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Efforts on to popularise arumukhanam

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

IN HARMONY:Adults and children learning to play the arumukhanam under Gopakumar and his students.

PUDUCHERRY: The arumukhanam, a percussion instrument with six faces, was born in 2001 out of S. Gopakumar's urge to create an art form unique to Puducherry. Nine years after its invention, Gopakumar's efforts are now channelled towards popularising the instrument.

“Electronic instruments have now become very popular among youngsters, and interest in instruments like the mridangam is waning,” says Gopakumar, originally a mridangam player.

Both he and his students have given arumukhanam performances all over the country. Gopakumar has also performed at a jazz festival in France.

In an attempt to popularise the instrument in Puducherry, he is conducting a free ten-day workshop for adults and children alike, in association with Chennai Fine Arts.

Response to

workshop good

The instrument, which can produce three octaves, seems to have generated quite a buzz, for response to the workshop has been quite good.

“We have received around 100 applications so far, in Puducherry itself. After gauging the response, Chennai Fine Arts, which has identified the workshop as a ‘Visesha Vadyanubhava,' has suggested that we take it to other parts of the country now too,” Gopakumar reveals.

He is amply aided by both students from Bharathiar Palkalai Koodam, where he works as a mridangam lecturer, and his other disciples, in teaching at the workshop. A notable feature is that even those with no training in playing a musical instrument, may attend, to learn how to play the instrument in different speeds and write notation.

The instrument which was created after considerable research has been demonstrated in front of many musicians and musical experts.

It allows for equal involvement of both hands and enables a great posture because of its semi-circular arrangement and has certain health benefits, according to Gopakumar.

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