For Kannan C S Warrier, a forest researcher who helms the State Council for Science, Technology and Environment's Kerala Forest Research Institute in Peechi, finding music in the abundance of nature is as easy as breathing.
Perhaps what helps him is his formative years spent learning the nuances of music under the tutelage of his mother, Sridevi Warrier, a recipient of the Ashtapadi Gayika Ratnam Award. “I started learning music at 7 and composed my first song at 13. My first guru was my mother. I’m still learning music and haven’t felt like stopping,” Kannan tells TNIE.
As for how his interest in forests came to be, Kannan says, “There were three sacred groves (kaavu) and two ponds on the premises of our house. Being surrounded by them made me curious about nature and its intricacies. That’s how my interest in forests stemmed.”
“Music and nature were always a part of my life,” he adds. “I grew up observing the groves, listening to the sounds that enveloped them, and learning music side by side. Over time, both became inseparable from who I am.”
Nowhere is it more profound than during his time at the College of Forestry, which comes under the Kerala Agricultural University. Here, he not only secured first rank in both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forestry but was also recognised as the university’s Kala Pratibha five times.
This dual love — i.e. for forests and music — continued for Kannan over the years. For his proficiency in forest science, he was honoured with the National Award for India’s Best Researcher. Later, for his comprehensive study on sacred groves in Alappuzha, Kannan won the Rolla S Rao National Award for Excellence in Biodiversity Research.
Even during this time, he was nurturing his music career, releasing over 200 songs on his YouTube channel. Not only does he sing and compose, but Kannan also plays various musical instruments, including the guitar, mridangam, harmonium, harmonica and idakka.
“I never mix music with my professional duties. Both have their own time and space in my life, so balancing them has never been a challenge,” says Kannan.
“My day starts at 3.30am with a 10-kilometre cycling session. That’s also when I compose songs. Melodies come to me naturally as I hum along on the ride, and I record them on my mobile phone. Once I get home, I send the recording to my musician friends who help shape it with lyrics and arrangements. After that, I move on to my professional duties. This has been my routine since 2014. Most months, I compose around two songs,” he elaborates.
In 2020, Kannan Warrier composed the theme song ‘Kadarivu’ for the Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department as part of the Vanamahotsavam celebrations. The song was rendered by the singer P Jayachandran. In 2022, he, along with his son Amrith Warrier, performed a musical programme at a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation awareness event in Bangkok as part of International Forest Day celebrations.
More recently, he composed Vananeeru, the latest theme song for the Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department. He added that over 100 songs are already ready to be released. “I do compose on themes like nature, love, longing, Arabian melodies, folk traditions, environment awareness songs, and devotional music across Christian, Hindu, and Muslim cultures. I have also tried to release special songs for festivals such as Onam, Navaratri, Mandalakalam, and Christmas,” Kannan says.
And with 30 years of research experience in forest science, Kannan Warrier has also published 305 papers. “Now, as the director, my goal is to take the Kerala Forest Research Institute to greater heights. This includes inspiring young scientists, bringing in more projects, increasing publications, and ensuring research gets published in high-impact journals. I also want to write more popular articles for the general public, organise training programmes for students, and conduct workshops and awareness programmes,” he says.