A decade ago, renowned mridangam player Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma gave a younger fellow Kannadiga an opportunity to perform an ancient Indian rhythmic language in his upcoming ensemble concert. That is how B.R. Somashekar Jois, then aged 23, sat with top-notch performers of his country to recite Konnakkol—the art of reciting Carnatic percussion syllables that is seldom seen as a stage art otherwise.