Tirur Nambissan
Encyclopedia
Tirur Nambissan was a Kathakali singer. Tirur Nambissan, whose name was Narayanan, was born at Tirur
in the Malappuram district of Kerala in southern India. He started learning music at the age of seven, while attending the local boys' high school. He could, however, not continue his formal education or his musical education because of the unexpected deaths of his mother, three brothers and father, as well as the suicide of his younger sister - all this before he was 15 years old.
Masters, including N K Vasudeva Panikkar, his first teacher in classical music, realised the musical talent that the boy expressed through his light music, film songs and bhajanas, and guided him to Kerala Kalamandalam
. Ending his school education, the eighth-form student started the journey to the world of Kathakali music under the guidance of Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan
, Sivaraman Nair, Kavungal Madhava Panikkar.
With Madambi Subrahmanyan Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Hyderali
and Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri
as contemporaries, he started to learn Kathakali music in Kalamandalam. Strict and powerful education (gurukulam style) from the great teachers and creative competition between the music students made them among the best students of that batch at the Kerala kalamandalam. From the second year of the course itself, each one of four-member team was able and confident enough to control a Kathakali stage including the major set. Hard punishment as well as parent-like love, advice and support from the teachers, plus their own hard work and group-sharing moulded them into something more powerful. He completed the eight-year course successfully (with first class). It was the start of a prominent Kathakali musician - Tirur Nambissan.
After completing the course, each one started to struggle to earn money. Some of them reached ashore, but Nambeesan was alone. He realised that it was his duty to keep the precious stone - Kathakali, which he got from the great ancestors, without a single scratch. He knew the terrible waves of changing attitudes in society. Still, he stood his ground. He was not ready to compromise in the Kathakali chitta. it was his stand that, the peculiar style (called as sopanasamgeetham) of music composition is enough sufficient and apt for the Kathakali. In another meaning, as a supporting music of a classical art, Kathakali music is in its utmost. So he was against to the experiments. Even he was a lover of light music, he concentrated to Kathakali music and was careful to keep the identity of that music which is different from other music. He considered that it is meaningless to compare Kathakali music with other music. according to him, the ragas fixed for each literature is enough sufficient for the expression of the Kathakali characters. changing of raga is a mask to hide the inefficiency of singer to express the bhavam in the early composed raga. He used manodharmas to empower the bhavas of characters, standing inside the real frame of Kathakali. approval from the hearts of the Kathakali lovers is the great award to his career.
He worked as a music teacher in PreurGandhiSevasadan[, international Kathakali centre New Delhi, Bombay, Unnayivariyer Smaraka Kalanilayam irinjalakkuda, Parassini Kaliyogam, peingode Kathakali promotion Society, Kerala Kalamandalam in different periods. Students of these institutions of the same period including SadanamJyothi, and Radhakrishnan, Private students poomully Vasudevan Namboodirippad, and vellinezhi Achuthan Kutty are the students of Tirur Nambissan too
He performed as ponnani (main singer) and as shakidi (helping singer) on thousands of stages in Kerala and out of Kerala. He was the main singer of the parassikkadavu muthappan kathakali yogam for a long period. He had been performing as ponnani with his classmates as the special invitees from parassini kaliyogam from second year of the kalamandalam course itself. His music supported the Kathakali performance of the great artists like keezhpadam Kumaran Nair,Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair,Vellinezhi Nanu Nair,Kalamandalam Gopi,Sadanam Krishnankutty, V.P.Ramakrishnan NairSadanam Ramankuttyas well as the artists of the younger generation. He accompanied with great musicians like kalamandalam Neelakandan Nambissan,Kalamandalam Unnikrishnakkurupp, Ramavarier, Kalamandalam Gangaharan, Madambi Subrahmanian Namboodiri, on the stage. Kalamandalam Subrahmanian, Rajendran,Palanad, Kottakkal Narayanan, Kala:Sreekumar, Narayanan Nambissan, etc. were his supporting musicians (shankidi).
Tirur
Tirur is a town and a municipality in Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala spread over an area of 16.55 km2 . It is birth place of Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam literature. Thunchan Parambu is highly venerated and its sand is believed to be sacred. The...
in the Malappuram district of Kerala in southern India. He started learning music at the age of seven, while attending the local boys' high school. He could, however, not continue his formal education or his musical education because of the unexpected deaths of his mother, three brothers and father, as well as the suicide of his younger sister - all this before he was 15 years old.
Masters, including N K Vasudeva Panikkar, his first teacher in classical music, realised the musical talent that the boy expressed through his light music, film songs and bhajanas, and guided him to Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam , lately renamed as Kalamandalam Deemed University of Art and Culture, is a major centre for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the southern state of India, with the special emphasis on Kerala. It is situated in the village of Cheruthuruthy in...
. Ending his school education, the eighth-form student started the journey to the world of Kathakali music under the guidance of Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan
Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan
Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan was a trend-setter Kathakali musician who played a crucial role in remoulding the aesthetics of singing for the classical dance-drama of Kerala, south India...
