Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman
Encyclopedia
Umayalpuram Kasiviswanatha Sivaraman (born December 17, 1935) is an Indian mridangam player. He was awarded with the Padma Vibhushan
, India's second highest civilian honor, on the occasion of the country's 61st Republic Day observance on January 26, 2010 and received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Kerala in 2010.
Umayalpuram Sivaraman completed his schooling at the Municipal Primary school and Town high school in Kumbakonam and the Kalyanasundaram High School in Thanjavur. After schooling, he obtaining the B.A degree from the Kumbakonam Government College, and completed his graduation in law from the Madras Law College in 1958. Then Sri Sivaraman enrolled for the M.L. course at the Madras University and completed one year. Drawn to a service in the Indian Administrative Serivces, Sri Sivaraman also spent a few months preparing for the I.A.S exams. While Sri Sivaraman was trained as a lawyer, he received advice from eminent lawyers including late N. Raghunatha Iyer of The Hindu and late C.K. Venkatanarasimhan who was a secretary of The Music Academy who urged Sri Sivaraman to continue his musical career with the prediction that he would rise to great heights in this profession.
, the highest avward for contribution to music by the Government of Kerala in 2005
His titles include Laya Jyothi, Laya Gnana Bhaskara, Sangeetha Kala Sikhamani, Mrudanga Nadamani (bestowed by His Holiness Shri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Mutt), Mrudanga Chakravarthi, Nada Sudharnava, Tal Vilas, and Laya Gnana Tilaka, etc. In 2001, Sri Sivaraman was bestowed the Sangeetha Kalanidhi award from the Music Academy, and the Sangeetha Kala Sarathy award from Parthasarathy Swami Sabha. Several Lions and Rotary Clubs have honoured Sivaraman for his unique services to Carnatic music. He has trained many Indian and foreign students in the art of mrudangam and continues training more disciples.
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
, India's second highest civilian honor, on the occasion of the country's 61st Republic Day observance on January 26, 2010 and received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Kerala in 2010.
Early life and background
Umayalpuram Sivaraman was born in 1935 to Dr. P. Kasivishwanatha Iyer and Smt Kamalambal. His father was an avid practicioner of music, adept in playing the violin and mridangam. At an early age, his father got Sri Sivaraman initiated in mridangam through the gurukula system with eminent mridangam masters.Umayalpuram Sivaraman completed his schooling at the Municipal Primary school and Town high school in Kumbakonam and the Kalyanasundaram High School in Thanjavur. After schooling, he obtaining the B.A degree from the Kumbakonam Government College, and completed his graduation in law from the Madras Law College in 1958. Then Sri Sivaraman enrolled for the M.L. course at the Madras University and completed one year. Drawn to a service in the Indian Administrative Serivces, Sri Sivaraman also spent a few months preparing for the I.A.S exams. While Sri Sivaraman was trained as a lawyer, he received advice from eminent lawyers including late N. Raghunatha Iyer of The Hindu and late C.K. Venkatanarasimhan who was a secretary of The Music Academy who urged Sri Sivaraman to continue his musical career with the prediction that he would rise to great heights in this profession.
Training and Accomplishments
Sri Sivaraman trained under four gurus - Arupathi Natesa Iyer, Thanjavur Vaidhyanatha Iyer, Palghat Mani Iyer and Kumbakonam Rangu Iyengar. His first musical performance was at the age of 10, in 1945 when he accompanied Srinivasa Iyer of Kumbakonam at the Sri Kalahasteeswaraswami Temple in Kumbakonam. In a rich career that spans 60 years, Umayalpuram Sivaraman has accompanied maestros like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Musiri Subramaniya Iyer, Mysore Chowdiah and G.N. Balasubramaniam right up to living legends Semmangudi Srinivasa Srinivasa Iyer, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna and Madurai N. Krishnan besides collaborating with north Indian counterparts Pt. Ravishankar, Hariprasad Chaurasia and Zakhir Hussain among several others. Stepping outside the world of Indian classical music, he has recorded for ECM with violinist L. Shankar in a contemporary new age jazz direction, heavily inspired by Indian music. He is currently the Director of the 'Thanjavur Vaidhyanatha Iyer School for Percussion' of The Music Academy and runs his own institution, 'Laya Lavanya' in Mylapore, Madras.Research on mridangam
Throughout his career, Sri Sivaraman conducted intense research into every aspect of the mridangam, and became an innovator in the concept of conducting workshops and other sorts of educational presentations about the art of mridangam drumming. In addition, he developed actual prototypes for a fibre glass mridangam, no doubt something of a comfort for any player who has had his set of delicate clay drums transformed into pottery shards by a hyper luggage tosser. He did a long series of studies on the skins used on clay drums, both of the tanned and untanned variety, and invented a mechanical jig for moulding the skin that is placed on the side of the instruments. Previously this work was always done by hand, sometimes resulting in foul-ups. Like the other well-known Indian drum, the tabla, the mridangam has a circular black section in the center of the head known as the "black patch", and Sivaraman experimented with the actual contents of this patch, resulting in increased understanding and control of the overtones produced by the drums.Awards and Recognition
Sri Umayalpuram Sivaraman has received numerous honors and awards along his illustrious career. He was conferred the award ‘Padmashri’ by the Government of India in 1988. He received Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1992, and was conferred Kalaimamani, awarded by the Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram of Tamilnadu. He had been designated as the ‘State Artiste’ of the Government of Tamil Nadu from 1981-1987. He was also appointed as the 'Asthana Vidwan' of the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt by His Holiness Sri Sankaracharya Swami. His Holiness Shri Sankaracharya Swamigal of Shri Sharada Peetam Sringeri has bestowed on Sivaraman the title of Mrudanga Kalanidhi and has appointed him as ‘Asthana Vidwan’ of Shri Sarada Peetam, Sringeri. He received Swathi Sangeetha PuraskaramSwathi Sangeetha Puraskaram
Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram is the highest honour for musicians instituted by the Kerala State Government. It's named after Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, the Maharaja of the state of Travancore , in India.The award carries a cash prize of rupees one lakh, citation and a medal-Complete List of...
, the highest avward for contribution to music by the Government of Kerala in 2005
His titles include Laya Jyothi, Laya Gnana Bhaskara, Sangeetha Kala Sikhamani, Mrudanga Nadamani (bestowed by His Holiness Shri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Mutt), Mrudanga Chakravarthi, Nada Sudharnava, Tal Vilas, and Laya Gnana Tilaka, etc. In 2001, Sri Sivaraman was bestowed the Sangeetha Kalanidhi award from the Music Academy, and the Sangeetha Kala Sarathy award from Parthasarathy Swami Sabha. Several Lions and Rotary Clubs have honoured Sivaraman for his unique services to Carnatic music. He has trained many Indian and foreign students in the art of mrudangam and continues training more disciples.