Sam Kadammanitta’s music is marked by experimentation and creative improvisation. And these qualities have helped him stand firm in the quicksand of today’s fragile Malayalam music industry.
This young musician broke into the limelight when he set the Gospel of St. Luke in 15 languages, including five foreign ones. for one of his Christian devotional albums. Since, then Sam has attempted to create something innovative in his albums. The latest, a ‘3 in 1’ album, is a combo of Onam songs (Thiruvonappulari), love songs (It’s My Love For You) and light music (Venalmazha). Sam has managed to rope some of the best lyricists like Kaithapram Damodaran Namboodiri, Vayalar Sarathchandra Varma and a line-up of top singers like M.G. Sreekumar, G. Venugopal, Madhu Balakrishnan, Vijay Yesudas, Vidhu Pratap, Gayatri Asokan, Jyotsna, Sithara Krishnakumar, and Ranjini Jose.
Sam’s foray into music began at age four when his mother got him a ‘two octave toy piano.’ “My mother must have sensed by interest in music because she decided that I learn music. So, I was taught the basics by Joy Master, trained to the play the violin under James and the tabla from Madhu. Then since 1995 I have been learning Carnatic music under Thankappanachari Bhagavathar. And the first time I composed something was when I was in the fifth standard. The teacher gave us students a poem and asked us to set it to music. My composition was later performed on stage,” says Sam, who after post-graduation degrees in Journalism and Philosophy and a degree in Economics, has joined RLV College of Music and Fine Arts, Tripunithura, for BA Music.
Divyajyothis , a Christmas album, was Sam’s first bestseller. He followed this with a series of albums like Divyathejus , Divyanakshathram , Divyaprakasham , Divyadeepthi , Divyasaannidhyam , and Divyathaarakam . “All these years I have been working only on devotionals. Some of the albums like Ardramayi , Anuthaapahridayam , Daivakripa , Daiva Sneham , etc. have all done well. I’m fortunate that down the years I have been able to create a niche audience.”
Sam’s albums have a variety of styles that range from Carnatic to Western to Acapella. He has composed, written the lyrics and sung in most of his works. Sam has performed at venues in the State and in the US and the West Asia. Of late all his albums are from his own music production house, Sam Kadammanitta Music Production Efforts.
“I’m not responsible for my efforts, my thoughts, my ideas, my inspiration. They are no merit of mine but just a gift of the Almighty,” says Sam, who stays at Kakkanad with his wife Deepthi, and two-year-old daughter Esther.
