Karaikudi Mani, as a young boy accompanying Pithikuli Murugadoss, on the mridangam. File
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Karaikudi R. Mani, who dominated the Carnatic music world for more than half a century as a mridhangam player, died in Chennai on Thursday. He was 77.
A bachelor, Mani had trained scores of students, played for yesteryear doyens of Carnatic music including M.S. Subbulakshmi, D.K. Pattammal, M.L. Vasanthakumari, Madurai Somu, T.M. Thiagarajan, D.K. Jayaraman and Lalgudi Jayaraman, as well as present-day stars including Sanjay Subramanian and T.M. Krishna.
Mani’s playing embellished whole concerts, artistes said. Mani’s accompaniment to the devotional songs of Pithukuli Murugadoss, bear testimony to his prodigious talent. He was also well-versed in ragas and keerthanas.
Mani first learnt music from Karaikudi Ranga Iyenagr and subsequently from Harihara Sharma, the father of Vikku Vinayagaram, and he and Mani went on to collaborate with many Western percussionists. He had further tutelage from K.M. Vaidyanathan as well.
