Sri Kommajosyula Sadgurucharan

‘Mridanga Sudhakara’ Sri Kommajosyula Sadgurucharan is the disciple of Sri Nemani Somayajulu garu and Sri Vankayala Narasimham garu.

He is a graduate in Mechanical engineering from Andhra university and postgraduate in Rhythmology from University of Madras. He has passed the certificate examination in vocal music.

He is a ‘Top grade’ Mridangam artist working with All India Radio Vijayawada as staff artist for 25 years. In 36 years of concert experience, he has accompanied many top ranking vidwans in prestigious organisations in India and abroad.

He is an adept in the demonstration of ‘Panchamukhi & Shanmukhi Taala Avadhana-s’, a rare and complex feat in the field of rhythm.

He is the course writer for certificate examination in Mridangam conducted by SAMPADA, music and dance academy of Silicon Andhra university, USA. He has submitted papers at many national and international seminars and has conducted workshops on topics like ‘Mridangam & Mathematics’, ‘Simple exercises to improve rhythmic balance’ etc.

His articles and short stories on music related topics received widespread appreciation.

Marathon cycling is his passion. He has done marathon cycling from Vijayawada to Vizag & in the Diviseema area of Kṛiṣhṇa district each covering 400KM.

Śri Sadgurucharan, is the only contemporary expert in Pañchamukhi & Ṣaṇmukhi’ tāḷa avadhāna-s. He is an adept in the demonstration of ‘Panchamukhi & Shanmukhi Taala Avadhana-s’, a rare and complex feat in the field of rhythm. Since 1995, he has been giving demonstrations all over India at famous organizations like Ṣaṇmukhānañda Sabha, The Fine Arts Society (Mumbai), The Music Academy, The Indian Fine Arts Society (Madras), Visākha Music Academy (Vizag), Añdhra Music Academy, Karṇāṭaka Gānakalā Parishat, Percussive Arts Centre (Bengalūru), Swāti Tirunāl Sañgīta Sabha (Tiruvanañtapuram) etc and received merit certificates. Maestros like Dr. Bālamuralikṛṣṇa, Śri Dañḍamūḍi Rāmmōhana Rao, Śri Vañkāyala Narasiñham have given certificates of appreciation. He practised all these avadhāna-s anonymously for many years without a guru. The videos of his lecture demonstrations can be watched on You Tube.

Pañchamukhi Tāḷa Avadhāna:

Tāḷa avadhāna-s are critical tests for the laya gn̲āna and concentration level of an artist. These are highly academic in nature and the entertainment value is usually very low. Dwitāḷa avadhāna is the most popular form of tāḷa avadhāna. In this, usually two different tāḷa-s having equal number of āvṛttākṣara-s are shown simultaneously by the two hands. Normally a pallavi is sung while doing Dwitāḷa avadhāna. But, Pañchamukhi avadhāna is a unique, a very rare and difficult tāḷa avadhāna in which the avadhāni has to show all the five gati-s simultaneously with 5 different parts of his body while singing. Mathematically, once all the gati-s start on a single beat, they come together again on to a single beat only after 1260 letters, 1260 being the least common multiple of 3 4 5 7 & 9.

History: Pañchamukhi has its origin in Hiñdu mythology. The legendary multifaceted genius ‘Harikathā Pitāmaha’, ‘Pañchamukhi Paramēśwara’ Śrimat Ajjāḍa Ādibhaṭla Nārāyaṇa Dāsu of Vijayanagaram, Āñdhra Pradēsh is the first man to discover and demonstrate this rare avadhāna. He composed a single line Sarva dēvatā stuti of 28 letters duration in 45 rāga-s and sang it while showing Pañchamukhi. Getting inspiration from Sri Nārāyaṇa Dāsu, Sri Muṭnūru Sūryanārāyaṇa Śāstri of Chīpurupalli town of Vijayanagaram district practiced not only the Pañchamukhi presented by Śri Nārāyaṇa Dāsu garu but also another two varieties of Pañchamukhi and ‘Āñjanēya Ṣaṭkāla Ṣaṇmukhi’. He got the theory of all these avadhāna-s from ‘Nañdi Bharatam’, an ancient Sañskṛt text, practiced them on his own and gave demonstrations at many places including the Music Academy, Madras. He translated ‘Nañdi Bharatam’ into Telugu as ‘Nandīswara Bharatam’.

Layavinyasams:

SHORT STORIES AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES