Resounding Mridangam explores the nuances of Mridangam, the majestic South-Indian drum, an inevitable accompaniment in Carnatic classical music. The book is a beautiful journey in time and history. It is designed for a wider readership comprising music students as their academic source at universities across the globe, performing musicians, followers of Indian & Western classical music, and anyone who wishes to gain interdisciplinary knowledge in music. Analysis of the physics of Mridangam would enthuse readers with a scientific bent of mind. It covers a comparative analysis of the various music genres to appreciate synergy and synthesis. The book also contains unheard vignettes of 200+ Mridangam masters. Resounding Mridangam is divided into eight chapters. Chapter 1: The South Indian Classical Music Chapter 2: The Musical Instruments Chapter 3: Mridangam - Evolution & History Chapter 4: Bani - The Playing Traditions Chapter 5: Mridangam - The Structure & Components Chapter 6: The Physics of Mridangam Chapter 7: The Tala Systems Chapter 8: The Great Masters The first two chapters set the book's tone wherein the readers are introduced to Indian Classical Music's spectacular world. These chapters cover the genesis and evolution of Indian classical music and dwell into the two major Indian music genres: the Carnatic and the Hindustani. The readers are given an overview of the Indian classical music instruments from the archaic to the contemporary ones. Chapters 3 and 4 cover the history and evolution of Mridangam. The playing traditions (Bani) are narrated in great detail. These chapters will enrich the readers with the rich history and fine traditions of Mridangam playing. Chapters 5 and 6 take the readers through the anatomy and physics behind Mridangam. The readers are given the scientific aspects of this instrument, which makes Mridangam a unique one among the other classical percussion instruments. Chapter 7 takes the readers to the Tala systems (rhythmic frameworks) in Carnatic music. All Tala systems in Carnatic music are explained in detail, which would be of special interest to all music students. The last chapter is a tribute to the great masters of Mridangam on whose guidance and contributions this instrument has evolved to be a ubiquitous part of the tradition of classical music. This chapter covers unheard vignettes of 217 Mridangam masters of great reputation who classical music lovers are revering. The chapter covers information that invokes the interest of all classes of readers. Resounding Mridangam is an earnest endeavour chronicling the king of percussion instruments - the Mridangam. This book appeals to all music lovers to get a nuanced perspective of Mridangam and its fitment in the Indian Classical music milieu. It will serve as a definitive handbook of Mridangam. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Erickavu N. Sunil is an A-Grade South-Indian percussion artist in Mridangam at the All India Radio, the national public radio broadcaster of India. During the three decades of his performing career, Sunil has performed alongside many maestros, and his talent has been recognised with several awards and accolades. He left behind a successful corporate career in Information Technology to spend more time exploring, researching and understanding music. Sunil has put to best use his background in science while researching for Resounding Mridangam which is sure to leave music lovers enthralled. Prof Trichy Sankaran, the world-renowned percussion virtuoso, has written the foreword to this book.

Welcome to "Intricacies of Mridangam," an in-depth exploration of advanced topics in the art of playing the Mridangam. This book builds upon the foundational knowledge established in the previous volume, "Roots of Mridangam," where the basics of beats and the construction of various sequences were introduced. The primary aim of "Intricacies of Mridangam" is to guide students in applying these fundamental concepts to gain a deeper understanding of how compositions such as mohras, koruvais, and Muktayippus are employed to create more sophisticated rhythmic arrangements. By elucidating these connections between basic principles and advanced techniques, this book equips students with the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of Mridangam performance. The journey through this book begins with a thorough examination of foundational topics, including various finger placements, Jathis, and thalas. These elements serve as the building blocks upon which complex percussive sequences are constructed. Through detailed explanations and practical examples, readers will learn how to harness these fundamental concepts to craft intricate rhythmic patterns. Furthermore, "Intricacies of Mridangam '' offers a rich array of compositions and examples, ranging from Mohras and Koruvais to Avarthanams and Pallavis, presented in diverse mathematical patterns. These compositions serve as invaluable resources for aspiring Mridangam artists, providing them with a repertoire of material suitable for both concert performances and solo showcases (thani avarthanam). It is emphasized that each example should be practiced alongside its corresponding thalas or rhythmic patterns to fully grasp its nuances and intricacies. Throughout the book, readers will find thought-provoking questions designed to deepen their understanding of the material covered in each chapter. These questions serve as invaluable tools for self-assessment and reflection, enabling students to consolidate their learning and refine their skills as they progress through the book. Whether you are a beginner eager to expand your knowledge or an experienced practitioner seeking to refine your technique, "Intricacies of Mridangam" offers a comprehensive and insightful exploration of advanced Mridangam playing techniques. Embrace this journey, and let the rhythms of the Mridangam guide you to new heights of musical mastery.

Life is full of drama we are but actors on the stage. Sometimes it is the women who undergo the trauma, sometimes it is them who call the shots. This book has, 15 different types of women who share the stage with the readers offered as a bouquet of 15 stories with a smell of yonder years. This book might have an ‘oldie tinge’ yet even today they are applicable as we come across inneumerable happenings around us.

"Roots of Mridangam" offers a comprehensive overview of the ancient South Indian Classical Carnatic music tradition associated with the percussive instrument, mridangam. The book delves into the historical and cultural significance of the instrument, elucidating its role in traditional performances. Furthermore, it showcases various examples of beats and rhythms characteristic of this style, while also featuring original compositions by the author.

This book develops a comprehensive understanding of the unique sound worlds of key regions in the Global South, through an auto-ethnographic method of self-reflective conversations with prominent sound practitioners from South Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. The conversations navigate various trajectories of sound practices, illuminating intricate sonic processes of listening, thinking through sounds, ideating, exposing, and performing with sound. This collection of conversations constitutes the main body of the book, including critical and scholarly commentaries on aural cultures, sound theory and production. The book builds a ground-up approach to nurturing knowledge about aural cultures and sonic aesthetics, moving beyond the Eurocentric focus of contemporary sound studies. Instead of understanding sound practices through consumption and entertainment, they are explored as complex cultural and aesthetic systems, working directly with the practitioners themselves, who largely contribute to the development of the sonic methodologies. Refocusing on the working methods of practitioners, the book reveals a tension between the West’s predominant colonial-consumerist cultures, and the collective desires of practitioners to resist colonial models of listening by expressing themselves in terms of their arts and craft, and their critical faculties. Conversations with: Clarence Barlow, Sandeep Bhagwati, Rajesh K. Mehta, Sharif Sehnaoui, Ximena Alarcón Díaz, Hardi Kurda, Mario de Vega, Luka Mukhavele, Khyam Allami, Cedrik Fermont, Khaled Kaddal, David Velez, Juan Duarte, Youmna Saba, Abdellah M. Hassak, Mariana Marcassa, Amanda Gutiérrez, Syma Tariq, Alma Laprida, Siamak Anvari, Mohamad Safa, Debashis Sinha, Zouheir Atbane, Constanza Bizraelli, Jatin Vidyarthi, Joseph Kamaru, Surabhi Saraf, Isuru Kumarasinghe, Hemant Sreekumar.

In Writing About The Times Of The Buddha, Bani Basu Composes A New Jataka, The Traditional Format In Which The Tales Of The Different Births Of The Buddha Were Written Down. In This Jataka-As-A-Novel, She Grapples With History And The Revolutionary Ideas Of The Buddha, Who Suggested New Ways Of Living, New Political Formations, Of A Major Change In Belief, Indeed, In Thinking About God Or The Absence Of One. Delving Into History And Biography, Sanskrit And Pali, Her Novel Is Intriguingly Contemporary, Though Set In The Sixth Century Bc