Citi NCPA Aadi Anant – All in the Family: A Percussion Ensemble

Featuring V. Selvaganesh (kanjira), V. Umashankar (ghatam), Swaminathan (kanjira, konnakol), N. Rajaram (ghatam), A. Ganesan (morsing) and Tathva (konnakol) with Aditya Kalyaanpur (tabla)

Over the centuries, music traditions in India have thrived solely on account of the oral-aural mode of communication from guru to shishya, carrying forth the artistic legacy from one generation to the next in an unbroken manner.

Percussion instruments play a significant role in Indian music performance. Besides providing rhythmic support to vocal music and melody instruments, they are also capable of presenting solo music.

In this percussion ensemble, six artistes representing three generations of a musical family perform together, epitomising the spirit of the guru-shishya tradition in the true sense.

The instruments include the ghatam, a pot specially baked with clay mixed with brass or copper and small amounts of iron filings. It has a narrow mouth that slants downwards to form a ridge. Held in the lap, this is akin to the gharha from the Punjabi folk tradition.

Kanjira is a hand-held frame drum, while morsing (morchung, akin to Jew’s harp) has a metal fork manoeuvred by the tongue and fingers. Konnakol is a rhythmic language that uses specific syllables to represent drum strokes and patterns, essentially acting as a spoken percussion system. The tabla is a widely used pair of drums made of wood and metal, both covered with leather tops and played with bare hands.

As sons of the legendary ghatam maestro T. H. ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram, Selvaganesh and Umashankar carry forth their father’s legacy. Renowned for his mastery over the kanjira and his contributions to both Carnatic and fusion music, Selvaganesh has gained global recognition through his performances with distinguished maestros and groups like Remember Shakti. He has also explored various international musical genres, including jazz, blues, flamenco, Celtic and Latin music.

While Rajaram, nephew of Vinayakram, and Umashankar play ghatam like their mentor, Swaminathan, grandson of Vinayakram, has adopted the kanjira like his father Selvaganesh, besides also engaging in konnakol. Ganesan, disciple of Vinayakram, wields the morsing, and Tathva, seven-year-old granddaughter of Selvaganesh, engages in the art of konnakol like her uncle, Swaminathan.

As a special artiste, Aditya Kalyaanpur joins the ensemble with the tabla. He is a disciple of tabla maestro Allarakha and his inimitable son Zakir Hussain. The ensemble of south and north Indian percussions will pay a tribute to Hussain, whom we lost a year ago.