Nadaswaram

The nadaswaramTemplate:Efn is a double reed wind instrument from South India.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It is used as a traditional classical instrument in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.

This instrument is "among the world's loudest non-brass acoustic instruments".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It is a wind instrument partially similar to the North Indian shehnai, but much longer, with a hardwood body, and a large flaring bell made of wood or metal.

In South Indian culture, the nadasvaram is considered to be very auspicious, and it is a key musical instrument played in almost all Hindu weddings and temples of the South Indian tradition.<ref name="Isaac1967">Template:Cite book</ref> It is part of the family of instruments known as mangala vadyam<ref name="GhoseRamanathan1992">Template:Cite book</ref> (lit. mangala "auspicious", vadya "instrument"). The instrument is usually played in pairs, and accompanied by a pair of drums called thavil;<ref name="Percussioner International Audio Magazine">Template:Cite book</ref> it can also be accompanied with a drone from a similar oboe, called the ottu.<ref name="Devi1990">Template:Cite book</ref>

History

The nadasvaram is referred to in many ancient Tamil texts. The Cilappatikaram refers to an instrument called the "vangiyam".Template:Citation needed The structure of this instrument matches that of a nadasvaram.Template:Citation needed Since there are seven holes played with seven fingers, this was also called as the "eḻil". This instrument, too, is played in Tamil Nadu, and is popular among the Tamil diaspora.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Construction

File:A depiction of Nadaswaram play 1.JPG

A young man plays the Nadaswaram.

The nadasvaram contains three parts namely, Template:Transliteration, Template:Transliteration, and Template:Transliteration.Template:Clarify

It is a double reed instrument with a conical bore which gradually enlarges toward the lower end. The top portion has a metal staple (Template:Transliteration) into which is inserted a small metallic cylinder (Template:Transliteration) which carries the mouthpiece made of reed. Besides spare reeds, a small ivory or horn needle is attached to the instrument, and used to clear the reed of saliva and other debris and allows free passage of air. A metallic bell (Template:Transliteration) forms the bottom end of the instrument.

The seevali, or reed, is made from a dried grass.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Traditionally the body of the nadasvaram is made out of a tree called Template:Transliteration (Tamil ஆச்சா; Hindi अंजन), although nowadays bamboo, sandalwood, copper, brass, ebony, and ivory are also used. For wooden instruments, old wood is considered the best, and sometimes wood salvaged from demolished old houses is used.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The nadasvaram has seven finger-holes, and five additional holes drilled at the bottom which can be stopped with wax to modify the tone.<ref name="Gosvami1961">Template:Cite book</ref> The nadasvaram has a range of two and a half octaves, similar to the Indian bansuri flute, which also has a similar fingering. Unlike the flute where semi and quarter tones are produced by the partial opening and closing of the finger holes, in the nadasvaram they are produced by adjusting the pressure and strength of the air-flow into the pipe. Due to its intense volume and strength, it is largely an outdoor instrument, and much more suited for open spaces than for indoor concerts.

Players

Some of the greatest early nadasvaram players include:

● Tiruvidaimarudur P. S. Veerusamy Pillai

• Thirumarukal Nadesa Pillai
• T.N. Rajarathnam Pillai (1898–1956)
• Thiruvengadu Subramania Pillai,
• Vedaranyam Vedamoorthy
• Karukurichi Arunachalam (1921–1964)
• Kulikkarai P Rajendran Pillai(1970–2019)
• Thirucherai Sivasubramanian Pillai
• Thiruvarur S Latchappa Pillai
• Acharyapuram Chinnathambillai (b. 1928)
• Kulikkarai Pichaiyappa
• M.S. Ponnuthayi (1928–2012)
• Kizhvelur N.G. Ganesan
• Andankoil A V Selvarathnam Pillai
• Thiruvizha Jayashankar (b. 1940)
• Brother teams of Keeranur and Thiruveezhimizhalai,
• Semponnarkoil Brothers S R G Sambandam and Rajanna.
• Dharumapuram S. Abiramisundaram Pillai and his son Dharumapuram A Govindarajan<ref>Andankoil AV Selvarathnam Pillai {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Sheik Chinna Moulana (1924 - 1999)
• Gosaveedu shaik Hassan sahieb (1928–2021)
• Sheik Mahaboob Subhani
• Kaleeshabi Mahaboob
• Namagiripettai Krishnan (1924–2001)
• Madurai M.P.N. Sethuraman (1928–2000)
• M.P.N. Ponnuswamy (1932–2023)
• Ponnusamy brothers
• Alaveddy N.K. Pathmanathan
• Mambalan M.K.S. Shiva
• S. R. D. Vaidyanathan (1929–2013)
• Seshampatti T Sivalingam
• Domada Chittabbayi (1930–2002)
• Injikudi E.M. Subramaniam
• Umapathy Kandasamy (1950–2017)
• U.E.Palanivel, Chennai
• Kundala Kambar, Nagercoil (1965)
• Sankarapandia Kambar, Tirunelveli
• Tiruvalaputtur T K Venupilla
• Kulikkarai Brothers K.M Daksaha Moorthi Pillai & K.M Ganeshan Pillai
• Pattamangalam, Selvaraj
• Kudanthai Brothers Dr Srinivasan Kaliyamoorthy, Mr Shanmuganathan Kaliyamoorthy

American composers such as Lewis Spratlan<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> have expressed admiration for the nadasvaram, and a few jazz musicians have taken up the instrument: Charlie Mariano (1923–2009) was one of the few non-Indians able to play the instrument,<ref name="CarrFairweather2004">Template:Cite book</ref> having studied it while living in India. Vinny Golia, J. D. Parran, and William Parker have performed and recorded with the instrument.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The German saxophonist Roland Schaeffer also plays it,<ref name="Saxophone Journal">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Unreliable source? having studied from 1981 to 1985 with Karupaia Pillai.

In popular culture

Among the Tamil movies, two released in the 1960s, namely Konjum Salangai(1962) starring Gemini Ganesan and Thillana Mohanambal(1968) starring Sivaji Ganesan, featured nadasvaram playing characters. For the Konjum Salankai movie, Karukurichi Arunasalam Pillai provided the nadasvaram music. Madurai Sethuraman and Ponnusamy brothers were employed for the nadasvaram playing duo characters Sivaji Ganesan and A.V.M. Rajan for the Thillana Mohanambal movie director AP Nagarajan dedicated this movie to legend Karukurichi Arunachalam.

See also

• Tavil
• Stone nadasvaram

External links

• Images from The Beede Gallery Shawms (Ottu and Nagaswaram), Southern India, ca. 1900-1940 Template:Webarchive. National Music Museum, University of South Dakota.