Profiles of Artistes, Composers, Musicologists
Unless otherwise specified, the profiles in this section are
from
The Garland, Another Garland, Yet Another Garland and The
Fragrant Garland by Mr.N.Rajagopalan
T.R.
HARIHARA SARMA - PERCUSSIONIST.............(b. January 4, 1904)
Having
passed the Teacher's training course at the Thanjavur Government School,
Harihara Sarma got employed as a teacher. But his ardent desire lay in
percussion; and so he quit the job after a year. He underwent a full course
of training for three years under the stalwart percussionist, Thanjavur
Vaidyanatha Ayyar. Later, he joined the Annamalai University for another
two years' training under the famous Ponniah Pillai. Arriving at Chennai,
he was participating in concerts and was working as teacher too for sometime.
Harihara
Sarma met with an accident when he slipped from the electric tram, which
was then plying at Chennai and this resulted in his being handicapped from
playing on mridangam. Undaunted, he took to morsing. He had been giving
special tuitions to numerous disciples, among whom Karaikudi Mani, K.M.Vaidyanathan
and his sons T.H.Vinayak Ram and T.H.Subashchandran have distinguished
themselves. The stature of the master finds reflection in the ebullient
rendition of the disciples, their wide practice and popularity in and out
of India. He has founded an Institution - Sri Jaya Ganesa Talavadya Vidyalaya,
Chennai which has acquired much importance. He has published "Methods to
learn mridangam" - 2 volumes.
Title:
Kalaimamani
from Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Mandram
