or watching others learn. Vikku sir would teach me the small
nuances of ghatam playing. He would play any number of times
and I had to observe keenly and learn. When I learnt from him,
during the 70s, it was a golden period as many stalwarts visited
our school. With them, I have had such memorable learning
sessions. And sir also had ample time to teach. We used to have
group sessions. These sessions inspire me even today. Even
today when sir creates any new composition he teaches me.
What were some of the techniques you learnt from Vikku ji that you use a lot?
In Vikku sir’s technique the use of all ten fingers is key. All
fingers have to be developed to produce equal pressure. He
has developed special exercises to achieve felicity in all the
ten fingers. Another speciality is the exploration of the entire
instrument – all spaces on the ghatam are played on – the neck,
mouth, belly everything. Composing shlokas / verses on the
ghatam is another of his distinct aspects. A particular verse is
explored in terms of its sound and that sound is executed on
the ghatam. So when you listen to the verse on the ghatam you
can actually hear the verse itself. That is another thing I have
learnt from him.
How is Ghatam perceived amongst youngsters in India and how are you
making it more popular especially among women?
Youngsters are taking considerable interest in the ghatam.
There are also some girls playing ghatam now. There was a
time when girls were not allowed to step out of the house. Music
teachers would come home to teach them or they had to learn
from parents or siblings at home. It has changed a bit. Today
while most girls are still encouraged to learn singing or playing
melodic instruments there are some that have taken keen
interest in percussion. They are also exploring many other
forms of music making. I think social media has been a great
aid to learning. There is so much more exposure. Sharing your
work has become easy. New networks are formed. And girls
/ women find encouragement and inspiration from a larger
world. This is a great development.
Could you share some tips for aspiring Ghatam artists especially women
Practice, Practice and Practice. There is no substitute for hard
work. Practice consistently and practice sincerely. Listen
to master musicians from the past as well as to your own
contemporaries. Learn from them and create your own music.
Be updated with current trends in the field. More than physical
strength you should have mental strength.
Highlight your upcoming projects
I recently completed a wonderful project in Pune, playing
with percussion master Greg Ellis, Flamenco dancer Bettina
Castanos, guitarist Santosh Chandran, Sitar player Shakir
Khan and Tabla player Unmesh Baneerji. It was such a
wonderful experience playing with all of them.
I run the Sunaadam Trust through which we have been
popularising the ghatam. We organise workshops, concerts
and thematic ensembles to bring the ghatam to the forefront.
We want to take the ghatam to schools, orphanages and other
places. My dream is to play Ghata Tharang and popularise
it across the world. Another project is to document the lives
and works of ghatam masters. I also want to document all the
korvais that I know so that it can be of use to students.
The
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