Mridangist TV Gopalakrishnan honoured with RK Srikantan Trust Award

Among the thousands of foreign students who requested mridangist TV Gopalakrishnan to mentor them, was an European drummer wanting a crash course on the Indian laya. “The credit goes to his passion and effort,” says TV Gopalakrishnan over a video call ahead of his visit to Bengaluru to receive an honour during the annual Sankranti Music Festival helmed by the Vidwan RK Srikantan Trust. “It mirrors his eclectic spirit of involvement, helping him widen his student base to include film, jazz and rock worlds, apart from classical-based musicians from outside the world of Carnatic music,” says vocalist Ramakanth Srikantan, now steering the RK Srikantan Trust. “My father, RK Srikantan, who performed several concerts with Gopalakrishnan as his mridangist, would often say he was a versatile all-rounder.” “In the last four decades, TVG has introduced the largest number of performing young artistes on stage and composed music for hundreds of kritis, while his disciples include sought after vocalists and mridangists,” says Ramakanth. I have composed music for the album Dasaru Kanda Srinivasa that covers the works of six Dasas,” says TVG adding, “I love Kannada, and I have always wished to be associated with Karnataka more.” Gopalakrishnan, a Padma Bhushan recipient, is the disciple of Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, and was born in 1932 at Tripunithura in Kerala.