Rhythmic journey across continent
GOWRI RAMNARAYAN
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Visiting professor at western universities, vetreran mridangist Tiruchi Sankaran is both restrained and vibrant.
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``Today we have an audience of western rasikas in north America who can keep the tala beats to Carnatic music.''
Tiruchi Sankaran. Photo: K. V. Srinivasan.
"Don't copy me, just grasp my `vazhi' (style) and evolve your own. Experience will guide you," said the guru. The sishya went on to fulfil the guru's injunction. Today, (December 30) his disciples celebrate Sankaran's fifty years of performance (New Woodlands Hotel, 9 a.m.) in the presence of colleagues such as Lalgudi Jayaraman, T. K. Murthy, Chingleput Ranganathan, Karaikkudi Subramanian and T. N. Seshagopalan.
How did Tiruchi Sankaran's journey begin? The child's talent was spotted by Pillai's disciple Poovalur Venkatraman, his first teacher. After hearing him play, mridangam maestro Pazhani Subramania Pillai offered to take him on at age seven. The Pazhani School set a distinct stamp on every mora and korvai. Proportion and balance were crucial, as also grace and elegance.
Art
The boy learnt that accompanying a kriti was an art in itself, there were different ways to deal with the pallavi, anupallavi and charanam. ``Ask the boy to come and play for me." This command from Palghat Mani Iyer threw the family in ferment. They tried to strengthen the skinny lad for the audition with extra milk and idlis. The child played khanda chapu, making each `sol' sharp, distinct, crisp. Iyer was delighted. Later he was to introduce the boy in a Tiruvaiyaru recital at a time when only veterans performed.
As a boy Sankaran loved to play for harikatha with sharp little korvais, scattering usi beats, following several talas in spanking speeds. Tiruppugazh was exciting too with its variety of time cycles. The experience also taught him that ``Bhakti is the basis. Concerts are only the off shoots.'' Why else did the great musicians carry Tyagaraja's portrait in bhajanai processions? At his first major concert with the Alathur Brothers, torrential downpour had the venue shifted from pandal to inner mandapam. Sankaran had goose bumps. He played sitting at the feet of a huge Nandikesvara, the celestial drummer accompanying Siva's cosmic dance. His seven-year gurukulavasam was in Chennai where he obtained a post-graduate degree at father's insistence. Pillai was an awe-inspiring figure. ``I adored my guru but was also terrified of him." There was no sitting down and teaching anything. No rehearsals either. In the morning Pillai would announce, ``You are playing with me today."
That is how Sankaran's second mridangam accompanied all time greats like GNB, Semmangudi, Ariyakkudi... It was razor's edge all the way. Every glance of Pillai held a range of meanings. The youngster had to play well enough to rise to the occasion, but not draw attention to himself, nor disturb the guru's manodharma. Even today Sankaran's mridangam has retained that restraint and vibrancy in his vintage.
After Pillai's death Sankaran found encouragement and support from the veterans. Semmangudi assured organisers that the youngster would live up to the Pazhani School. But his life changed when he was persuaded by Jon Higgins to accept a teaching post in York University, Toronto. A single year stretched to 34. This instigated research, developing new formulas and methods of analysing korvais. Since western students were used to written scores he crafted a notation for the mridangam ``looking like Chinese characters." Sollukattu became part of the syllabus. Sankaran became visiting professor at universities in the U.S.
``I created an awareness of Carnatic music by teaching and giving solo mridangam recitals.'' He prepared listeners for full-length concerts through lecdems and music appreciation courses. ``Today we have an audience of western rasikas in north America who can keep the tala beats to Carnatic music.'' It was natural to collaborate with genres with artistes like Charles Haden, Dave Brubeck, Bob Hadad, Paul Plimley and Glen Velez in live and recorded performances, interacting with jazz, African drums, suling and gamelan. For the Winnipeg Chamber Orchestra Sankaran composed a Carnatic concerto based on Kiravani. ``I've been able to diversify because of the strength of my tradition." He plans to introduce his sishyas to Chennai soon. ``I'm sure that at least 4 or 5 sishyas will make the grade.''
With many honours in India and abroad, Sankaran cherishes the OCUSA Award from the Ontario University Association for excellence in teaching, because the recipients were chosen from every field of instruction, not just music. An honorary doctorate from the University of Victoria recognised his contributions. Tiruchi Sankaran's drumming retains the finesse and vibrancy of a vintage era. But hasn't he transplanted himself in the New World? ``No. I yearn for Madras. I come every year to recharge myself. I feel at peace after playing here. Chennai will be my home after retirement.''
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