CHENNAI: Keeping in touch with our roots, values, culture, and traditions has always been of utmost importance for us. Having the opportunity to revive his family’s musical legacy, 15-year-old Manish Subramanian Mahadevan, the great-grandson of Mridangam Vidwan Ramnad V Easwaran, had taken it upon himself to pursue Carnatic music and to master its versatility. A disciple of ‘Guru Laya Kala Ratna’ Ramesh Srinivasan, Manish had his Mridangam Arangetram, a debut solo concert at Dakshinamurthy Auditorium, on Saturday.
The other musicians on stage were KN Shashikiran and P Ganesh on vocals, BV Raghavendra Rao on the violin, and SV Ramani on the ghatam. Manish has been associated with music festivals in Cleveland and San Francisco in the US, adapting the mridangam to fit the sounds of foreign cultures. He has been interested in Carnatic music since his childhood.
Many eminent personalities such as Premeela Gurumurthy, Padma Shri recipient Yella Venkateswara Rao, and R Kannan were a part of the audience. “I am proud that the concert went without a hiccup, the guests said he’s destined for greater things. Though Manish has been a part of few concert groups in the US, this is his first solo performance,” said Manish’s father, VS Mahadevan.
The audience was seen enjoying his performance thoroughly. “The section of the performance where Manish’s mridangam solo was complemented with SV Ramani’s ghatam was very well received. I’m sure he will revive his grandfather’s legacy,” he added.