T. H.

Vinayakram
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Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram
Viku Vinayakaram.JPG
Background information
Born 11 August 1942 (age 75)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Genres Carnatic, Fusion
Occupation(s) percussionist
Instruments Ghatam, Morsing
Years active 1951present
Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram (born 11 August 1942), also known as Vikku
Vinayakram, is a Grammy Awardwinning Indian percussionist. He plays Carnatic music
with the ghatam, an earthen pot, and is credited with popularising the ghatam.

He was awarded the Padma Shri, given by Government of India in 2002,[1] and later
the 2012 Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour in the performing
arts conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music,
Dance and Drama. Finally he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2014.

Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
3 Discography
4 Awards
5 References
6 External links
Early life[edit]
Vinayakram was born to Kalaimaamani T. R. Harihara Sharma, a musician and teacher.
He took up playing at a very young age.

Career[edit]
Vinayakram's concert career began at the age of 13. His first performance occurred
on 5 March 1957 at the Rama Navami festival in Thoothukudi. While proceeding for
the arangetram the tuned ghatam instrument was broken by a child named Ganesh,
which by itself had been a good omen for his bright career. where he accompanied
V.V.Sadagopan. He was soon accompanying many famous vocalists in Carnatic music at
the time, including Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Mangalampalli
Balamuralikrishna, G. N. Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer, Semmangudi Srinivasa
Iyer, M. S. Subbulakshmi and Maharajapuram Santhanam, among others. His brother, T.
H. Subhash Chandran, also excelled in the field. The Ghatam followed the master by
rising to fame as a percussion instrument that required nimble fingers and strong
stomach muscles to control the mouth of the pot.[2]

Vinayakram's tryst with the international music platform came in the early 1970s
when he joined Shakti to play along with John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain.

He has also performed at Basant Utsav, the annual fund raiser for the Banyan.

Vinayakram is Principal of Sri Jaya Ganesh Tala Vadya Vidyalaya in Chennai, India
the academy established by his late father and teacher in 1958. It continues to
produce new stars of Carnatic percussion. Vinayakram's son V. Selvaganesh is a
successful percussionist, especially after tours with John McLaughlin's group,
Remember Shakti.[3]

Discography[edit]
A Handful of Beauty (Shakti Album) (1976)
Natural Elements (1977)
Planet Drum (1991) Mickey Hart
Mysterium Tremendum (2012) Mickey Hart Band
Awards[edit]
Vinayakram was conferred the Hafiz Ali Khan Award for "unmatched contribution in
the field of music" in 2000.[citation needed] He is also the first South Indian
musician to be awarded the Grammy for Best World Music Album for his participation
in Mickey Hart's Planet Drum, in which he played ghatam and morsing.[citation
needed] He donated all the proceeds from the award to a charity organisation in
south India.[citation needed] He was also nominated for the 1996 Grammy Awards for
Best World Music Album for his participation in 'Raga Aberi' along with L. Shankar
on the ten string double violin and Zakir Hussain on the tabla (the piece is set in
the tala cycle of 4 beats). The Indian Government decorated him with the Padma
Shri Award in 2002.[4]

Finally, he was awarded the 2012 Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna),
the highest award in performing arts in India, given by Sangeet Natak Akademi,
India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.[5] In 2014 he was awarded the
Padma Bhushan by Government of India[6] Vinayakram, was awarded Bharatharatna,
Dr.M.S.Subbulakshmi Centenary award,on 16th,Sept,2016.

References[edit]
Jump up ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
Jump up ^ https://www.webcitation.org/query?
url=http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Stage/2225/articles/vinayakram.html&date=2009-
10-25+11:42:25
Jump up ^ Salkar, Tanvi (3 December 2009). "Hart beat". The Indian Express.
Jump up ^ "Padma Awards Directory (19542009)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs.
Jump up ^ "Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Akademi Awards 2012" (PDF). Press
Information Bureau, Govt of India. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
Jump up ^ "Padma Awards Announced". Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home
Affairs. 25 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vikku Vinayakram.
T. H. Vinayakram at AllMusic
Vikku Vinayakram at Last.fm
[show] v t e
Padma Bhushan award recipients (201019)
[show] v t e
Sangeet Natak Akademi fellows
Authority control
WorldCat Identities VIAF: 78779983 LCCN: nr92004662 ISNI: 0000 0000 7732 3028 GND:
13466440X SUDOC: 088895785 BNF: cb14016491m (data) MusicBrainz: e54fe64c-abdc-4f25-
958e-fbc747fd01d2