Loud Mumbo-Jumbo? You Know Nothing About Konnakkol!

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.

“Since then, Sharma sir has been magnanimously featuring me in all his music ensembles. Am extremely proud of it,” says the Bangalorean, who started learning mridangam at the age of six and has been groomed also by masters such as K.N. Krishnamurthy, B.C. Manjunath and K.V. Prasad.

Sprightly Somashekar, who has been into Konnakkol from 2004, recently opened an institution for the promotion of the art that requires great arithmetic abilities and immense flexibility with the tongue and throat. The venture, which is named World Konnakkol Academy and was opened in the Karnataka capital on this March 29 (the regional new year day of Ugadi), seeks to broaden the public exposure to the art by proving that it can be performed as a solo item besides being an effective accompaniment to vocal or instrumental recitals.

A sound engineer by profession, Somashekar notes that Konnakkol has been widely used for year—yet it finds only colloquial references as vocal percussion all along Indian performing-art history. Also, despite its capacity to appeal serious art-lovers and common man alike, Konnakkol is mired in myths, which he strives to debuk.

For instance, quite a few even within Carnatic music circles believe Konnakkol originated around a century or two ago. “The fact is the art form has a history of 5,000 years right from the Vedic era,” claims Somasekhar, is the youngest artiste to secure ‘A Grade’ for konnakkol from All India Radio. “At various time periods, it has been revived by visionaries such as Bharata Muni (who is believed to have written the ancient Sanskrit text Natya Shastra on performing arts) and, much later, Arunagirinathar (the 15th-century Tamil saint-poet). More recently legends like Mannargudi Pakkiriya Pillai (in late 18th century) have rejuvenated the art form on the classical stage.”

Further, many surmise that Konnakkol syllables originated from the mridangam. “No. This is an independent art-form that has its own legacy and lineage,” he avers. “What’s more, many believe Konnakkol is suitable only for fusion and percussion ensembles. Well, it is also undoubtedly an integral part of vocal and instrumental performances throughout Indian concert scenario. Many legends have proven it over generations; it’s another matter we lack in high-calibre Konnakkol artistes.”

Isn’t konnakkol—many wrongly mix it up with the nattuvangam in Bharatanatyam dance—a disturbance when performed as an accompaniment in a Carnatic vocal? “Ah, this is more of a mental block. An exposure to quality Konnakkol accompaniments at concerts can make a sweeping change in the attitude of Carnatic buffs,” he says, adding his academy is in the mission of reinstating a “past glory” of Konnakkol by also identifying the right sources and validating pertinent theories at workshops, classes and lec-dems.

So what are the parameters that decide the quality of a konnakkol performance? “Primarily clarity, diction, modulation, inflection, range, melody and timbre,” says Somasekhar, who has undertaken a central government HRD scholarship. “You need in-depth understanding of rhythmic patterns as well as ability to balance intricacies, complexities and aesthetics.”

With its routes deep seated in peninsular India, Konnakkol has journeyed far east and west of the globe. For, the inherent experimental nature of Konnakkol makes it a captivating ingredient in fusion music of diverse cultures. “Today, musicians of varied backgrounds across the world come forward to learn Konnakkol primarily to gain mastery over their own music and additionally incorporate a distinct flavour to their performances,” the artiste says, listing the names of septuagenarian English guitarist  John McLaughlin, Danish musician Henrik Anderson and US-groomed saxophonist Arun Luthra.

Konnalkkol already has a few female artists, though not related to the Bangalore academy.

Somasekhar, who is a winner of the Ananya Yuva as well as Pratibha Puraskar awards, believes it is ideal to learn konnakkol before venturing into any music classes such as mridangam, thavil or even drums. “It can enrich your percussive dimensions. It helps you explore newer and exciting facets of rhythm,” he notes, “There are unlimited opportunities in experimenting Konnakkol with musical genres across the world. We have many artistes actively involved in such collaborative performances.”

Having accompanied konnakkol with frontline artistes like Chitravina N. Ravikiran, Neela Ramagopal, Neyveli Santhanagopalan and Kadri Gopalnath, this 33-year-old has also participated in special ensembles with eminent musicians besides having given lecture-demonstrations at prestigious venues that include Madras Music Academy, Swathi Sangeethotsavam in Thiruvananthapuram, Mysore Dasara, Banaras Hindu University, Satara-Kolhapur Music Festival and Barmer National Integration Music Festival.

How about missions abroad? “In the US and UK, this art has received amazing reception. People abroad have realised Konnakkol’s importance and greatness than perhaps we Indians have, but am sure this is going to change very soon in our country,” he says. “Sooner than later, Konnakkol is bound to become household name in every corner of the world. The present growth of awareness regarding its possibilities and benefits is itself proof to a promising future.”