->Rathfelder at 11:56, 21 November 2021

2021-11-21T11:56:05Z

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{{short description|Indian Mridangam player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Erickavu N Sunil
| image = Erickavu N. Sunil.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1977|3|15}}
| birth_place = [[Haripad]], [[Alappuzha district]], [[Kerala]], [[India]]
| instrument = [[Mridangam]]
| occupation = Mridangam artist
| years_active = 1985–present
}}

'''Erickavu N Sunil''' ('''Sunil Narayana''') is an Indian [[Mridangam]] player and author.<ref name="deccanchronicle1">{{cite web |author=Chris |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/all-rounders/techie-drummer-038 |title=Techie drummer |publisher=Deccan Chronicle |date=2012-07-19 |accessdate=2012-08-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120802153705/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/all-rounders/techie-drummer-038 |archivedate=2012-08-02 }}</ref><ref name=thehindu>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/art/indeevaram-is-a-performance-space-for-artistes/article28173140.ece|title=Indeevaram, a performance space for prodigies and amateurs|first=Athira|last=M|date=27 June 2019|accessdate=17 March 2021|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref><ref name="UNI News">{{cite web |url=http://www.uniindia.com/news/south/literature-kerala-book-releases/2374786.html |title=Playback Singer KS. Chithra releases 'RESOUNDING MRIDANGAM: The Majestic South-Indian Drum |publisher=UNI News |date=2021-04-19 |accessdate=2021-04-19}}</ref>

==Early life and background==
Erickavu N Sunil was born (on 15 March 1977) to K. Narayana Panicker and Late V. Saraswathi Amma in [[Haripad]], [[Kerala]], [[India]]. He started learning the [[Mridangam]] at the age of four. His initial [[Guru]]s were Late Krishnappa Bhagavathar and M.S. Raju. He had his advanced studies in [[Mridangam]] from the Legendary Maestro Sangeetha Kalacharya Late Prof. [[Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kaumudiglobal.com/innerpage1.php?newsid=23081 |title=Mridangam player Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair dies |publisher=Kaumudiglobal.com |date=2012-07-24 |accessdate=2012-08-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-02-14|title=Erickavu N Sunil, Mridangam Artist|url=https://www.haripad.in/about-haripad/famous-people/erickavu-sunil-mridangam-artist/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-04-23|website=Haripad, Alappuzha|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Musical career ==
An A-grade artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan, Sunil has performed alongside musicians like [[Padmabhushan]] [[Sangeetha Kalanidhi]] [[T. V. Sankaranarayanan]], [[Padmasri]] [[Neyyattinkara Vasudevan]], [[Padmasri]] Prof. [[Parassala B. Ponnammal|Parassala Ponnammal]], Madhurai G.S. Mony, Prof. [[Mavelikkara Prabhakara Varma]], Dr. [[K. Omanakutty]], Prof. K. Venktaramanan, Dr. [[S. Sowmya]], Kunnakkudi Balamuralikrishna, Dr. [[Sreevalsan J. Menon]], [[Sankaran Namboothiri]], Thiruvengadu Jayaraman, [[Sharreth]], [[M. Jayachandran]], [[Balabhaskar]], and many others. He teaches [[Mridangam]] online<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chandrakantha.com/teachers/teach_music_kerala.html|title=Teachers and Performers of Indian Music and Dance in Kerala|website=chandrakantha.com|accessdate=17 March 2021}}</ref> through [[Skype]], and has students in Germany, US & Middle East.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/musicians-and-dancers-in-technopark-who-turn-teachers/article29584271.ece|title=Musicians and dancers of Technopark step out as tutors|first=Athira|last=M|date=3 October 2019|accessdate=17 March 2021|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref> Sunil leads the team "Laya Vadya Sudha"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiYzQ5x0P54|title=నాదనీరాజనం | Nadaneerajanam |13-09-19 | SVBC TTD|accessdate=17 March 2021|via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>—the "Tala Vadya"—Percussion Ensemble—featuring Indian percussion instruments [[Mridangam]], [[Kanjira]], [[Ghatam]], [[Morsing]], [[Tabla]], [[Mizhavu]], etc. Sunil had scripted and directed ''Nadasanjeevani''—a unique program on Music Therapy, which was telecasted in [[Asianet Cable Vision]] (ACV) as 9 episodes in 2006.

