Kalamandalam Haridas

Who was Kalamandalam Haridas?

Kalamandalam Haridas was a renowned Kathakali musician noted for his evocative rendition of the padams, or playback songs for the characters in the classical Kerala dance-drama.

Born in Venmani Mana, a Namboodiri mansion of literary repute in Vellarappilly village east of Aluva off Kochi, Haridas developed interest in Kathakali by watching performances of the classical dance-drama in the neighbouring Akavoor Mana. He was taught the basics in music by Mundakkal Sankara Varrier. He learned ´padams´from stories like Rugminiswayamvaram and Kuchelavritham.

In 1960, he joined Kerala Kalamandalam and learned music under leading Kathakali musicians like Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan, Sivaraman Nair and Kalamandalam Gangadharan. He was the first student of Kalamandalam Gangadharan when the latter became a teacher in the institution. Haridas was known for a very talented student during his stay in Kalamandalam. Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri, Madambi Subrahmanyan Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Hyderali and Kalamandalam Subrahmanyan were immediate seniors to Haridas in the Kathakali Music section.

In 1968, completing the course in Kalamandalam he joined Darpana, a noted performing arts institute set up the famous danseuse Mrinalini Sarabhai in Ahmedabad, as a music teacher. This stint beyond the Vindhyas exposed him to various styles of north Indian renditions, including classical Hindustani music, which in later years will become a mounted musical backup for his innovations as a kathakali singer.