THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nithin M Vinayan began practising by tapping on his bed. Then, he contacted the very artist, Heidi Joubert, whose performances attracted him to the instrument, a Cajon.
Nithin is a Cajon player, part of the Carnatic music experimenting band 'Meraki'. He found his interest for Cajon while randomly surfing through YouTube wherein he stumbled upon the UK-based musician and popular Cajon player.
Heidi has been his mentor ever since his three-year- journey in learning the Cajon. He now professionally performs at gigs. He recently conducted a workshop for fellow Cajon enthusiasts at The Reading Room, Kowdiar. People who gathered were curious about this instrument and wanted to learn more. There were a few of them who played the Cajon but needed more guidance. “Not many people know about the Cajon. It is an instrument that can be played in any genre of music. India does not have a lot of Cajon trainers. Even my parents were not supportive at first because they didn’t understand the instrument, but now they do.
There should be more aware of the instrument in the country. I’ve been to many competitions and noticed that the techniques of artists who play the Cajon are not quite right and they really need training which is unavailable in Kerala or India," he said. The 22-year-old professional percussionist has dedicated his life to music.
His first attempt began during his school days when his music teacher handed him a triple drum set and asked him to play. He slowly got the hang of it and the teacher soon realized his potential. He then went on to learn tabla and mridangam. He realised music was his calling when he was in Class X. He completed his degree in Performance Arts from Sri Swathi Thirunnal College of Music, Thiruvananthapuram and is currently pursuing a diploma in sound engineering and is also the product specialist at Cajon India, Bengaluru. Meraki has performed at over 19 stages in Kerala.