Kanjira gets a new, eco-friendly avatar thanks to artiste Ganesh Kumar

For those who know how to play it, the kanjira is a frame drum that must be gently coaxed to produce very smooth yet powerful sounds, accompanied by a trail of jingles that brighten the atmosphere at concerts. This upa-pakka vadhyam (supporting accompaniment instrument) now has an eco-friendly version, thanks to 62-year-old kanjira virtuoso Ganesh Kumar.

“We don’t need the skin of the endangered monitor lizard, which was traditionally used all these years. We can now achieve the same tonal quality without it. As a result of my collaboration with Cooperman Drums, Vermont, U.S.A., they have recently released the newly redesigned Cooperman Ganesh Kumar Signature Series Kanjira,” said Mr. Ganesh Kumar, who began his work with a non-monitor lizard kanjira over 20 years ago.

“It is lighter than traditional kanjiras and made using synthetic mylar, with maple wood for the base. In what could be considered a deviation from conventional kanjiras, this drum can be tuned to specific shrutis if needed,” he added.

The Cooperman kanjira does not require water to moisten, unlike traditional ones, and can be used in all climates. Since traditional kanjiras use animal skin, they can become loose and must be heated to regain tension. “When I first went to the U.S., I had to keep heating my drum, which was a major reason for approaching Cooperman. Hundreds of drums have been sold by this company, and several other manufacturers are now producing these small instruments, which are easy to carry around,” he said.

Mr. Ganesh Kumar says that with more people learning to play the kanjira internationally, its status as an upa-pakka vadhyam has evolved. “I play in jazz concerts and jam with Western musicians. Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain used to say that one lifetime is not enough to explore this one drum. Though I began learning the mridangam, my guru T.H. Subash Chandran suggested that I learn the kanjira, and that advice has given me and my instrument a very different experience. I even have students in the northernmost regions of Russia, in the cold tundra, where the Ganesh Kumar Kanjira can be played with ease. This is a dream several years in the making,” he added.

The kanjira vidwan is now busy performing with his sons in the troupe called Visaga, where “Vi” comes from Vignesh, his eldest son who plays the Carnatic guitar, and “Sa” comes from Sarvesh, his younger son who plays the ghatam.