Skanda Dasa: Melodies of Papanasam Sivan & Koteeswara Iyer at Esplanade Recital Studio

In Hinduism, Skanda is one of the many names that Lord Muruga, the god of war, goes by. At times depicted with six faces, he is also known as the “God of Tamils”, Velaiya, Kumara, Saravanabhava, Kandha and Shanmukha to his devotees.

In Skanda Dasa, which means “servant or devotee of Skanda”, the works of prominent 19th century poet-composers Papanasam Sivan and Koteeswara Iyer are showcased. Papanasam Sivan, who also goes by the name Tamil Thyagayya, made outstanding contributions to Kannada and Tamil cinema, bharatanatyam and carnatic music with his simple yet deeply devotional music. Koteeswara Iyer, the grandson of prominent Tamil scholar Kavi Kunjara Bharati, was one of the first to compose songs—or krithis—in all the 72 melakartha ragas (fundamental scales), which he published in his book Kandha Gaanamrutham (Nectarine melodies in praise of Skanda).

Both were devout followers of Skanda—who was the ishta devata (beloved deity) of their families—and greatly contributed to the popularisation of Tamil compositions during the post-trinity period. They were also known to employ the manipravalam (a mix of Tamil and Sanskrit) literary style in their compositions. Popular pieces such as Kaa Vaa Vaa, as well as rarer gems like Mohanakara Muttukumara, were written in reverence and exaltation of the deity.

Join vocalists Srividya Sriram and Vaishnavi Anand as they celebrate the works of these composers and delve into the devotional qualities that have inspired many others. They will be accompanied by Sughosh Pavan on violin, Subramaniam Radhakrishnan on mridangam (a type of drum) and Muthusubramaniam on kanjira (a South Indian frame drum, an instrument of the tambourine family).

Carnatic Composers is a series of concerts that explore the rich diversity of carnatic music through the works of composers who have defined the genre from the 16th century to the present.