The music that comes from Mylai Karthikeyan’s nagaswaram belies his years. It is rich and full, compelling attention. Ask him though, and Karthikeyan will tell you that music runs in his veins, steeped as he is in the family tradition.
“My paternal grandfather was a thavil player and my father is a nagaswaram vidwan ,” explains Karthikeyan. An early initiation into the art form by father Tirumalai S. Mohanraj had captured Karthikeyan’s attention long before he knew it. His formal training might have begun at eight, but his interest took flight much earlier.
“I would go along with my father to his kutcheris, in sabhas and largely in temples. I remember, in particular, a concert that he played at a festival in Tiruvaiyaru,” says Karthikeyan. It led Karthikeyan to begin his vocal training under his father and nagaswaram artiste Mylapore Rajendran for a year, picking up the nagaswaram shortly after. The involvement of his maternal uncles, nagaswaram and thavil artistes themselves, kept Karthikeyan glued to the instrument for the rest of his growing years.
“Appa would play ragams such as Bhairavi and Atana with such finesse that it would keep inspiring me. In fact, it still does,” says Karthikeyan. The inspiration led young Karthikeyan to the Tamil Nadu Government Music College in Adyar, where he received what he calls “the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“I got the chance to learn from the nagaswaram exponent, Vyasarpadi G. Kothandaraman, during my time at the college and am continuing to learn from him now, upon completion of my diploma in music.” He feels that the perspective of his guru has aided him in approaching the concert stage as a main artiste, helping him format each concert meticulously. “As a nagaswaram artiste, we play in a variety of settings. In a temple, it is important to know how to play for each occasion, oonjal, Mallari and so on. My teacher’s guidance has helped me in this,” he explains.
Grabbing attention
From his Mylapore home, Karthikeyan has garnered the attention of both the fraternity and its well-wishers. There is a certain duality about him, one that drew the attention of Madrasana co-founder Mahesh Venkateshwaran. “Mahesh Sir approached me after hearing me play at an oonjal. He explained the concept of the Unplugged videos and although I have never done anything online, it seemed like an interesting venture.” Karthikeyan played flourishes of Kharaharapriya and Sahana in Mahesh’s living room and recorded the latter in the studio. He calls the experience “unlike any other.” His focus remains on honing his kutcheri skills, but he welcomes new initiatives.
Karthikeyan brims with optimism, as he begins to collaborate with other artistes and ascend stages with veterans such as Kothandaraman. “It is a blessing to be able to play with and learn from stalwarts. After all, when there is good music, everything else will fall into place.”
