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Nadaswaram
This musical instrument popular in Tamilnadu, India, is the world’s loud sound making acoustic non-metal wind instrument, aligned with the culture of people as an auspicious music, which is played during marriage and other auspicious functions, also religiously played in temples, called Mangala Vadya, the name itself conveying auspiciousness of it, is played with the accompaniment of another percussion instrument called Tavil, which is of drum variety, and a third instrument similar in shape of Nadaswaram to go with these two, playing drone rhythm facilitating the total music scenario, while players of Nadaswaram are great legends of Carnatic music , honoured with the country’s highest civic titles, in the form of concerts this instrument is played for hours together, depending upon the involvement of the player and the audience.
Nadhaswaram, which literally means musical note, is also called in different names such as Nagaswaram and Naathaswaram, is similar to the Indian classical musical instrument Shehnai which is popular in the northern parts of India.
Origin of Nadaswaram
This bell shaped instrument, wider at the bottom end, conically converging to the top, from where the player blows the air, with the holes in the main vessel helps the player to modulate the sound deliveries with different tunes, which he does with his or her fingers holding and releasing the air through these holes, originally must have had its origin from the Conch of ‘shank’ which would make a loud shrill noise beckoning people conveying auspicious events of victory or accomplishment of an event, later transformed into bugle type of instruments, blown during auspicious occasions, ultimately the present pipe instrument made out of seasoned wood, with accessories fitted at the top for the player to blow the air to create and render music.
The reference to this instrument figures in literature of medieval times in the name ‘Vangiyam’ and it is also referred as ‘Ezhil’ on the basis of its seven playing holes operated with seven fingers.
Design
The main vessel of the instrument Nadhaswaram is made out of the wood obtained from a particular tree called ‘aacha’ although in present times, wood obtained form bamboo, sandalwood and other seasonable wood bearing trees, sometimes they are made out of Ivory or copper brass, depending upon the requirement and affordability of the user, whereas experts are of opinion that older the wood better the quality of Nadhaswaram, people going for the beams of old houses to augment wood for making Nadhaswarm instruments.
This double reed instrument with conical bore gradually enlarging toward the lower end, is alsomade out of a kind of ebony, the top portion having a metal staple into which a small metalling cylinder is inserted which holds the mouthpiece made of reed, which accessory the player is careful to carry some spares , while a small ivory or horn needle is always attached to the Nadaswaram for clearing the reed of saliva to ensure free passage of air while playing, the bottom portion is adorned with a metallic bell.
Every Nadaswaram will have seven finger-holes, while there will be five additional holes at the bottom functioning as controllers, while this instrument has a range of two and a half octaves similar to flute, likewise the method of fingering is also similar to what an Indian flutist does. However, lot of difference exist between these two instruments such as the flute player plays semi and quarter tones by the partially opening and closing of the holes with one’s finger, whereas in the Nadaswaram these tones are produced by pressure adjustments and flow strength of air into the pipe, thus making nadhaswaram playing very exacting , beside it is basically an outdoor instrument because of its intense volume and strength befitting open spaces as compared to closed indoor concert situations.
Playing Positions
Nagaswaram rendition is always based on the basic Carnatic ragas, which are called Melakartha ragas, incidentally, ‘melam’is the term given for this pipe instrument in Tamilnadu, suggesting that the basic Carnatic tunes must have emerged from Nadhaswaram playing, and the artiste who plays nadhaswaram has to undergo rigourous training and practice, particularly in the form of ‘thuthukaram’, ‘thannakaram’ ‘hum-karam’ ‘akaaram’ which denote the quality of sounds, when the lyrics composed on the basis of ragas of music are played through Nadhaswaram, the sound produced would resemble vocal concerts, instrumental delivery nearly depicting verbal expressions, taking the audience with the elements of expression and creativity.
The main vessel or the body of Nadhaswaram is equipped with seven holes, which are to be held and released with the fingers of the player as one blows the air through one’s mouth, requiring the player lot of samina and breath holding capacity, besides an excellent finger dexirity.
Playing Nadhswaram with fast swara rolls is another important part of Nadhaswaram playing which will excite the audience ending with applauds, which is possible only with good breath control and manipulations, such as gamakas, which are oscillations of swaras between one or two of them.
Notable Players
The most popular Nadhawara vidwan, which term denotes knowledgeable in the art, was Thiruvaduthurai Rajarathnam Pillai of Tamilnadu, who was followed by Karukuruchi Arunachalam with equal fame, followed by quite a few celebrities in Tamilnadu, like Namakirippettai Krishnan, and a lady artiste Ponnuththaayee.
Sheik ChinnaMoulana was another legendary Nadhaswaram Player in the Carnatic tradition, who achieved high position through his mastery over the instrument, playing the Krities in the Gayaki style and for his outstanding style of Raga Alapana, who belong to Karavadi Village, Prakasam District, Andhra Pradesh. Sheik Chinna Moulana started learning Nadhaswaram under his father, later got trained in Tanjore pattern of playing the instrument, he was under the tutelage of M/s. Rajam and Duraikannu brothers of Nachiarkovil in Tanjavur district of Tamilnadu for some years.
Another Indian nagaswaram artist Sheik MahaboobSubhani performs the instrument accompanied by his wife Kaleeshabi Mahaboob, also a nagaswaram artist, while Mahboob Subhani’s father Kothapalli Sheikh Meera Sahib, and his maternal grandfather, NadhabrahmaNadaswaraGanakalaPrapoornaJanab Sheikh Chinna Peer Sahib, were also nagaswaram artists, all of them hailing from Andhra Pradesh and very proficient in playing Krithis of Saint Thiagaraja of Carnatic music fame.
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