Jus Drums young talents light up Taalathma concert

The second evening of the Taalathma concert at Mylapore Fine Arts Club was a vibrant celebration of music and rhythm, where students as young as eight years old took the stage with remarkable confidence and flair. Like every year, students from Jus Drums, an institution founded by percussionist S Muralikrishnan, better known as Drums Murali, came together to present an evening filled with youthful talent. 

“It feels like just yesterday to me that , we set up the drum school in 2003. Every year it feels like an exam, for which I always continue to learn, not just impart what I have learnt to the students. The opportunities that arise out of doing these rehearsals, meeting different people, managing parents and learning a lot out of each one of them; I look at it as an opportunity to better myself,” says Murali.

The evening unfolded with a prayer song, setting the stage for solo and group performances. Then a group performance on Tamil songs like ‘Pudhucheri katcheri’ from the movie Singara Velan, and ‘Vinveli Nayaga’ from Thug Life followed. The audience was introduced to instruments from other continents, like the cajon , an instrument used heavily in Afro-Peruvian music. It was followed by a djembe piece, a goblet-shaped drum of West Africa.  

The audience cheered up to songs like, ‘Marugo Marugo’ from the movie Vetri Vizha and ‘Raja Rajadhi’ from the movie Agni Nakshatram. 

This year’s theme piece was dedicated to digital transformation, with students using laptops, mouse, computer parts and dish antennas for drumming. Murali says, “I strongly believe that everybody has a beautiful sense of rhythm. When you are inside your mother’s womb, the first sound is a heartbeat, which is in a rhythm. Drumming is a lot like that, it’s all about the tapping, when you use your hands and feet together, they kind of start to play a beat.”

“With spaces like Jus Drums, people today encourage you and provide you a safe place to learn and nurture your talent,” he further added.

The event ended with a note of thanks by the chief guest, Sikkil C Gurucharan, the well-known Carnatic musician.