Anandan Sivamani, known to his fans as just Sivamani, is an electrifying performer and one of the leading drummers of India. His work blends classical drumming styles -- he studied with Carnatic master S.P. Balasubramaniam -- with jazz and world beats to create a propulsive sound that pulls in many instruments and traditions.
As a child, he says, he drummed on pots and pans in the kitchen, and that exuberance seems never to have left him -- he's an enthusiastic ambassador for the drum around india and the globe, and a frequent collaborator. A few notable matchups: Youssou N'Dour, tabla player Zakir Hussain, flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia, percussionist Elvin Jones, and A.R. Rahman, composer of Bombay Dreams. Last winter, he released his first solo album, Mahaleela, playing with a rotating team of singers and bandmates on a roster of songs he composed.
“My life as a drummer started the day I was in my mom’s womb, I played to the sound of my mom’s heartbeat.” — Sivamani
“Within You, Without You,” the final session of TEDIndia, rings in with a drumbeat — the rich, propulsive stylings of Sivamani. He combines the sounds of a variety of percussive instruments with a recurring motif: water. Dipping instruments in water as he plays them, the instruments take on the character of the life-giving substance that […]
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