T. S. Nandakumar

T. S. Nandakumar (born on 17 March 1958 in Ambalappuzha) is an Indian well known carnatic music percussionist.He is primarily adept in playing the mridangam.His wide range of efforts and teaching in the field of percussion have helped to promote the art across the globe.He is also regarded as one of the finest teacher(guru) in the field of mridangam.

Personal life

T Shankaranaryanan Nandakumar (T. S. Nandakumar) was born on 17 March 1958 in Ambalappuzha, Kerala, India. He is the son of Balakrishna Panicker and Shrimati Saraswati. He comes from the family of the well known nadaswaram duo, the Ambalapuzha Brothers. A child prodigy, Nandakumar had only talent with which he conquered the world of music with his beats on the mridangam. He learnt mridangam under the guidance of Kaithavana Madhavdas in the gurukula samprada tradition and acquired profiency as Laya Vidwan.

Nandakumar developed a strong interest in music before he was seven years old. He gained a reputation as an accompanist to some well known names in carnatic music such as Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, M. D. Ramanathan, S. Ramanathan, R. K. Srikantan, Bhimsen Joshi, M. Balamuralikrishna, T. N. Krishnan, L. Subramaniam, N. Ramani, K. J. Yesudas, N. Rajam, T. K. Govinda Rao, Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, T. V. Gopalakrishnan and several others.

Career

Besides being an amiable accompanist Nandakumar has shown a flair for teaching and training students in a number of music institutions and fine arts sabhas in Mumbai. Not content with just training, he has found a medium for the students to hone their skills and play in unison.TSN's percussive Arts Centre which is a composite unit drawn from talented teenagers. He trained his students in mridangam, konnakol, thavil, ghatam, kanjira, morsing instrument playing for ensemble. Under his tutelage, the ensemble has been performing with excellence. Having performed all over Mumbai and in the south of India,he came out with Jewels of Rhythm cassettes in those days.

Nandakumar has been promoting Indian carnatic music both as a teacher and a performer. He has had the privilege of performing for various festivals all over the country, besides giving performances for All India Radio and Doordarshan.

He has conducted several MusicAL concerts, lectures cum demonstration and workshops in India as well as abroad like Lamar University of Houston, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and several others to train students and build their rapport with artists by accompanying them.

Nandakumar has earned several awards. He received the LifeTime Achievement Award from Shanti Foundation, Chennai for his contributions to the field of Indian classical music. He was honored by the Cleveland Tyagaraja group with the 'Best Teacher Award' where M. Balamuralikrishna and Nirupama Rao, Indian Ambassador to the United States was the guest of honor, and the Bharat Ratna M. S. Subbulakshmi Best Teacher Award from the Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha, Mumbai. He was also felicitated and honoured by Shri R. K. Laxman the cartoonist.

Pittsburgh University in America conducts special classes in percussive arts for which they have enlisted Nandakumar. He used to conduct classes in the Venkateswara Temple, Pittsburgh; Academy of Indian Music, New Jersey; Switzerland and several places in other countries.

Albums and recordings

Nandakumar composed and released Jewels of Rhythm Vol 1, Jewels of Rhythm Vol 2 and Jewels of Rhythm Vol 3 which were performed by his students at the ages of nine and ten respectively, and Vibrative Rhythms which is a fusion of Carnatic, Hindustani and Western music as a one-man ensemble of mridangam, konnakol, thavil, ghatam, kanjira and the morsing played by himself and Rymthmic Sequences by Kosmik company.{{-}}

TSN's Percussive Arts Centre

TSN's Percussive Arts Centre was founded in response to demand from students for higher learning in the art of percussion. Since inception,the centre has presented several annual events which included performances by well known artists in carnatic music, amongst others by N. Rajam, N. Ramani, A. Kanyakumari, L.Subramanium and several others at the Shanmukhananda Hall, Chembur Fine Arts Hall and vice versa. Such events organized under the banner of TSN's Percussive Arts Centre serve as inspiration to young students and encourage them to take to the stage. Nandakumar has Indian students as well as non-Indian students all over the globe.He conducted decennary function of the centre with a performance by ninety six students on stage

Hard work was put in by Nandakumar for rehearsals and special training to students in percussion INSTRUMENTS and in Konnakol 'singing' for their stage performances. His students are also popularizing the same art given to them by teaching other students. His centre is also in Zurich, Switzerland and also runs 'TSN's Percussive Arts Centre, Inc' school in New Jersey, United States with the motive of promoting Indian classical music all over the world.

Titles, awards and honours

• Title-SwaraSadhana Ratna
• Title-Gurushikhamani
• Title-Sruthilaya Sudhakara
• Life Time Achievement Award by Shanti Foundation, Chennai
• Cleveland Thygaraja Aradhana Committee awarded him as the Best Teacher Award
• Bharatratna M S Subbulakshmi Best Teacher Award
• Honoured by Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha, Mumbai
• Honoured by Padam, Mumbai
• Honoured by Music Triangle, Mumbai
• Honoured by Naadalaya, Mumbai
• Honoured by Swara Sadhana Samithi, Mumbai
• Honoured by Mudra, Chennai
• Honoured by TVG Academy, Chennai

External links

• T. S. Nandakumar's home Page
• T. S. Nandakumar's Newspaper cuttings
• Bharata Ratna Dr. M. S. Subbulakshmi Sangeetha Pracharya Award (http://www.shanmukhananda.com/SM_BMT%20Award.html#)
• MS Subbulakshmi Best Teacher Awardee – TS Nandakumar on nme.com (http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/zVB58-xmgzI)
• Bharatratna MS Subbulakshmi Award to Nandakumar (http://www.shanmukhananda.com/SM_BMT%20Award.html)
• http://www.hindu.com/2001/09/21/stories/09210709.htm
• http://www.mid-day.com/smd/2007/mar/154555.htm
• At Echoes of Asia – Emory World Music Ensemble (http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/9FWPWBgfBZQ)
• Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana performance 2008 (http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/maTnYhrgggw)
• Release of the album "Vibrative Rhythms" (http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/rx7oTQJ3e)
• Students offering their respects to Guru Nandakumar (http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/vSPfe8AiA1s)
• K. J. Yesudas classical concert 2012 review (http://triblocal.com/niles/community/stories/2012/06/concert-at-htgc-by-legendary-singerpadmabhushan-yesudas)
• K. J. Yesudas concert (http://theindianeye.net/lotus-feets-carnatic-classical-concert-in-nj/?body= http://theindianeye.net/lotus-feets-carnatic-classical-concert-in-nj/)
• Indian Concert with Grammy-nominated musician, Chandrika Tandon (http://www.conscioustribe.com/event_detail.aspx?iEventID%3D1799)
• http://www.indiapost.com/yesudas-delights-with-his-rich-repertoire/
• Yesudas and TSN Range and Mastery Mesmerizes Carnatic Music Lovers | Asian Media USA (http://www.asianmediausa.com/press-releases/yesudas-range-and-mastery-mesmerizes-carnatic-music-lovers/)
• Colorado Fine Arts Association TSN (http://coloradofinearts.org/category/other-organizations/)
• TSN Students performance in Emory University, Atlanta US(http://arts.emory.edu/assets/concert-programs/2012-13/3_1_13%20Bhavana%20carnatic%20voice%20recital_Final.pdf)
• International Students (http://www.reunionnaisdumonde.com/spip.php?article15029)
• Vivek Rajagopalan, multi-percussionist, composer, producer, student of T. S. Nandakumar (http://vivekrajagopalan.com/)