, Sivaraman Nair, Kavungal Madhava Panikkar.
With Madambi Subrahmanyan Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Hyderali
Kalamandalam Hyderali
Kalamandalam Hyderali was one of the best Kathakali singers of his generation, and the first non-Hindu artiste to make a mark in the four-century-old classical dance-drama from Kerala in south India....
and Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri
Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri
Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri was one of the most popular Kathakali musicians, credited with initiating a new wave in the rendition of songs for the classical dance-drama from Kerala in south India...
as contemporaries, he started to learn Kathakali music in Kalamandalam. Strict and powerful education (gurukulam style) from the great teachers and creative competition between the music students made them among the best students of that batch at the Kerala kalamandalam. From the second year of the course itself, each one of four-member team was able and confident enough to control a Kathakali stage including the major set. Hard punishment as well as parent-like love, advice and support from the teachers, plus their own hard work and group-sharing moulded them into something more powerful. He completed the eight-year course successfully (with first class). It was the start of a prominent Kathakali musician - Tirur Nambissan.
After completing the course, each one started to struggle to earn money. Some of them reached ashore, but Nambeesan was alone. He realised that it was his duty to keep the precious stone - Kathakali, which he got from the great ancestors, without a single scratch. He knew the terrible waves of changing attitudes in society. Still, he stood his ground. He was not ready to compromise in the Kathakali chitta. it was his stand that, the peculiar style (called as sopanasamgeetham) of music composition is enough sufficient and apt for the Kathakali. In another meaning, as a supporting music of a classical art, Kathakali music is in its utmost. So he was against to the experiments. Even he was a lover of light music, he concentrated to Kathakali music and was careful to keep the identity of that music which is different from other music. He considered that it is meaningless to compare Kathakali music with other music. according to him, the ragas fixed for each literature is enough sufficient for the expression of the Kathakali characters. changing of raga is a mask to hide the inefficiency of singer to express the bhavam in the early composed raga. He used manodharmas to empower the bhavas of characters, standing inside the real frame of Kathakali. approval from the hearts of the Kathakali lovers is the great award to his career.
He worked as a music teacher in PreurGandhiSevasadan[, international Kathakali centre New Delhi, Bombay, Unnayivariyer Smaraka Kalanilayam irinjalakkuda, Parassini Kaliyogam, peingode Kathakali promotion Society, Kerala Kalamandalam in different periods. Students of these institutions of the same period including SadanamJyothi, and Radhakrishnan, Private students poomully Vasudevan Namboodirippad, and vellinezhi Achuthan Kutty are the students of Tirur Nambissan too
He performed as ponnani (main singer) and as shakidi (helping singer) on thousands of stages in Kerala and out of Kerala. He was the main singer of the parassikkadavu muthappan kathakali yogam for a long period. He had been performing as ponnani with his classmates as the special invitees from parassini kaliyogam from second year of the kalamandalam course itself. His music supported the Kathakali performance of the great artists like keezhpadam Kumaran Nair,Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair,Vellinezhi Nanu Nair,Kalamandalam Gopi,Sadanam Krishnankutty, V.P.Ramakrishnan NairSadanam Ramankuttyas well as the artists of the younger generation. He accompanied with great musicians like kalamandalam Neelakandan Nambissan,Kalamandalam Unnikrishnakkurupp, Ramavarier, Kalamandalam Gangaharan, Madambi Subrahmanian Namboodiri, on the stage. Kalamandalam Subrahmanian, Rajendran,Palanad, Kottakkal Narayanan, Kala:Sreekumar, Narayanan Nambissan, etc. were his supporting musicians (shankidi).
External links
- http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2008/01/11/stories/2008011150330300.htm
- http://www.hinduonnet.com/fr/2007/11/16/stories/2007111650360300.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tirur_nambissan--mathrubhoomi.jpg
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Manava_vijayam_copy.jpg
- https://sites.google.com/site/tirurnambissan/
- http://gotaf.socialtwist.com/redirect?l=458147239401101314311
- https://4434408679778154354-a-1802744773732722657-s-
- http://www.mathrubhumi.com/palakkad/news/463635-local_news-palakkad-%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%82%E0%B4%B1%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%B1%E0%B4%A8%E0%B4%BE%E0%B4%9F%E0%B5%8D.html
- http://lsgkerala.in/sreekrishnapurampanchayat/general-information/history/
- https://sites.google.com/site/tirurnambissan/
- https://sites.google.com/site/tirurnambissan/_/rsrc/1285367245567/paper-cuttings/mohanan1.jpg?height=320&width=246
- https://sites.google.com/site/tirurnambissan/_/rsrc/1285508661603/paper-cuttings/jyothi%203.jpg?height=200&width=141
- http://spss.org.in/images/stories/2011iFebruary.pdf