Mridangam Vidwan (exponent) Karaikudi Mani who was all set to perform on Sunday in the city, has always managed to catch the unwavering attention of the audience. With decades of musical expertise, the stalwart’s ability to decipher musical scores into rhythmic patterns is beyond extraordinary.
“The blessings and appreciation from the great masters have been my greatest rewards,” says the maestro, while adding, “I have worked with world musicians and can say that their dedication is on a much higher plane than most musicians in India,” says Mani.
The artiste has also guided danseuse Rajeswari Sainath and her daughter Vyshnavie Sainath to explore dance performances with the rhythmic patterns and melody of Australian Art Orchestra. Mani says, “Dance is normally set to a lyrical tune, but it also has its essence because of a rhythmic flow of the tune. I have always worked towards bringing this ‘rhythmic flow’ to the forefront.”
As his student from Hyderabad Karra Srinivas listens, Mani says, “The younger generation is becoming impatient. There is a need to work towards ‘pure music’. This can happen with sincere devotion and hard work.” Regarding the quality of concerts, Karaikudi Mani says, “There was a time when organisers used to pick each musician for a concert including the accompanists. Today, it’s like a ‘contract’ given to the main artiste who chooses their accompanists and therefore one may not get the best combination on stage. Even the audience needs to sometimes question what is being presented to them.”
