Modern Usage
Today the mridangam is most widely used in Carnatic music performances. These performances take place all over Southern India and are now popular all over the world. As the principle rhythmic accompaniment (pakkavadyam), the mridangam has a place of utmost importance, ensuring all of the other artists are keeping their timing in check while providing support to the main artist. One of the highlights of a modern Carnatic music concert is the percussion solo (thani avarthanam), where the mridangam artist and other percussionists such as kanjira, morsing, and ghatam vidwans exchange various complex rhythmic patterns, culminating in a grand finale where the main artists resumes where he or she left off. Mridangam is used as an accompanying instrument in Yakshagana Himmela (orchestra) where it is called Maddale. However, Mridangam used in Yakshagana is markedly different in structure and acustics from the ones used in Carnatic music. Significant players of the mridangam in modern times are Late Palghat Mani Iyer, Late Palghat Raghu, Late Prof. Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair,Late Sri Mahadevu Radha Krishna Raju, Dr.T.K.Murthy, Umayalapuram K. Sivaraman, Vellore Ramabhadran, Trichy Sankaran, T.S.Nandakumar, Karaikudi Mani, Madurai.T.Srinivasan(Seenakutti),Yella Venkateswara Rao, Srimushnam Raja Rao, Tiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam, Mahadevu Lakshmi Narayana Raju, Cheluvaraj Trichur C Narendran who have been playing and advancing the technique since decades.
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