Mridangist TV Gopalakrishnan honoured with RK Srikantan Trust Award

Mridangist TV Gopalakrishnan honoured with RK Srikantan Trust Award

Among the thousands of foreign students who requested mridangist TV Gopalakrishnan to mentor them, was an European drummer wanting a crash course on the Indian laya. Under Gopalakrishnan’s expert guidance, the drummer performed a special tani-avarthana (Carnatic percussion solo) on stage within a month of dedicated practice.

“The credit goes to his passion and effort,” says TV Gopalakrishnan over a video call ahead of his visit to Bengaluru to receive an honour during the annual Sankranti Music Festival helmed by the Vidwan RK Srikantan Trust. “My way of teaching is different — I want to make every student of mine a performer,” says the spirited 93-year-old, who is happy that he is still able to perform at around 40 concerts a year, preferring to travel by road with his wife Radhai, a connoisseur of music.  

“Srikantan’s dedication and perfection remains an inspiration for all generations,” says Gopalakrishnan, who will be bestowed with the title of ‘Srikanta-Shankara’ at the event, for his musical journey over the past eight decades. He is not just a mridanga-vidwan, but also a classical vocalist, composer, researcher, teacher and collaborator across global genres. Gopalakrishnan has perfected a style in laya that is both traditional and global in its influence.

“It mirrors his eclectic spirit of involvement, helping him widen his student base to include film, jazz and rock worlds, apart from classical-based musicians from outside the world of Carnatic music,” says vocalist Ramakanth Srikantan, now steering the RK Srikantan Trust. “My father, RK Srikantan, who performed several concerts with Gopalakrishnan as his mridangist, would often say he was a versatile all-rounder.”

“In the last four decades, TVG has introduced the largest number of performing young artistes on stage and composed music for hundreds of kritis, while his disciples include sought after vocalists and mridangists,” says Ramakanth.

Your Voice

Tripunithura Viswanatha Iyer Gopalakrishnan, or TVG as he is referred to in the music world, says what he has enjoyed most — apart from his trailblazing cross-cultural exchanges with musical legends such as George Harrison, John Mclaughlin, John Handy, Pt. Ravi Shankar and Pierre Favre amongst others — was his research in Voice Culture and Music Therapy. His book, Your Voice encompassing both ancient Vedic literature and modern scientific studies of the singing voice, has benefitted scores of musicians.