Giving Odissi Mardala recognition of an independent percussion instrument across the globe remains his greatest contribution, but Guru Banamali Maharana continues to break new grounds in the world of music and rhythm. The maestro now plans to bring in more females to play the indigenous percussion instrument, playing which was generally considered to be a male bastion.
At present, his batch of students also includes his granddaughters. “I want to pass on my legacy to an increasing number of
female disciples. I am sure the hands which can feed a family or nurture a child can also discover the magic in the harmonious count of a Mardala,’’ he believes.
Maharana has already created a galaxy of disciples who are scattered across India and are taking forward his vision and ideology. However, not many know that this Mardala exponent is himself a self-taught artiste who mastered the intricacies of rhythm by listening to instruments from a distance.
Born in Puri’s Raghurajpur village, known as the epicenter of several Odissan art forms, Maharana began his journey in the world of art as a theatre artiste at the age of five after being noticed by Mohan Sundar Dev Goswami, a cult figure in Odia film and theatre movement at that time.
“I was all stretched with my little body over the Khol, an indigenous drum, while his discerning eyes caught my chutzpah. I was busy experimenting with thumps and thuds as he insisted I go a step further and play the rhythm,’’ recalls Maharana.
Under Goswami’s guidance, Maharana started as a child actor and later turned into a singer. But the rhythmic beats of percussion always attracted him and he kept listening to various instruments.
Annapurna Theatre, the historical nursery of artistic brilliance in the state, finally opened the doors to a new world for him as he got an opportunity to showcase his talent through various percussion instruments. In no time, Maharana decided to keep aside his career as a singer to pursue his cherished dream and hasn’t looked back since then.
His creative partnership with legendary Odissi maestro Kelucharan Mohapatra further opened up a global horizon for him. And Maharana started accompanying the maestro and his illustrious disciples including Sanjukta Panigrahi, Sonal Mansingh and Madhavi Mudgal around the world.
In his many creative sojourns, he also got an opportunity to play with geniuses like Zakir Hussain. But Maharana was never content just being an accompanying artiste. He started exploring the streams of Odishan style of playing Mardala. Single-handedly, he reinvented and restructured the rhythm pattern and brought Mardala on par with Tabla of northen India and Ghatam and Mridangam of South India.
Noted Odissi dancer
Aruna Mohanty believes the inner self comes alive when Guru Banamali Maharana plays the Mardala. “If there is any one to be given credit for creating a niche for Mardala in world scenario, it is him.
His deft strokes on the percussion can make even the most complicated piece sound lilting and effortless,” she points out.
Although Maharana has been conferred with many prestigious awards including Central Sangeet Natak Academy award as the first Odia percussionist, Honoris Causa from Utkal University of Culture, Buddha Samman, Sarala Award and many more, his biggest reward, he says, has been his prized group of disciples who have establish themselves in the field of percussion thanks to his Mardala Academy.
Late Guru Gangadhar Pradhan, Dhaneswar Swain, Sachhidanand Das, Pausali Mukharjee, Amanda Geroy and Beena Keum are among the few of the ‘offsprings’ of his illustrious academy.
The idea behind the academy was to bring together the entire clan of Odissi percussionists together and create a platform to have a dialogue with other Indian styles of rhythms. And, now by grooming female disciples in Mardala, Maharana has already started a new era in Odissan music.
As Amanda Geroy, eminent Odissi danseuse and Mardala player says, “His invaluable insight, his subtle and precise guidance, his finely-tuned ear and his magical touch on the Mardala makes learning an absolute pleasure.”