. This helped him hone his skills. "Belief in God has seen me through difficult days." He won the award of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi in 1997. He still recollects the appreciative words of playback singer K.J. Jesudas on the award-presenting ceremony.

He has travelled with many musical maestros all over the world and performed concerts. The Europeans love to hear rhythmic music, he says adding that they have well appreciated his performance. He remembers a particular occasion when a European wondered how he creates music on the ghatam.

Mr. Radhakrishnan says he wears shirt on the stage. Normally, most of the ghatam artistes do not put on shirt while playing the instrument. This is because they believe that the ghatam does not produce humgaram or gamakam properly if it is placed against their belly covered with shirt. By combing the use of the feet and belly, the ghatam produces better quality humgaram. In fact, this is his style of playing the ghatam. He always try to make innovative rendering of music on the ghatam. He feels extremely happy when he completes playing `thaniyavarthanam' on the percussion during concerts.

He regrets that government music colleges do not offer courses in ghatam, though it is the main percussion instrument in Carnatic music concerts. As a result, very few are able to seriously study it. Even those who choose to study ghatam from private institutes do not take it seriously.

Rahdakrishnan who has now joined RLV College of Music and Fine Arts as a teacher in mridangam says that students studying the mridangam go for playing the ghatam in concerts. But he cautions that use of fingers on the ghatam is different from that for playing the mridangam. According to him, ghatam possibilities have been greatly explored in film and devotional songs.

He says that he has played the ghatam in many film songs, especially under the direction of M.G. Radharkishan.

Radhakrishanan, who runs a music institution named after his father G.N. Swamy in Thripunithura, has brought out an ensemble called Laya Vadya Tarangam.

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