At a time when classical art forms are being experimented with to keep them relevant, Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri’s effort in transforming the role of Kathakali musicians deserves to be applauded.
Sankaran Embranthiri (1944-2007), whose death anniversary is on November 14, came up with a unique style of rendition for Kathakali, the highlights being voice culture and clear diction.
In the past, this classical art was performed without sound amplifiers. The musicians’ task then was to sing in a falsetto so that people sitting at the back would be able to hear. This limited the scope for intonation and it was a strain on the singers’ vocal chords.
With the advent of amplifiers, this scenario changed and Embranthiri was quick to take adventage of this. He indulged in voice modulation to convey moods and emotions.
An example of his ingenuity are two padams that are different in context but are set to the same raga. One is about the helpless hamsa captured by Nala in ‘Nalacharitam 1st day’ set to Raga Khandaram. The same raga is used in another padam to depict an angry Bhima going to the battlefield to kill Duryodhana in ‘Duryodhanavadham.’ An easy way out would have been to try a different raga. But Embranthiri prefered voice modulation but within the confines of the raga. This made Embranthiri unique. He also had a voice that stood out from the rest.
Initially, he faced resistance from purists, but his style soon found acceptance and even inspired his contemporaries and the next generation. Then Kathakali musicians started learning classical music to grasp the raga-bhava intricacies.
He also revolutionalised the role of the Ponnani Bhagavathar (lead singer). To him, the lead musician in Kathakali should anchor and manage the stage. “Unlike other art forms, Kathakali musicians are not seated on the sidelines, rather they stand in the vicinity of the audience. What can one gauge from this?” he had once asked, apparently in a bid to substantiate his view point. He believed that chengila (the gong), which the lead musician carried, symbolised the power to command. This idea was endorsed by many Kathakali maestros.
A Kathakali performance is a combination of Cholliyattam and Elakiyattam. During Cholliyattam, the actors depict the meaning of a padam through mudras. Elakiyattam has no padam. The actors here elaborate and improvise what is narrated through manodharma. Earlier, the musicians would leave the stage at the conclusion of Cholliyattam as if the Elakiyattam was only the actors’ business. But all this changed and the musicians’ presence was needed on stage to manage the time. This indirectly enabled the musicians to grasp the nuances of abhinaya. Embranthiri also brought in the practice of the musicians, Ponnani (lead) and Sinkidi (subordinate), singing together in contrast to the conventional system of the latter repeating the former’s renderings.
Bhava-oriented singing
Embranthiri was never an outstanding student at the Kalari (traditional school). But on stage, he was the focus for his bhava-oriented singing. He rose to professional prominence in the mid 1960s working at the Unnayi Warrier Smaraka Kalanilayam, Irinjalakuda. Later he moved to FACT Kathakali School.
Illness made Embranthiri’s appearances on stage irregular. But he knew how to turn an adverse situation to his advantage. He pioneered Kathakali Pada Kacheri, where only the Kathakali padams were sung. Kathakali Pada Kacheri bestowed the musicians with immense opportunity for improvisation. It also turned the spotlight on Kathakali musicians, who began to have a fan following. In an interesting variation, these musicians were accompanied by the violin and mrindangam replacing the original chenda and madhalam. Embranthiri was also a part of many jugalbandi programmes, sharing the stage with exponents of Carnatic and Hindustani music.
One can sum him up with the words of American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Dead he is not, but departed, for the artist never dies.”
