A traditionalist specializing in acoustic South Indian music,
Trichy Sankaran is known for playing the mrdangam, a double-headed barrel drum that shouldn't be confused with the tabla drums of North India (though there are some similarities). Sankaran's drumming is consistently inspired on Layas Vinyas, which finds the musical scholar joined by Lalitha Sankaran on tamboura (the instrument known for its drone), Karaikkudi Subramaniam on the vina (a very recognizable string instrument) and Andrew Timar on finger cymbals. Most of the material is instrumental, though singer Talavadya Kacceri contributes a rhythmic wordless vocal. It's important to know the difference between Sankaran's style of music and modern Indian pop. While the latter uses a lot of synthesizers and shows an awareness of American and European pop and dance music, the music heard on this enriching CD is based on a tradition that goes back centuries. ~ Alex Henderson