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Mellifluous, melodious

Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri.

A highlight of the get-together programme of Kathakali lovers organised by the Thodayam Kathakali Club in Kozhikode on Monday was the opportunity they got to interact with the Kathakali music exponent Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri. It was also an occasion for the participants to hear the melodious voice of the maestro who had popularised the complex language of dance-drama. Requests from the small gathering, including the scion of the Zamorin royal family P.K.S. Raja, made Embranthiri sing from Kuchelavritham — Pushakaravilochana ... parathemalkudumbithe — in Surutti ragom. Embranthiri continues to sing on stage despite ailments that have confined him to a wheel chair.

He also sang Madhavajaya ... shoure ... from Kirmmiravadham in Kundavarali ragom. Usually, the verse is sung in Nattakurunji ragam. But Embranthiri's own version reflected greater devotion and musical quality. He refused to entertain a request from an enthusiast to sing his masterpiece Ajithahare... Krishna also from Kuchelavritham in Sree ragom. But as a tribute to his friend the late Venmani Haridas, he sang another masterpiece, Valsaliyathe ... varithe ... karna ... , from Karnashapadham in Abheri ragom.

Biju Govind

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