Can you talk about the future of Ghatam and Ghatam artists?
Ghatam used to be an instrument that struggled in the earlier days. It had to go through hardships to come to where it is now, in the main spot. Earlier, very few people had Ghatam and it wasn’ t a main instrument. In that situation only I took this instrument. My dad wanted me to come to a position with the Ghatam like how Ravi Shankar Ji had with the Sitar. I fulfilled his wish.
I used to work at All India Radio. Many years of my career were with M. S Subbulakshmi. She is the person who opened the opportunity for Ghatam abroad. We played at the UN concert in 1966. I can never forget her! From the beginning, Ghatam was mainly supported by female artists. The kutcheri wouldn’ t happen without Ghatam for artists like M. S Subbulakshmi, M. L Vasanthakumari, D. K Pattamal. In fact, only ladies made the instrument.
It used to be a side instrument. I got a big chance to play Ghatam with Shakti, that plays western Jazz music, during my stint at All India Radio. Ghatam replaced Mridhangam at that point. I left my radio job and was with them for few years. My son, Selva Ganesh plays for Remember Shakti now.
I played for Planet Drum, an album by Mickey Hart, which also won a Grammy Award. I was the first person from South India to have won a Grammy. Seven countries drummers played together and that’ s what won me this award.
Slowly, Ghatam came to the main spot over the years. I then realized that this should be showcased as a main instrument and be played as a fully fledged kutcheri. That’ s how I started playing four together.
Right now, Ghatam is one of the most important instruments and there are a lot of solo artist performances. One of my female students Sukkanya Ramgopal, plays kirthana with Ghatam along with accompaniments.
The future of Ghatam looks very bright according to me!
How do you combine spirituality and music?
God is in music, according to me. Before a concert I always pray. I believe it’ s like an exam and results come from the audience. In those couple of hours, we don’ t think about anything else apart from the music itself. We dwell in the music and get submerged in it. Music helps bring rain, cure diseases and more.
I used to be very home sick during my travels abroad. I would simply play music and feel better.
Concert formats have changed a lot since the time you first started. How have you adapted to the change?
During earlier times, the concerts used to be for four hours. It would start at about 4:30pm and go on till 8:30pm. The audience used to listen carefully. In fact, there never used to be mics.
There was no tape recorder or CD or mic, everything was done live. Ghatam never had a mic.
Now we can keep mics inside the Ghatam itself to be able to take videos. We can play concerts at home itself and don’ t even need to go out to watch a concert.
Right now, there is so much development. Audiences these days are more focused on the food( Laughs) and this is more like an entertainment. Sincerity lacks in this generation and time unlike older times.
Vikku Vinayakram ji is the recipient of prestigious awards. Some of the awards received by him include:
Padma Bhushan in 2014 Padma Shri in 2002
Sangeet Natak Akademi award for Carnatic music in 1988.
There is so much opportunity now and young talents are given a chance to showcase their talent.
Earlier, very few students used to learn music in the form of a Gurukul if they did not show interest in studies. In the current scene, more people are interested to come forward and learn music. There are so many colleges for music and also learning through Skype, etc.
I am still not comfortable with internet for music. When someone asks me to teach via Skype, I say I’ d rather come and teach in person.( Laughs)
You have collaborated with many artists from the North and also International. Tell us about your experience.
I started out playing for MS Subbulakshmi ji, then later Shakti Group and left there abruptly due to family issues. Later, I started working with North Indian artists like Amjad Ali Khan, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Zakir Hussain, Pandit Jasraj and many more since I played for the Western Jazz Music.
I would like to quote an instance here. I traveled with Hariprasad Chaurasia for a concert in Germany. We landed in Frankfurt and had to go to a place 3-4 hours away. At the airport, I wasn’ t sure how to use the bag trolley and hence it went rolling down a slope and my Ghatam broke completely. I was really upset and was clueless how I’ d play the evening concert. Hari Ji asked me not to worry and to just speak Konnakol during the concert. I was still very upset without my Ghatam. The concert was in the late evening and we reached the place at 5pm. Hari ji was nice enough to tell me that they will go ahead with the concert for one and a half hours and I can just sit on the stage with the Konnakol. But with the grace of lord, I got super glue and some threads and somehow fixed it and played the concert. I just want to highlight Hari Ji’ s beautiful gesture which we don’ t usually experience down south unfortunately. Similarly, Zakir Hussain Ji has done a lot for me too.
The Score Magazine highonscore. com
13