How is mridangam accompaniment for music different from that of dance?
Dance is preset or already choreographed. Except for few pieces, the accompaniment is mostly based on the rhythmic patterns of the dance choreography. In music, there is more freedom to express. Particularly in dance, one has to be careful not to hinder the dancer. As a maestro, do you still practise? To reach the top you have to continue practising. Once you reach the top, you have to maintain and retain your name. Unless you progress daily, you become static. Each performance should be better than the previous. There is a lot of expectation that you have to fulfill. While accompanying, you need to establish an immediate rapport on the spot. Be it south Indian, north Indian or western musicians, it has to be instantaneous. You have been ‘innovating’ too. What made you introduce the fibre glass mridangam? Nowadays, we don’t get good seasoned wood for mridangam. Hence I decided to create a fibre glass shell instead of a wooden shell. The fibre glass shell has a good tonal production whi
