Kalamandalam Krishna Das

🪔 About

Kalamandalam Krishna Das, born on May 21, 1965, is a highly respected Kathakali Chenda artist, renowned for his significant contributions to the percussive aesthetics of Kathakali. Hailing from Pallassana village in Palakkad district, Kerala, he began his journey in traditional percussion with initial lessons in thayambaka from his grandfather, Krishna Mannadiyar. In the early 1980s, his uncle, Pallassana Chandra Mannadiyar, enrolled him at Kerala Kalamandalam, where he underwent rigorous training in Kathakali Chenda from 1980 to 1985. During his time at Kalamandalam, he was initiated into Kathakali Melam by the legendary Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval. He further honed his skills under eminent gurus such as his uncle Mannadiyar, Achunni Poduval, Balaraman, and Varanasi Madhavan Namboothiri. His Kathakali chenda debut, performing for the invocatory purappad dance, occurred just three months after joining Kalamandalam. After completing his training in 1985, Krishna Das was employed by the Margi Academy in Thiruvananthapuram, where he has been based for the past 40 years. He currently serves as the Principal and a Kathakali Chenda teacher at Margi Kathakali School. His career has seen him perform extensively across Kerala, India, and internationally in countries like Germany, Russia, and England. He is particularly noted for his dexterity and ability to accompany the lead character presentations of Gopi, making him an integral part of major Kathakali recitals. He was also part of iconic actor Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair's troupe for lecture-demonstrations and received guidance from Ramankutty Nair and Gopi. Kalamandalam Krishna Das has been recognized with several accolades, including the Thripunithura Kathakali Club Award in 1999, the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in 2017, and the Kerala Kalamandalam Award in 2017. His daughters, Sobitha Krishna Das and Rahita Krishna Das, have followed in his footsteps as percussionists. Film actor Jayaram also received training from Krishna Das for his melam arangettam. Awards & Honours: Thripunithura Kathakali Club Award (1999), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (2017), Kerala Kalamandalam Award (2017).