Sunil has put his musical acumen to best use by conceptualising and rolling out ‘Indeevaram Cultural Trust’, a platform to provide budding artists with the opportunity to synergise their musical talent, and to nurture the younger generation and his disciples spanning across the globe. Sunil always had a keen interest in knowledge dissemination which resulted in his creating informational short videos hosted on his YouTube channel. He is the author of the celebrated book 'Resounding Mridangam'.

[[File:Front Cover - Resounding Mridangam - Erickavu N Sunil.png|thumb|RESOUNDING MRIDANGAM by Erickavu N. Sunil]]
[[File:K.S. Chithra formally releasing RESOUNDING MRIDANGAM.png|thumb|[[Padma Bhushan]] [[K. S. Chithra]] formally releasing RESOUNDING MRIDANGAM]]
[[File:DD National - ENS.jpg|thumb|Erickavu N Sunil accompanying Prof. [[Parassala B. Ponnammal]] at Doordarshan National Program of Music in 2009]]
[[File:Accompanying TVS.jpg|thumb|Accompanying [[T. V. Sankaranarayanan]] as part of Onam celebrations organized by Government of Kerala in 1995]]
[[File:Tirupati-LVS-ENS.jpg|thumb|Performing 'Laya Vadya Sudha' - the percussion ensemble concert at [[SVBC TV]] [[Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams]] in 2019]]
[[File:Accompanying Neyyattinkara Vasudevan Sir.jpg|thumb|Accompanying [[Neyyattinkara Vasudevan]] in 1996]]
[[File:Accompanying Sowmya.jpg|thumb|Accompanying Dr. [[S. Sowmya]] at Nishagandhi Music Festival, Trivandrum in 2019]]

==Indeevaram Cultural Trust==
Indeevaram<ref name=thehindu/> is a Trivandrum-based cultural trust founded by Sunil in 2018. Indeevaram<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://epaper.thehindu.com/Home/ShareArticle?OrgId=GT362JDR1.1|title=Art house|website=epaper.thehindu.com|accessdate=17 March 2021}}</ref> envisions bringing global talent in the field of classical art forms together to showcase the Indian powerhouse of talents. It is a confluence of art, artists, and the varied hues of India's culture. Indeevaram aims at bringing together the prodigies and amateurs on the same platform as that of the legends and maestros. Indeevaram intends to do this through multiple approaches.
* To build a strong online presence to attract classical art talent from across the globe to make this event a one of larger reach.
* To conduct annual festivals that will bring all talents together.
* To provide a single platform for Music, Dance, Literature, Traditional Arts, Fine Arts, etc.
* To give access to Seminars, Talk-Shows, Workshops and Exhibitions.

== RESOUNDING MRIDANGAM ==
'RESOUNDING MRIDANGAM: The Majestic South-Indian Drum'<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/a-new-book-on-the-anatomy-of-a-drum/article34659455.ece |title= A first-of-its-kind book on the anatomy of mridangam |publisher=The Hindu |date=2021-05-27 |accessdate=2021-05-27}}</ref> - the first book authored by Sunil, explores the nuances of Mridangam. The book is a beautiful journey in time and history. It is designed for a wider readership comprising music students as their academic source at universities across the globe, performing musicians, followers of Indian & Western classical music, and anyone who wishes to gain interdisciplinary knowledge in music. Analysis of the physics of Mridangam would enthuse readers with a scientific bent of mind. It covers a comparative analysis of the various music genres to appreciate synergy and synthesis. The book also contains unheard vignettes of 200+ Mridangam masters. Prof. [[Trichy Sankaran]] has written foreword to the book.

