Pioneering beats
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Sukkanya Ramagopal was among the first women to enter the guarded male bastion of percussion in Carnatic music
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RESILIENT Sukkanya had to face a lot of resistance from senior musicians in the field
While most homes display clay artefacts to bring in an ethnic feel to the dιcor, here is an unusual house, probably one of its kind, with 50 earthen clay pots adorning the drawing room. Ghatam artiste Sukkanya Ramgopal's residence at Yeshwantpur in Bangalore breathes music. Being noticeably different is what Sukkanya is known for, from the time the 10-year-old lass wanted to strike the mud pot. That it was a male domain hardly ever bothered the girl whose passion for the pot forced T.H. Vikku Vinayakram to accept her as a student, a musical genre hitherto kept taboo for women.
But that's history now. She has accompanied almost every stalwart, and now accompanies new generation artistes like Mandolin Srinivas, chitraveena Ravi Kiran, flute Shashank, Sudha Raghunathan, Nityashri and Sowmya, both in India and abroad.
Settled in Bangalore for the last 30 years, Sukkanya, born in Mayiladudurai in Tamil Nadu, was soon amongst the youngest A-grade artistes of AIR. But isn't it ironical that this maths graduate from Chennai, a percussionist at that, thinks `calculations' aren't her forte? "Providing intricate variations to take a taala cycle across comes naturally, one has to feel the rhythm to experience this melodic pulse," is her candid reaction. Known for her crisp sawaal-jawaab in thani avarthana sessions, her distinct style also includes bringing out the `Gumukhi laya' — the deep sound that is made to emanate from the mouth of the pot. Her five-kilo ghatam, shaped in Mana Madurai near Rameshwaram, is generally handled by male artistes, resting it on their generous bellies, aiding the percussive skill. "With focus and practice we can weave in such wonderful rhythmic phrases, gender has nothing to do with creating melody," she adds confidently.
The Ghata Tarang, Sukkanya's innovation, is entirely to her credit. She handles six ghatams, each with a specific tone suited to the pentatonic raga scale, adding vibrancy to the rhythmic structure.
While her shelves are brimming with awards and accolades from sabhas and organisations from all over, her tenacity to fight obstacles for furthering her love with the laya-instrument is what the media has always been fascinated about.
How she chose the ghata...
My forefathers were musicians, and my great grandfather was Dr. U.V. Swaminatha Iyer, a Tamil scholar. Pongal used to be my favourite festival only because I could play on the small drums sold in the shandy. I was the first to develop interest in a percussion instrument in the family, and as it was unusual for girls, I started with vocal lessons, then switched to violin with T.H. Gurumurthy, brother of Vikku Vinayakram. All my attention would be on the mridanga classes conducted in the next room by Harihara Sharma, father of Vikkuji. One fine day I gathered the grit to ask the mridanga scholar to teach me, and that proved a turning point. Arrested by Vinayakram's creation of laya on his ghatam I was captivated into learning pot-percussion. "Your delicate fingers aren't meant for earthen pots," he had warned. But Vikkuji's father told him that I had the potential. It took me just three years to take to the stage and have my orthodox parents convinced!
The difficult road...
There was a reluctance from senior musicians to accept a female ghatam artiste on stage. However, even amidst incidents of discrimination, I did have my share of wonderful concerts with several broadminded senior musicians recognising my hard work. New initiatives...
I have formed an all-ladies ensemble "Sthree Taal Tarang" with veena, flute, violin, mridanga, morsing and ghatam, with the six of us being main artistes in every show. The response has been overwhelming.
RANJANI GOVIND
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