To master this tiny instrument - morsing - is not easy. (The instrument is also called Jews’ harp.) But Ghantasala Satyasai, an eminent vidwan, found morsing very interesting. Hailing from Vijayawada, he chose to pursue his musical career in morsing. His unquenchable thirst to learn morsing made him seek the guidance of Yella Venkateswara Rao’s, a noted mridangist.
``The morsing is basically a lyre instrument, a Jew’s harp.
And it’s not an Indian instrument, it comes from Greece. The musician holds it to the mouth, vibrating the metal tongue and using the mouth as a resonator. Usually, the player holds the instrument firmly in the l e f t hand, pressing the narrow part of the instrument against the teeth, and uses the right index finger to pluck the metal tongue,’’ says Ghantasala Satyasai.
``In a concert of Carnatic music, the morsing is considered one of the auxiliary percussion instruments, after the mridangam, kanjira and the ghatam. It is popular with audiences, not only because of its unusual size and playing technique but because of the range of sound that can be produced by a skilled player,’’ he adds.
Recently, on February 23, he played the instrument continuously for 24 hours to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. ``The recorded video footage and other necessary documents will soon be sent to the Guinness Book of World Records authorities for approval,’’ he says.
It was L Subramanian who channelised his potential and embellished his playing techniques, which made him strike an immediate rapport with the audience. From then onwards there was no looking back.
He has been accompanying the upper crust of musicians for almost a decade.
“Every concert is a lesson to me,” quips Satyasai and opines that learning is a never-ending process. He assocaiation with maestros like L Subramanian, Pt Jasraj, M Balamurali Krishna, Yesudas, and many laya vidwans have taught him the nuances of the art. He feels that an accompanist should be mentally alert and follow the main artiste carefully. Morsing plays a vital role in enhancing a concert. ``It is a versatile instrument, that is used in ad jingles, jazz and fusion concerts,’’ he says.
Satyasai a widely travelled person and has earned laurels for his steadfast partnership as an accompanist. He nostalgically recalls his European and Asian tours with the crème de la crème of the music world, which will be etched, in his memory forever. He has accompanied with international maestros like John Luck Panty, Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobam, Ge orge Duke and many more.
He owes his success to the Almighty and his mentor, L Subramanian. His deep sense of gratitude to L Subramanian is amazing.