Music for the soul

Classical music, be it Eastern or Western, is said to be music for the soul. Carnatic music, the genre of South India which traces its lineage back to more than 3,000 years, is considered much more than that by Indian music aficionados.

Over the years the scenario has changed and today's concert performances usually is made up of a main artist, a melodic accompanist (typically a violin) and a percussion instrument, usually the two-headed drum, mridangam.

At a recent music recital in Abu Dhabi, K.M.S. Mani, who is well known to most Carnatic music lovers in UAE as a proficient mridangam player, provided rhythmic support to the main artist, a flautist. Enchanting the audience with his masterly performance, Mani's magical fingers were an absolute delight. Displaying great prowess and skill, the beat of the mridangam merged perfectly with the flute, providing a rich variety of musical cadences.

Usually there are no rehearsals and a percussionist has to know exactly what the main artist wants in order to provide the right kind of support. So, a sharp mind that is quick to follow the thought processes of the principal performer is essential. Apart from this, the percussionist has to exercise the utmost restraint so as not to divert the attention of the audience from the main artist.

Mani has participated in many programmes both here and in Dubai. Thus, he has had the opportunity to play with many of the leading names in the Indian music world.

Naturally accolades for this talented musician have been many. Recently, at a grand violin concert, the famous violin maestro, Padma Bhushan Prof. T.N. Krishnan presented Mani with the shawl (Ponnadai), a singular and most sought-after honour for Indian musicians.

Another great honour was the title of Vadhya Kala Praveena in appreciation of Mani's efforts to promote Carnatic music in UAE. Mani has done concert tours, with leading musicians, in Europe, Britain and the Middle East, and has participated in the most prestigious music festivals of South India.