Who’s who in Indian classical music Palghat TS Mani Iyer
Palghat TS Mani Iyer (1912 - 1981)
Palghat Mani Iyer was arguably the
greatest mridanga vidwan known to Carnatic music. He was the first exponent of
this percussion instrument to be awarded the Sangita Kalanidhi and the Padma
Bhushan.
Mani Iyer became renowned in his lifetime for the innovations he introduced in
mridangam playing. For instance, he was the first one to shadow the musical
phrasing of the vocalist or instrumentalist he accompanied on the mridangam,
now the standard followed by every mridangam exponent. He not only reproduced
all the subtleties of the musical composition on his instrument, but also
stressed the strategic importance of silences, knowing when not to play as much
as when to play. He adopted different approaches for vocal and instrumental
music, and the various types and moods of songs as well. The length of his tani
avartanam was tailored to the occasion, restrained and rarely a loud display of
fireworks.
He was born and grew up Palakkad, Kerala. Displaying an early aptitude for
drumming, he first learnt mridangam from Palghat Subba Iyer and Kalpathy
Viswanatha Iyer, both local gurus. He later did long gurukula vasam with
Tanjavur Vaidanatha Iyer, the doyen of one of the two major mridangam schools
of Carnatic music, with Manmundia Pillai leading the other, which produced
another great in Palani Subramania Pillai.
Mani Iyer accompanied all the leading artists of his era. His partnership with
such legends as Ariyakudi, TR Mahalingam and GN Balasubramaniam was of the
stuff of fables. A stickler for ethical conduct, he played a major role in
elevating the status of percussionists. Even as a lad, he refused to trade
places with kanjira or ghatam players on the concert stage—even if the other
percussionists were senior to him—insisting that the mridangam be given due
primacy.
He was an opponent of the use of microphones for the mridangam and the violin,
and at one stage started refusing concert engagements where mikes were used,
only relaxing the rule when he was satisfied that improved technology ensured
the prevention of the distortion of the sound of his instrument. Constantly
intent on improving the quality of the instrument, he was a passionate and
expert mridangam maker.
Mani Iyer was a most sought after, revered guru. Among his many outstanding
disciples two—Umayalpuram Sivaraman and the late Palghat Raghu—became Sangita
Kalanidhis.
By V Ramnarayan
Posted by Sruti Magazine May 29, 2012