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The Art of KONNAKOL
Commonly described as a sophisticated style of vocal percussion from the Carnatic tradition, konnakkol is the performance art form of the intoned rhythmic recitation of solkattu, the vocalised rhythmic syllables of South Indian classical music and dance. As a composer and an improvising singer, I am immersed in the development of an expressive vocal language. Having studied konnakkol since 1994 both in Australia and India (where I am a longtime student of maestro Guru Kaaraikkudi Mani in Chennai) it has had a profound and continuing influence on my body of creative work.
For thousands of years at the core of the growth and manifestation of Indian culture, there has been a dedicated and almost scientific approach applied to the development of Indian music.
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Learning the Carnatic Tradition
Classical Indian music is predominantly an oral traditional with students
listening, imitating and then committing the syllabus to memory. Students rarely ask questions during lessons, rather they are devoted listeners. In the last 100 years or so, notebooks have been used as a memory aid for students, but they are not used in performance.
Today, students may use a recording device, recording their lessons to assist their progress.
Both my Masters and Phd research relates to konnakol study and its creative application in contemporary vocal practice.