
“The
mesmerizing rhythms were certainly engaging but it was Sankaran
who stole the show. In the same way that his Eastern compatriots
move with ease between the notes of conventional Western semitones,
Sankaran seems to have an infinite ability to divide the beat.”
The Telegram, St Johns, Newfoundland. July
2002
“The only enlivening
feature was the mrdangam play by Trichy Sankaran, with Harishankar
on the Kanjira. The different nadais Sankaran presented during the
tani avartanam (mrdangam slo) was scintillating” (Music Academy
concert, Chennai)
The Hindu, Chennai, India. January 2002
"There
was Trichy Sankaran, virtuoso of the mrdangam, the double-headed
South Indian drum, beating out rhythmic cycles with the palms of
his hands that would confound many a western-trained musician."
The
Toronto Star, Toronto. June 1998
"It
was Sankaran who took virtuosity to its most vertiginous heights,
articulating, with indescribable sleight of hand, a wealth of liquid
sound at astonishing speeds from his tiny instrument (Kanjira).
Equally as exciting were his solos on the South Indian classical
drum, or mrdangam, where the complexity of the rhythmic patterns
seemed as abstract and as daunting as advanced mathematics."
The
Globe & Mail, Toronto. June 1996
"As
for Sankaran, he beat his fingers and palm against the South Indian
tambourine known as the Kanjira with a speed and rhythmic complexity
that threatened to take the breath away."
The
Toronto Star, Toronto. June 1996
"Trichy
Sankaran's tani avartanam (mrdangam solo) was an ecstatic display
of rhythmic virtuosity."
The Hindu. Madras, India. December 1994
"The
program began with Mr. Sankaran in the spotlight, playing a two-headed
South Indian drum (mrdangam), accompanied by a light electronic
drone set in motion... Mr. Sankaran is a fabulous musician, whose
understated manner gave little hint of the virtuosity that lay in
store. His unfailingly inventive handling of rhythm, texture and
even pitch and his tireless execution riveted attention throughout
the 20-minute span. ... Mr. Sankaran began the second half of the
evening similarly, playing a tambourine (kanjira) unaccompanied
and achieving remarkable variety with even more limited means Mr.
Sankaran seemed fully at home with the microphones and made canny
use of the amplification right down to the end of the kanjira number,
which gradually dissipated both dynamically and rhythmically."
The New York Times, U.S.A., April 1990
"The most outstanding feature of the recital was the superb handling
of the percussion portfolio by Trichy Sankaran. There were many
in the audience who sat through the entire performance to hear Sankaran
who represents the inimitable style of Palam Subbudu. His padding
to the music and his solos were examples of his technical virtuosity."
Indian Express. Madras, India. January 1989
"Tnichy
Sankaran is a drummer who leaves audiences and fellow performers
speechless with his lyrical and evocative style of mrdangam , a
South Indian classical drum with a double headed barrel."
The
Gladstone Observer. Gladstone, Australia. August 1988
"Sankaran
displayed amazing virtuosity and invention, polyrhythms and percussive
melodies rolling from those practiced hands,"
Du Maurier Jazz Festival, CODA Magazine, Vancouver,
July 1988
"(When
playing with World Drums) Trichy Sankaran matched top flight virtuosity
with classical poise."
Globe and Mail, Toronto, Ontario. July 1988
"Trichy
Sankaran's playing on the mrdangarn evoked memories of his illustrious
guru Palani Subramania Pillai. His mrdangam cooed like a cuckoo,
trotted like a mare, and on occasions, roared like a lion. In short,
the instrument carried out his every rhythmic command."
Indian
Express. Madras, India. December 1986
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