Layodaya, a mridangam school operating from various centres in Chennai, recently conducted its 12th year Gurusmaranam Day, on the anniversary of its founder Mridanga Vidwan, Kumbakonam M Rajappa Iyer, who was the asthana vidwan of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam.
During the event, Mridanga Vidushi N Rajam was honoured for her services in the field over the years. Layodaya, which was established by M, Rajappa Iyer, is now run by his son KR Ganesh, a mridangam vidwan who is also a disciple of his father.
Speaking about his father, Ganesh says, “My father started learning Mridangam from Kumbakonam Alaganambia Pillai. With his intensive training he became a talented Mridangam and Ghatam vidwan. As a performing vidwan, he had accompanied on the Mridangam and Ghatam to a host of eminent vidwans.”
However, after some years, he realised that the teacher in him was more predominant and to promote, popularise and nurture Carnatic music and percussion arts. He founded Layodaya.
Through that, he has tutored hundreds of disciples during the last four decades and most of them are currently leading mridangam artists in the present generation. “He taught percussion lessons in Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, T Nagar, Sri Balasubramania Sangeetha Sabha, R. A.Puram and Sri Singeri Matt, Mandavelli, Chennai. Besides these, he had a multitude of students learning from his home in Mylapore. After his demise now we are continuing to run the school,” adds Ganesh.
Rajappa Iyer’s list of prominent disciples includes K R Ganesh, Srimushnam Raja Rao Umayalpuram Mali, Umayalpuram V Kalyanaraman, Vijay Siva, Manoj Siva, Chrompet G Suresh and many others.