Obit: Mridangam vidwan Vellore Ramabhadran

Mridangam vidwan Vellore Ramabhadran passed away on February 27 morning.
He was a resident of Mylapore and the funeral was held later that day.

He was a unique percussionist in that his playing was unobstrucive and gentle and it embellished the vocalist or the main artiste’s recital.

He accompanied all the greats of Carnatic music – from Ariyakudi Ramanuja Aiyangar to Lalgudi Jayaraman – and yet, was a low-profile artiste.

Among the many awards he was decorated with, was the Sangita  Kalanidhi from The Music Academy, Madras. He was 82.

Ramabhadran learnt music under his father Vellore Konnakkol Gopalachariar, a  well-known laya vidwan. He first performed on stage in 1943 and had a long, eventful career.

He is survived by his wife, T R Susheela and son T R Mukund and daughter Padmini. The family can be reached at 23, Chitrakulam South Street, Mylapore. Ph: 98844 50464.