Clay pots have the pride of place in his home and his heart
His fingers lovingly play on the smooth curves. From time to time he lowers his ear to her mouth as if to hear some softly murmured whispers. All the while a gentle smile plays on his lips. The humble pot responds with magical sounds and rhythmic beats that create a trance-like environment among the audience. It’s not just the mellifluous music that Ghatam Giridhar Udupa works up with his fingers, nor the fact that he has a veritable collection of pots, numbering perhaps a 100, that earned him the sobriquet of the King of Pot Music. It is more to do with his belief to transcend the limitations of an Indian pot player or even a classical Carnatic musician, and make Ghatam accepted as a percussion instrument for global music that makes him so. There are pop musicians, there are the pure classical exponents, and then there are musicians like Udupa who break the mould and defy straitjacketing. They live in the in-between borderless world of pure sensation where there are no classifications. There are no forms and if there are, they are meant to be reshaped to allow forging of a new creative reality. “It’s the simplest instrument in the world,” Udupa says about this relatively little known Ghatam. “It is a simple clay pot. What amazes people is how such a pot can produce such good sound.” Ghatam though is one of the oldest percussion instruments of south India. It is unique among all musical instruments as it combines all the five elements of nature—earth (clay pot), water (is used to knead the clay), fire (used to bake the pot), air (in the belly of the pot) that occupies space and reverberates creating the percussion beats. Ghatam is a little different from ordinary pots as it is made with a mixture of clay baked with brass or copper fillings and a small amount of iron fillings. Its mouth is also narrower than ordinary pots. A musician like Udupa knows its value. “You take care of the instrument like you would a baby,” he explains the intricacies involved.
As old as Mridangam, Veena and other instruments of India, Ghatam finds mention in Valmiki Ramayana and another ancient work titled Krishna Ganam. The instrument was traditionally a folk one known as Nook in Kashmir and Mudki in Rajasthan. But in south India it gained concert status and with efforts of musicians like Udupa it is today an integral part of international music scenarion like rock, jazz, fusion ensembles jugal bandis, etc. The instrument may be the simplest, but mastering it requires amazing levels of skill, years of practice and oodles of patience. By his own confession Udupa lacked in the latter department. “I did not have patience, but did enough for my age.” The four-year-old prankster that he was, it must have been some task making him to even sit still. “I would be up to many pranks. I still am. I am naughty by nature.” At 33, the boy in him is very much alive, in the twinkle in his eyes and the easy unabashed laughter.
So how did he manage to learn, master and excel in his chosen field? To top that he also majored in Commerce. Udupa credits some of his skills to the genetic makeup—both his father and grandfather were musicians. “Music was in my house. From the time I opened my eyes, I would hear my father, Mridangam maestro Vidwan U Nagendra Udupa, practising and teaching.”
He majorly credits his teacher, his father, for the patience to teach him at that age. “My father had a lot of patience.” Udupa’s logic is also clear in this regard, “If I have to teach a child, I should have more patience than the child. You can’t expect patience from a kid.” For this pupil, his first teacher remains the most inspiring figure. “Till today the most influential person in my life is my father.” It is not just his musical upbringing for which he holds him such high esteem. “His simplicity, dedication, everything about him is just great,” says the son and student. Udupa feels exposing a child early to a skill also makes him imbibe it easily. “If a child is given training from early years, it starts coming naturally.”
He majorly credits his teacher, his father, for the patience to teach him at that age. “My father had a lot of patience.” Udupa’s logic is also clear in this regard, “If I have to teach a child, I should have more patience than the child. You can’t expect patience from a kid.” For this pupil, his first teacher remains the most inspiring figure. “Till today the most influential person in my life is my father.” It is not just his musical upbringing for which he holds him such high esteem. “His simplicity, dedication, everything about him is just great,” says the son and student. Udupa feels exposing a child early to a skill also makes him imbibe it easily. “If a child is given training from early years, it starts coming naturally.”
Though Udupa makes it all sound more a matter of practice and exposure, there is something that we also call Saraswati’s gift that a few like Udupa are blessed with. It was perhaps this that helped him manage his studies and music together without much of a hassle all through his growing up years. “It was not so difficult. My first priority was always music. I would play at concerts before my exams,” he dismisses his unique abilities with a laugh.
Udupa’s love affair with Ghatam has an interesting beginning. He had initially begun his training on Mridangam, an instrument similar to Ghatam. At his first concert at the age of 9, his father asked him to play Ghatam on the stage as a senior artiste was playing Mridangam. Udupa was so fascinated by the sound of this percussion instrument that after the show he decided to continue his training in the instrument. Ghatam had found a true patron.
Later, he came under the tutelage of Guru Vidushi Sukanya Ramgopal and Ghattam maestro Vikku Vinakram, who not only taught him the finer points of playing Ghatam but have continued to be major influences on his life. Ghatam comes under the second line of concert instrument and is a preferred accompaniment at Carnatic music concerts. But Udupa has consistently raised the bar for the humble pot taking it out of Carnatic music concerts to world music stage. His efforts in this direction started rather young. In 1998, he formed Layatharanga, a percussion band in Bangalore, with some Indian classical musicians, his friends, with the mission to create new wave music and take it to a wider global audience through collaborations.
While his experiments with a wider platform continued, he was also making his mark as a rising star of Carnatic music. He has played with almost all the music maestros and not just on the Carnatic classical platform. His vast repertoire comprises Hindustani classical, Jazz, Fusion, Blues, Rock, Flamenco, Symphony, Orchestra, Celtic Music Latin Music, DJ Music, World Music, Arabic Music, Japanese Music, Talavadya (Ensemble percussion) Bollywood music, European Folk music and Jugalbandi concerts.
“My most memorable concert was on November 24, 2001 when I accompanied the famous Mysore brothers,” reminisces Udupa. The Mysore brothers are the famous violinists Mysore Nagaraj and Dr. Mysore Manjunath. He also remembers the exact date he accompanied the legendary L Subramaniam. “April 2002 I played with the maestro and later started playing with all Carnatic musicians.”
Udupa considers it his “unique privilege” to have had the opportunity to play with almost every great living maestro. Another memorable professional milestone he recounts with pride is when he played with Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. The Ustad’s remark that he had had the best Ghatam accompanist with him on stage, is a treasured ‘award’ for Udupa. Being selected as the court player and felicitated as Asthana Vidwan of Sri Matam of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham added another feather to his cap, but the Pot King’s journey continues across continents.
When I contacted him for the interview, he was in Poland on a maiden project he has named evocatively— Sagaara. Not surprising for the man who has been travelling in his mission to propagate Ghatam for the last 15 years and has covered 40 countries. “I want to travel the world and popularise my instrument everywhere.” His efforts are paying off. “Ghatam is becoming more and more universal, especially in Europe. The sound is appealing to the European audience,” he says. Udupa has collected a loyal band of disciples, many European students among them, several of who travel down to India and become his houseguests. Taking of learning and teaching, the percussionist says, “I have just started teaching as I travel a lot and perform too. I am planning to start a Ghatam institution this summer in June-July.” Perhaps to give a more rooted mooring I smile at him tongue-in-cheek. He is planning to get married this year. Udupa laughs and says, “My family misses me and to answer your question, my travels are short and I somehow balance life and work.”
He loves cricket, eating and sleeping. A prankster, a foodie, a cricket fan and a devoted musician with a travelling itch among other things—Ghatam Giridhar Udupa is as interesting as the instrument he plays. Udupa’s laughter reverberates like the music of his instrument—the Ghatam—and lingers on.