The general notion as far as a Carnatic music concert is concerned is that the tanpura is meant for shruti, violin is for melodic support and percussion instruments are for keeping tala, the beat. Arun Prakash, the renowned mridangist in Carnatic music circles, in a recent lecdem at the Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira, Bangalore, dispelled these simplistic ideas.
The mridangam, he said, is intrinsically connected to music. It needs to establish a direct relation with the raga, its structure and emotion, the kriti and the creative process of the composer. To illustrate this, his vocal support, the veteran violinist R.K. Shriram Kumar, sang the Todi varna “Eranapai” followed by Kalyani varna. Though both the pieces are set to the same tala, the way the mridangam player provides accompaniment to each of them is distinct. Demonstrating the differences and attributing it to the nature of the raga, he said the most important criteria is to “think music” and “listen music”. It is only then that you will know what your responsibility as a percussionist is, else, you will just keep time and remain insensitive to music itself.
“People will criticize you, they will say you underplayed, you were too soft etc. But that is okay, your reference point should be music and not audience expectations,” he explained.
Playing for a keerthane needs a different kind of preparation, said Arun Prakash. “The Carnatic world abounds in myths. They will say Tyagaraja is easy, Dikshitar is intellectual….everyone and everything gets a label. But the truth is nothing is easy or simple.” R.K. Shriram Kumar sang “Makelara Vicharamu” set to raga Ravi Chandrika: “this is adi tala,” explained Arun Prakash, but the approach to it is so different that if you play it in the normal style it will sound very awkward. “Therefore it is important to follow the kriti.” For instance, “Pakkala Nilabadi” and “Brova Barama” are both set to Mishra Chapu, but the approach to tala in these kritis are so divergent, that you cannot play the same pattern for both. “You have to watch for the inherent gait.” Arun Prakash said that when these kritis are sung, the reverberations that are generated tell you that they need to be perceived differently. “You have to highlight the composer’s vision of Mishra chapu and not mar it.”
The common understanding is that “kanak” is complex whereas “sarvalaghus” are easy. “First of all this is far from truth, moreover, you should include everything in your rhythm scheme. Both are equally important.”
In the creative aspects – like the neraval and swaraprastara – the mridangam player should have a fair amount of anticipation. If the neraval is being delivered with a certain force, the percussionist should support it, without which the musician will not be able to build his creativity. “Neraval is a different art altogether. You should be able to create a comfortable pitch for the musician, where he can play freely,” he said, demonstrating it for Shriram Kumar’s rendition of “Deva Deva” (Jaata Roopa).
The beauty of percussion can be experienced only when you are sensitive to sahitya and also the way the composition has been envisioned. Elucidating Dikshitar’s kritis and Tyagaraja’s kritis, he took the example of “Tyagaraja Palayashumam” set to raga Gaula. “The entire kriti grows in a melodic progression and descends the same way. The intensity of sound also grows. According to me, this is one of the finest kritis. If you are a good percussionist you will recognise this journey within the composition, else its beauty is lost.”
Arun Prakash’s lecdem was ably supported by R.K. Shriram Kumar and Vittal Rangan on the violin. It was particularly useful for young and aspiring mridangam players.
