By Anjana Anand
Nellai D. Kannan has been actively in the field of music for more than four decades. A proficient performer whose vocal and mridhangam skills have made him a consummate artiste, Nellai Kannan is unassuming and forthcoming. He has made a mark in the Bharatanatyam world while being recognized as a noted kucheri performer.
Tell us about your music background
My father and guru, Nellai P.S. Devaraja Iyer was a mridhangam player and we come from a family involved in bhajan a sampradayam. In fact before I began playing the mridhangam, I was singing with my father and his group at different temples. I grew up in Tirunelveli and only came to Chennai in my 11th standard. I also learnt mridhangam under Kuttalam Viswanathan Iyer.
In those days there was not much status for artistes in our field. My father was one of the first artistes who sang and played the mridhangam simultaneously during the performances. He also played mridhangam for leading vocalists who came to Tirunelveli. Unfortunately he did not get the recognition he deserved but that is the case with many talented artistes in our country. When we moved to Chennai he was already in his 60’s and the music scene was very new to him. He was not keen that I become a full time musician but fate had other plans for me!
How did your association with Bharatanatyam begin?
I had watched many performances by artistes like Padma Subrahmanyam and Vyjayathi Mala as a youngster. I first played mridhangam for Vyjayanthi mala in Calcutta and Bombay. After that, I played for Narasimhacharis for their Kuchupudi performances but I had no plans to become an accompanist for Natyam then.
My father’s friend Pakeeriswamy Pillai was the first president of ABHAI. Through him, my father got a job at Music College where he taught mridhangam. Once, he requested me to play mridhangam for final year dance students at the college. After this, Karaikudi Krishnamurthy, who was a close family friend, encouraged me to start playing for Bharatanatyam. My father was initially reluctant but realized that it would give me more opportunities to perform and give me some financial stability. We had musical giants in Chennai in those yearsand it was difficult for a youngster like me to get a break in the field.
What is your connection with Kalakshetra?
In 1978 K. Gopinath (Adyar K. Lakshman’s brother), who used to play mridhangam for the dance dramas, could not perform one evening and asked me to stand in for him. Seetarama Sarma was singing that evening and Rukmini Devi was present for the show. It was a memorable experience. To this day, I site Kalakshetra dance dramas as an example of aesthetics and quality. Till today, Rukmini Devi’s dance dramas have packed audiences. There are no gimmicks to dazzle the audience. It is pure classicism and highest standards which keeps the audience riveted.
You always acknowledge Adyar K. Lakshman and K. Gopinath as your guru-s. How did you meet Adyar K. Lakshman?
A guru is not only someone who teaches you directly. It is a bond which develops in your interaction with great masters. It was like that for me with Lakshman Sir. I was travelling for a performance once with Arunachalam Pillai (a great nattuvanar and Bharatanatyam guru). He introduced me to Gopi Anna who worked with Lakshman sir. I attended one of their student’s arangetram a few days later and met Lakshman Sir there. He asked me to come home and play mridhangam. After he heard me play for the composition ‘jayajanakiramana’, he said ‘Kannan, have you played for Bhajana performances before?” I do not know if it was my insecurities of being associated with that sampradayam but I said ‘No, sir!’ He put down his nattuvangam and asked me to tell the truth. I smiled and admitted that I had not only played for the group but could sing all eight charanams of the composition! I am indebted to him and Gopi Anna for my entry into the Bharatanatyam field. I learnt so many things from him just by observation.
There is an unsaid hierarchy amongst mridhangists playing for Bharatanatyam and Kucheris.
Yes, Personally, I do not see such divisions or judge a musician’s capabilities by the field that they work in. Finally, only a skilful musician can excel in his chosen field. Playing for Bharatanataym requires a different understanding and approach. If one’s foundation is not strong as a musician, it will show in performance. Playing for Bharatanatyam is not easy. We have to have strong musical sense to follow the vocalists at times and the dance at other times. Playing for dance dramas is even more challenging as the mridhangist is responsible forthe correct entrances of characters and scene changes. The seamless flow is in the hands of the nattuvangist and mridhangist. Most importantly, we have to be sensitive to the mood of the song or the emotions the dancer is portraying. A good mridhangist can heighten the abhinaya of the dancer. Of course a good memory and spontaneity is essential as we have to play the rhythmic patterns set by the dancer so that the music and dance flow together.
What are some of the changes that you see in the dance field over the years?
I have heard many great nattuvanars and performed with them. I remember particularly, playing the mridhangam when Kittappa Pillai was doing nattuvangam. The jathi-s were so beautiful and the adavu-s that they set were woven in so cleverly. What struck me was the musicality of the rhythm! They did not just create complicated ‘kanakku’ and fit it into the jathi. The choreography and jathi-s were like two sides of a coin. Their secret was that they were all good musicians. They set the jathi-s and adavu-s such that one could sing and wield the cymbals for it. The adavu-s were set so that the dancer could execute the movements with grace and ease. This ensured that the jathi flowed and any complication in the cross patterns only enhanced the beauty of the jathi. These days I often find that Bharatanatyam teachers set complicated patterns which they cannot sing and do nattuvangam for simultaneously. Of course, they are technically correct but at what cost? At the cost of beauty and ‘sowkyam’ (comfort)!
Do you feel that we are losing our ability to enjoy simplicity in art?
Yes, I think we are forgetting that music is for the soul! Maybe we are thinking more with our head than our heart. It is true that we have evolved in terms of complexity in every field. Young artistes are trying hard and there is a lot of talent in the new generation. I am just concerned that we should not compartmentalize each art form and remember that Natyam is an amalgamation of music rhythm and poetry. Only if these are in sync with each other will an art form touch our hearts.
Any advice for upcoming accompanists?
As I mentioned, there is a lot of talent in the field. It is up to each artiste to stop and reflect on what this art form means to him and how best he is using it to reach the audience. For that, it is not enough to just perform. You must watch a lot with an open mind. Listen to good musicians of the past and analyse what made their music appealing.
Some of your awards
Kalaimamani Award given by the government of Tamilnadu (2001)
Best Mridangam player Award for Dance from Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai
Best Player Award for Carnatic Music from the Music Academy, Chennai
‘Nada Laya Ratnam’ from the Saraswathi Gana Nilayam
‘Laya Kala Vipanchee’ from the Vipanchee, Chennai (2015)
Senior Musician award from Karthik Fine Arts (2015)
What are the challenges you face as an accompanist for Bharatanatyam?
It is important to be alert at all times because, the cues for the dancer depend on us. I have had many wonderful experiences with artistes like S.K. Rajarathnam Pillai and the Dhananjayans where we have gone on stage with just one rehearsal. Those were some of the best performances because we were so tuned into each other that the music and dance came together as one unit. I feel it is better for a dancer to work with the same team of musicians for long periods so that there is mutual understanding between the artistes. That kind of team spirit can lift the whole show.
Sometimes we are have to adjust the kala pramanam in between the performance or make adjustments which may not be technically accurate but that is the beauty of two art forms meeting. It is that joy of sharing and supporting which creates magic for the audience. I always compare it to a husband and wife relationship. In life, each supports the other through many ups and downs because they share a common goal. It is this ‘give and take’ journey, which though imperfect in some ways,makes the performance a success. Art is not very different from life!