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`Practice makes perfect'

Kavalam Srikumar talks to G. Jayakumar on music and various music-related subjects

MAKING WAVES WITH MUSIC Kavalam Srikumar Photo: S. Mahinsha

Kavalam Srikumar needs no introduction. He is reputed for his rendering of the Ramayana, in addition to folk music, bhajans and Sopana Sangeetham. Son of eminent theatre personality Kavalam Narayana Panikar, Srikumar has been working with All India Radio since 1985. Here is Srikumar in his own words.

Folk music

What is being churned out today in the name of folk music is nothing but a pale shadow of the original. So the original forms are in real danger of being lost forever. All original works were folk-based. Take the raga Anandabhairavi, Arabhi, or Neelambhari for that matter. Some of these can be discerned in our pulluvan pattu. To teach folk music to future generations, we have to base it on ragas and structure it to know the roots, as was done in the case of Carnatic music. As is the case with Punjabi folk songs, we can include some elements of modernity too. All this requires a lot of money. That will come only if gifted and popular singers take interest in this field.

Training

Sopana Sangeetham has always been there in the family. I used to listen to masters like Njaralethu Rama Poduval and Guruvayur Janardanan, their astapathis, thianis and so on. Indeed, I was fortunate to sing with Njaralethu. I started studying Carnatic music at the age of six. My gurus included Ambalapuzha Sivasankara Panickar (disciple of the famous Ambalapuzha brothers ) and Thrissur R. Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. Later, in Thiruvananthapuram, I began to study under B. Sasikumar, violinist (AIR). Even after 20 years , I am still his student.

`Practice makes a man perfect.' This is Sasikumar sir's belief. Sometimes the class starts in the evening and goes on late into the night.

The rendering of Adhyatma Ramayana during the Malayalam month of Karkidakam gives me a lot of pleasure. It is not mere recitation; the right emotion like sorrow, anger or joy has to be conveyed.

I also enjoyed recording Vishnusahasranamam, Soundaryalahari, Mookambikasahasranamam and Lalithasahasranamam.

Outside Kerala , I have given recitals of Sopana Sangeetham in Bhopal under the auspices of the Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi. In 2001, at the invitation of the French Government, I participated in the Latitude Festival in Paris. It was sort of an informal gathering and the audience comprised people who enjoyed music. So, instead of remaining unresponsive as it often happens here, they respond to the pieces that we present. That gives us a lot of inspiration. Then, in 2004, as part of the Soorya India Festival, I performed with music director M. Jayachandran in London, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Bahrain, Muscat, Qatar, Kuwait and Dubai.

Keraleeya Sangeetham

I include Malayalam kirtans in my concerts. But that is not Keraleeya Sangeetham. For Keraleeya Sangeetham, the right instruments like the edakka should be there. Otherwise, the right gamakas as the andholika gamaka will not come forth. Commitment to music

Dr. Balamuralikrishna, Pandit Jasraj and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi are some of the great singers now. Musicians like Balamuralikrishna are great composers too. Hindustani singers practise rigorously. `Shruti shudham' - that's what they aim at. They study and practise one raga for 10 to 15 years. Hariharan practises 10 hours a day, Parveen Sultana, for nearly 20 hours. Sadhana releases positive energy.

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