Sadanam Vasudevan (born 1945) is an Indian percussionist who plays the chenda (a traditional Kerala drum). [1] He is a well-known artist in both Thayambaka and Kathakali performances. [2] [3] He received the Pallavur Appu Marar Award from the Kerala government in 2013. [4] He also received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship in 2019. [5]
Born in 1945 as the son of Karimpnaykkal Meenakshi Amma and Chenankara Gopalan Nair in Angadipuram in Malabar, Sadanam Vasudevan started learning Chenda at the age of seven. [3] He later joined the Gandhi Seva Sadan (Sadanam), a leading Kathakali institution in Perur village near Ottappalam in Palghat, and continued his studies as a disciple of Pallassana Chandramannadiar. He later became a chenda teacher at Sadanam. [3] He is the guru of many famous artists like Mattannoor Sankarankutty. [6] He is also proficient in playing Madhalam, Idakka, and Timila.
Mattanur Sankarankutty is an Indian percussionist who plays the chenda, Thayambaka, Panchari melam, and Panchavadyam. He was born in Mattanur in Kannur district of Kerala. He was awarded the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in 1996, the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2012.
Thayambaka or tayambaka is a type of solo chenda performance that developed in the south Indian state of Kerala, in which the main player at the centre improvises rhythmically on the beats of half-a-dozen or a few more chenda and ilathalam players around.
Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar (15 February 1899 – 14 January 1990) was a celebrated master performance artist and Sanskrit scholar from Kerala, India, considered to be the greatest Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam artist and authority of modern times. He was considered as the authority of Abhinaya and Nātyaśāstra.
Manoj Kuroor is an Indian poet and lyricist who writes in Malayalam.
Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair was a performer of Kathakali, who practiced the Kerala art form for more than seven decades.
Gandhi Seva Sadan is a Kathakali institution located in Perur village, some 12 kilometres east of Ottapalam in Palakkad district of north-central Kerala in southern India. It was founded in 1953 by the (late) Gandhian and freedom fighter K. Kumaran, equally known for his unflagging devotion to the promotion of the arts.
Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair (1916–2007) was a Kathakali artists from Kerala, India. Endowed and equip with a life profile that also show him to several traditional Indian performing arts other than Kathakali, his stage presentation infused a fresh breath into the four-century-old art form, thanks also to his broad and deep view about the Puranas that spurred from a constant pursuit of knowledge through reading books and engaging in talks in scholars.
Sadanam Krishnankutty is a performer of Kathakali, a classical dance-drama form of Kerala, South India. A recipient of Kerala State Kathakali award and Kalamandalam fellowship, he has donned a wide range of characters in his acts. He received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in 2002, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2007, Honorary D.litt from Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University, Thirur, Kerala in 2021 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2021.
Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri or Nelliyod Vasudevan Namboodiri was a Kathakali artiste, noted primarily for his vibrant portrayal of the evil chuvanna thaadi roles of the classical Kathakali dance-drama from Kerala in south India. He was also very famous and known for the characters 'Kuchelan' from Kuchelavritham and 'Aashaari' from Bakavadham.
Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval (1924-1992) was a self-taught maestro of Kathakali percussion who excelled in the art of chenda playing by redefining its aesthetics as an audio accompaniment for the classical dance-drama from Kerala in south India.
Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval (1924–2008) was a maddalam maestro who rose to prominence by his aesthetically pleasing taps on the instrument—a vital percussion accompaniment for Kathakali, the classical dance-drama from Kerala in south India. A disciple of the legendary Venkichan Swami, he, along with chenda exponent, Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval, ushered in a new spring in the acoustics of their performing art.
Sadanam K. Harikumaran is a versatile artiste from Kerala in south India, known for his engagements with Indian classical dances and music, besides painting, sculpting and literature.
Sadanam Divakara Marar was an Indian percussionist, known for his scholarship on sopana sangeetham, marappani, parisha vadhyam and thimila paani and his mastery over various temple and ritual percussion instruments of traditional Kerala music.
Kalamandalam Kesavan was an Indian kathakali percussionist, playwright and actor in Indian cinema. He did roles in Malayalam movies during the 1990s and 2000s. He is popular for his role Payyarathu Padmanabhan Nair as Jayaram's father in the movie Katha Nayakan.
Rangam (transl. Scene) is a 1985 Indian Malayalam-language psychological drama film directed by I. V. Sasi and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The film stars Mohanlal as Kathakali artist Appunni, along with Shobana and Raveendran. The film features a musical score composed by K. V. Mahadevan.
Mathoor Govindan Kutty was an Indian Kathakali artist from the state of Kerala. In a career spanning over six decades, he specialized in Kathakali Stri Vesham, the portrayal of female characters on stage. He was the recipient of the 2011 Kerala State Award for the best Kathakali artist, 2010 Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award and the 2005 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for contributions to the Kathakali art form.
Kalamandalam Ramachandran Unnithan is a Kathakali exponent from Kerala, India. He received several awards including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2016. His biography titled Kachaiyum Mizhukkum was published in 2015.
Sadanam Puthiya Veettil Balakrishnan popularly known as Sadanam Balakrishnan is an exponent of Kathakali, a form of Indian classical dance, from Kerala, India. He has received several notable awards, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2003, Kerala state Kathakali award in 2020, and Kerala Kalamandalam fellowship in 2017. Balakrishnan taught Kathakali at the International Center for Kathakali in Delhi from 1974 to 2006 and became the Principal of Perur Gandhi Seva Sadanam in 1980. He has written four books.
Madambi Subramanian Namboodiri is a Kathakali musician from Kerala, India. He received several noted awards including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kerala State Kathakali Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award and Kerala Kalamandalam Award.
Varanasi Vishnu Namboothiri is a Maddalam exponent from Kerala, India, best known for playing Maddalam for Kathakali performances. He received several noted awards including Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Gurupooja Award and Kerala Kalamandalam Award.