By the beginning of the 20th century, two schools of Thayambaka dominated the indigenous percussion music of Kerala. Of the two, the one that flourished in the eastern part of Palakkad had its accent on melody than the structural coherence for which the Malamakkavu School has been famous for. Thiruvilwamala Adantha Kontha Swamy and Pallassana Padmanabha Marar were the supremos of the Palakkad school. Chethali Rama Marar and Pallavoor Appu Marar were their immediate successors. In the subsequent generation, rasikas of Thayambaka noticed the ascendance of two splendid percussionists – Kalloor Ramankutty Marar and the young maestro, Kallekulangara Achuthankutty Marar.
Achuthankutty has the singular distinction of being an academic-cum-soloist. In his zest to become a performing artiste, he did not give up study of scholastic subjects. He graduated in chemistry before becoming a full-time percussionist.
As the son of Kallekulangara Govinda Marar, rhythm must have been an innate passion for Achuthankutty. Hence he spontaneously got acquainted with the chenda and the edakka at a tender age. True to system of ‘gurukula sambradaya’, he received comprehensive training in Thayambaka from the titans Mankurissi Appa Marar and Chethali Rama Marar. Having inherited a flair for music too from his father, Achuthankutty was quick to realise the nuances of melody in the Pathikaalam (slow tempo), Kooru (the piece de resistance of a Thayambaka recital) and even in the Irikita segments of Thayambaka.
Achuthankutty is perhaps the sole percussionist who has critically analysed the temperament and design of each component in Thayambaka, Panchavadyam and Melam. Based on a close reading of the authoritative texts on music, his attempt has been to build a bridge between the canons of music and the practical applications of the same in the indigenous genres of music, especially those allied to Hindu temples. As a Thayambaka player, Achuthankutty is scrupulous in each and every beat he performs, in the urulkol he revels in and in the podis (improvisations) that reverberate in the ebb and flow of his performance. Polished are his ennams in the Pathikaalam and koorus.
Achuthankutty’s landmark in his career as a Thayambaka player is his Pathinja Pancharikkoru (slow tempo kooru in the tala Panchari consisting of six beats). This proved to be his answer to the late wizard Pallavoor Appu Marar who vociferously argued that Panchari kooru in slow tempo is impossible on the chenda.
“The conventional Panchari kooru is based on thisram (six beats) but the playing is in seven beats.” Achuthankutty altered the equation and brought in the slow-paced Pancharikooru in 48 beats, which underscores his determination and imaginative prowess. His rebellion in Thayambaka is devoid of sound and fury. While worshipping the great Acharyas of yore, he does not hesitate to transcend them backed by a sense of reasoning and aesthetic vision.
Achuthankutty is of the view that there has been an overwhelming Mattannoor effect in the world of Thayambaka. “Mattannoor has reinterpreted the role of the chenda in the world of music with his stature and stylistic sumptuousness. He’s inimitable.” When it comes to the young generation of Thayambaka players, Achuthankutty is all praise for Porur Unnikrishnan. The newest generation, he, however, feels, is mimicking their iconic predecessors without any noteworthy consequence.
Immersed in digging out the pros and cons of the liturgical content of temple music, Achuthankutty has gathered enough proof to substantiate his observations and inferences. Deeply attached to the Hemambika temple at Kallekulangara, he refuses to take credit for his achievements. Instead, Achuthankutty believes whatever little he did for the different genres of temple-music are those dictated to him by the Goddess. He has won quite a number of awards and accolades including the Kalashri Award from the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy in 2014 for his contributions to Kerala music.
Achuthankutty is courtesy personified. His articulations on stage are a direct manifestation of his knowledge on and fervour for the percussion tradition of Kerala. Non-dogmatic he is during discussions and debates on the heritage of temple-music. Even while sticking to his deep-rooted assessments on the changing facets of Thayambaka, Melam and Panchavadyam, Achuthankutty gives room for dissensions. Percussionists of his calibre and wisdom are a rare breed these days.
