“When Umayalpuram Sivaraman plays the mridangam, he is in complete bliss. The instrument is a play thing for him,” said filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan during the 80th birthday celebrations of the renowned mridangam exponent.
He said when artistes demonstrated such passion during their performance, it was an accomplishment of art at a very high level. The Music Academy president N. Murali said Mr. Sivaraman had dedicated his life to the art form. “He has mastered the instrument like no one else. Mridangam has become an extension of himself. He is one of the greatest percussionists in our country,” he said. He noted that Mr. Sivaraman had accompanied musicians of four generations and also encouraged talented young musicians.
Mr. Sivaraman said he was overwhelmed by the admiration of eminent personalities. “I think their speeches are more beautiful than any thaniavarthanam ,” he added. Former Education Minister of Kerala M.A. Baby, musicians Aruna Sairam and Ustad Maa Zila Khan, filmmaker Rajiv Menon and Belgian saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol were among those who spoke.