RESOUNDING MRIDANGAM<ref>{{cite web |author=Sreevalsan Thiyyadi|url=https://epaper.thehindu.com/Home/ShareArticle?OrgId=G4S8K8H22.1&imageview=1 |title= Anatomy of a drum |publisher=The Hindu |date=2021-05-28 |accessdate=2021-05-28}}</ref> was formally released in India on 18 April 2021 by [[Padma Bhushan]] [[K. S. Chithra]].<ref name="UNI News"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.manoramaonline.com/literature/literaryworld/2021/04/17/resounding-mridangam-book-by-mridanga-vidwan-erickavu-n-sunil.html |title= K.S. Chithra releases RESOUNDING MRIDANGAM |publisher=Manorama Online |date=2021-04-19 |accessdate=2021-04-19}}</ref> The book is available on Amazon<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XXZXRDY |title= RESOUNDING MRIDANGAM |publisher=Amazon |date=2021-03-02 |accessdate=2021-03-02}}</ref> all over the world. RESOUNDING MRIDANGAM is now a reference text and is part of the syllabus for music students at various universities across the globe.

== Awards, achievements, and titles ==
* He is an A Grade [[Mridangam]] artist at [[All India Radio]] and [[Doordarshan]].
* He received the prestigious "Chembai Award" (the award given to outstanding young Mridangam Artists) from Chembai Memorial Trust, Trivandrum in 2006.
* He received the "Pathiramkulangara Devi Chaithanyashri" title in 2019 from Pathiramkulangara Devi Temple, a major temple in Alleppey District under [[Travancore Devaswom Board]].
* He received the 'Special Honour' from Parakkadathu Koyikkal Trust (Tripunithura) and Sree Poornathrayeesa Sangeetha Sabha (Tripunithura) on publishing RESOUNDING MRIDANGAM (2021).
* He was awarded the Junior Research Fellowship by the Department of Culture, Government of India (2011-'12).
* He was awarded the Senior Scholarship by the Department of Culture, Government of India in (1996-'97).
* He won first prize and a gold medal in [[Mridangam]] at the Inter-university National Youth Festival held at Gulbarga, Karnataka, in January 1995.
* He was the winner in [[Mridangam]] at Kerala University Youth Festival for four consecutive years (from 1993 to 1997) representing [[Mar Ivanios College]], [[Trivandrum]]. While at school, he received several prizes.
* He was nominated as a member of the panel of judges for Mridangam in Kerala State Schools Youth Festival for several years.

== Personal life ==
Apart from his artistic excellence, Sunil is also known for his academic brilliance. He completed schooling from St. Thomas High School, [[Karthikappally]] (near [[Haripad]]). After his professional education (Graduation in physics from [[Mar Ivanios College]], [[Thiruvananthapuram]], and Masters in Computer Applications from [[College of Engineering, Trivandrum]]), he pursued an active career in Information Technology for two decades with corporate houses including Ernst & Young. Sunil is settled in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. His wife Indu is a senior IT professional, also an expert in Aksharaslokam (a traditional way of chanting Slokas - poems). They have two sons, Bhagath Sunand and Bharath Sunand, both students of [[Loyola School, Thiruvananthapuram]]. Their eldest, Bhagath, is pursuing Violin and Mridangam.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://youtube.com/c/erickavunsunil Erickavu N Sunil - Youtube Channel]
* [https://www.facebook.com/sunil.erickavu Erickavu N Sunil - Facebook Page]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sunil, Erickavu N.}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Mridangam players]]
[[Category:Indian drummers]]
[[Category:21st-century drummers]]
[[Category:21st-century male musicians]]
[[Category:Indian male classical musicians]]
[[Category:Musicians from Kerala]]
[[Category:People from Alappuzha district]]
[[Category:20th-century drummers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male singers]]
[[Category:1977 births]]

Erickavu N. Sunil - Revision history

->Rathfelder at 11:56, 21 November 2021