sebastian and sons a brief history of mrdangam makers

Yet, their contribution to the art of the mrdangam is dismissed as labour and repair-when it is spoken of at all. This requires a highly tuned ear and an ability to translate abstract ideas expressed by musicians into the corporeal reality of a mrdangam. The quality of the hide and how it is cured, cut, stretched, bound and braided impacts the tone, timbre and sound of the instrument. While several artists have been credited with the evolution of the instrument, including the stalwart Palghat Mani Iyer, none of them had knowledge of a fundamental aspect of the making: hide. From acquiring the skins for the circular membranes and straps to the wood for the drum, from curing the material to the final construction and at the end of it all, making sure that it has the tone that the mrdangam player wants, mrdangam-making is also a highly nuanced operation at every stage.Īlso Read: Rakesh Maria Releases His Book Titled 'Let Me Say It Now' The making process is an intellectually, aesthetically and physically taxing one. Krishna investigates the history of the mrdangam and meets the invisible keepers of a tradition: the mrdangam makers. Yet-startling as this is- the instrument as we know it is only a century old. The mrdangam is an integral part of the Karnatik stage, its primary percussion instrument.

Published by Westland Publication, the book was unveiled by the director of Tata Literature Festival Anil Dhaker. Krishna recently launched his book 'Sebastian and Sons: A Brief History of Mrndangam Makers' at Tata Literature Live in NCPA.

Sebastian and sons a brief history of mrdangam makers