The Music Academy presents the Sangita Kala Acharya award to honour the efforts of teachers in training sishyas

The Music Academy honours two eminent gurus with the Sangeetha Kala Acharya awards, in recognition of their contribution to Carnatic music

Mridangam maestro V. Raveendran Nair, popularly known as Prof. Parassala Ravi, is a well-known mentor, administrator and academician. With several decades of teaching experience in prominent music colleges in Kerala, this octogenarian percussionist has mentored innumerable students. He is presently Member of the Syllabus Committee in Kerala University and M.G. University.

Ravi was born in a musical family on August 10, 1944. His father K. Viswanatha Pillai, hailing from Parassala, was a nagaswara vidwan and his mother G. Gomathy Amma was a music teacher. His maternal grandfather was a nattuvanar at the Padmanabhapuram Palace, and Ravi learned the basics of rhythm from him. He started learning the mridangam from Kaliyappan Annavi and pursued advanced training under the guidance of renowned mridanga vidwans such as Chennithala Krishnankutty Nair, C.S. Krishnamoorthy, Mavelikkara Velukutty Nair and T.K. Murthy. Though the mridangam is his chosen instrument, he has also played the ghatam and the kanjira in concerts.

In his long and illustrious career, Ravi has played for several stalwarts. He is an A-Top grade artiste of All India Radio, and has also conducted programmes for AIR.

The veteran percussionist is the author of many books on laya, namely, Mridangam – A Carnatic Music Instrument, Adhi Thalam,Chappu Thalam, Mridanga Bodhini, Mridangatinte Thani Aavarthanam, and Mridanga Padanam. He has also written several articles on music and musical instruments. The veteran continues his research on percussion instruments.

Parassala Ravi’s books are a documentation of the rhythmic insights that he has gained through years of experience. He has systematised methods for creating moras and korvais with ease. He says that by experimenting with the techniques, mridangists can explore the vast possibilities of the instrument and showcase its versatility. The ‘Parassala Ravi style’ blends tradition with innovation, encourages creativity and aesthetics in mridangam playing. He believes that learning should not be bound to the classroom, but should involve absorbing the guru’s teachings, observing his playing style in concerts, and also learning beyond formal lessons.

For his contributions in performing and propagating the mridangam, Ravi was appointed Asthana Vidwan of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, the Asthana Vidwan of Tripunithura, and decorated with several awards, including Laya Vadya Vichakshana, Laya Ratna, Mridanga Bhoopathy, Vadya Sreshta, Mridanga Kala Shiromani, Sangeetha Tilakam and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (and later, its Fellowship too).

Geetha Raja is a well-known concert performer, a vainika and a guru. Geetha was born on June 5, 1955, in a family deeply interested in music and the arts. She had her initial training in music from vidwan Bombay Ramachandran and later was privileged to come under the tutelage of vidushi T. Brinda. Geetha has also learnt the veena from vidwan K.S. Narayanaswamy and laya intricacies from vidwan Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan.