Shanmugam Ramachandran

Carnatic Thavil

Shanmugam Ramachandran

3 minute read

Shanmugam Ramachandran is a South Indian percussionist hailing from a respected musical lineage in Tamil Nadu. He specializes in the thavil, the robust barrel drum integral to Carnatic temple and concert music. His training began in childhood, rooted in traditional temple music, and he has built a reputation in London’s classical music scene.

As part of a trio with his brothers Manikandan and Damodar, both on nadaswaram, Shanmugam has performed at major UK venues, including the Barbican Centre, bringing South Indian classical music to diverse and global audiences . The trio’s performances are noted for their fiery interplay and rhythmic mastery, capturing both the spiritual depth and dynamic vitality that define temple music traditions.

At the Darbar Festival’s 2024 foyer event at the Barbican Centre, Shanmugam played thavil alongside Manikandan and Damodar on nadaswaram in a hidden gem performance that filled the Barbican foyer with the resonant, exultant tones of South India. His precise and energetic rhythmic strokes provided the backbone to a mesmerizing sonic tapestry, drawing enthusiastic responses from both regular concert-goers and casual visitors .

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Ramana Balachandran | Full Concert

Recorded at Darbar Festival 2022, on 13th October, at Milton Court, Barbican, London. Musicians: - Ramana Balachandran (Veena) - Patri Satish Kumar (Mridangam) Fast gaining worldwide critical acclaim, the talented musician is known for his ability to deliver with phrasal clarity while delving deep into the recesses and quiet spaces between microtones or notes. Hearing him play is like attending a crash course in interpreting raga music – at times pensive and intense, and at times shining with the levity of youth. The sum of his unconventional path through life includes his father’s decision to homeschool him for several years because as he wanted his son to have a more richly varied life filled with travel, exposure and artistic immersion – and many of the joys (as well as unique challenges) that come with the territory as a a child prodigy in Indian classical music. Yet what Balachandhran plays is more than the sum of one life journey alone. It is a sort of primal – Jungian collective unconscious, if you will – call back to time immemorial that stirs something deep within the soul. Balachandhran’s veena is deliberate and contemplative, taking listeners on a meditative journey. Opening with Ragam Thanam Pallavi in Raga Kapi, he puts his full gamut of dexterous skill on display, improvising and vocalising in a way that is both free and pure, but also demonstrative of conscious musical restraint and hard-won mastery. That he chooses the Ragam Thanam Pallavi structure to draw his audience in is telling, as it allows him to use the framework to build in a textured exploration of elaborate complexity, rhythmic variety and spirited renditions. The exploration of the raag invokes a sense of serenity amid the audience, and the refrains he lays sparkle like shimmering breadcrumbs in the air, poised to be picked up again later when they coalesce in the culmination of the raag. His co-musician, Patri Satish Kumar, is like a supportive best friend. Though many years apart in age, both exude a comfort and camaraderie together on stage – chemistry nurtured through their association, especially while traveling and living together for the festival.