Gurus
(Late) Vidwan T.H. Subhash Chandran
Sri. T. H. Subhash Chandran (1946-2020), affectionately known to us as Subhash mama, was a renowned Ghatam player and Konnakol artist. Konnakol is the intricate art of enunciating percussion notes in various rhythmic cycles at rapid speeds. He was a master teacher of percussion. He had the unique ability to teach all forms of Carnatic percussion instruments, I.e., Mridangam, Ghatam, Kanjira, Morsing, and Konnakol. Many of his students are now successful professional performers.
Subhash Mama built a worldwide reputation through his spell-binding performances at the United Nations, and various Philharmonics, including the New York Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta, Oslo Philharmonic with Dr. L. Subramaniam, the Norwegian Philharmonic, the USSR Philharmonic. Sri. Subhash Chandran also performed with many all-time greats such as the violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin, drummers Tony Williams and Max Roach, and Carnatic musicians Bharat Ratna Vidushi M. S. Subbalakshmi, Padmasri Mandolin U.Srinivas and Padmabhushan Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna.
Vidwan Ganesh Kumar
Sri. Ganesh Kumar is among the world's leading exponents of Kanjira. Ganesh is the senior disciple of Vidwan Shri T H Subash Chandran and one of the senior Kanjira artists and has been mainly instrumental in expanding the scope of this instrument beyond Indian Carnatic Classical Music.
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Ganesh Kumar has accompanied many senior vidwans in Carnatic music Smt. M S Subbulakshmi, Dr Bala Murali Krishna, Dr L Subramaniam and many others and frequently performs with many western Jazz greats in USA and Europe. Using concerts, lecture demonstrations, master classes and workshops, Ganesh Kumar has actively participated in the creation of a new form of music, a fusion of Jazz, pop and traditional carnatic music that critics have recognized as signaling the growth of what a news article in "The Hindu" called a "a whole new genre of Indo-Western Classical Music".
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Ganesh received the Fulbright Fellowship from US Department of State and has taught Kanjira and other percussion instruments in various universities in North America through his workshops and master classes. He has also received Maryland State Fellowship for Classical & Folk Arts. He has released his signature series Synthetic Kanjira from the Cooperman Drums Company in Vermont under the Artists Innovation Series. To reach out to all students of Kanjira and percussion, he has also released a two-volume instructional DVD titled "The Art of Kanjira ". His website www.GaneshKanjira.com has all information.
Vidwan Shankar Viswanathan
Sri. Shankar Viswanathan is the founder of Sankara Drumming Group, a grassroots level initiative to bring South Indian Drumming to center stage in the greater Portland area. Working with and following Guru Late Sri T.H. Subhash Chandran’s system of drumming, Shankar has trained a significant number of students in multiple locations in the country. His other interests include holistic living and entrepreneurship.
Vidwan Murali Krishna
Sri. Murali Krishna is a Carnatic percussionist and vocalist based in Portland, Oregon.
His formal introduction to percussion began at the age of 7 on the Mridangam with K.M.Vaidyanathan, an expert of the Harihara Sarma school of percussion. He transitioned from Mridangam to the Ghatam under the tutelage of T.H. Subhashchandran, also of the Harihara Sarma school.
Murali trained in vocal music with his mother, Radha Krishna, of the Alathur school of Carnatic music. Murali now advances his musical education with his sister Meera Krishna of Seattle. He continues to perform vocal concerts.
Murali has been teaching and mentoring young students of the Sankara Drumming school, initially in collaboration with T.H. Subhash Chandran and now with Ganesh Kumar. In his in-person classes, students maintain mastery of their instruments. He especially enjoys instructing young artists on the art of percussion by teaching them music appreciation. He helps them develop a keen ear for the music regardless of the genre thereby making them better collaborators in music creation.