K Sankara Warrier

Personal life

Sankara Warrier was born on June 1, 1952, at Thillenkery, a small village in Kannur district of the Malabar region, to late Krishna Warrier and Madhavi Warrasiar. Currently he lives with his wife Valsala S Warrier in Eloor near Kochi where he worked for 18 years as a maddalam teacher in FACT Kathakali School. The couple has two sons, Arun Deva Warrier and Kiran Deva Warrier. Arun is also a young maestro in maddalam.

Career

Sankara Warrier joined Kalamandalam at the age of 15 and was trained in maddalam under masters like Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval and Kalamandalam Narayanan Nambeesan. After his four-year course. Warrier joined Kalamandalam as first grade maddalam teacher. In 1981, FACT (Fertilizers and Chemicals of Travancore Ltd) invited Warrier to join its Kathakali school as a maddalam teacher. Warrier worked in FACT Kathakali School for 18 years along with late masters such as Vaikom Karunakaran Nair, Kalamandalam Kesavan (chenda), Kalamandalam Sankaran Embranthiri and Kalamandalam Hyderali (Kathakali music). He retired in 2005. He has also gained name as a maddalam percussionist in the classical ensemble called Panchavadyam.

Literature in Maddalam

Sankara Warrier has written a pioneering book titled “Maddalam Enna Mangalavadyam”, published in 2003 with the help of his alma mater.

Awards and honours

Sankara Warrier has been honoured by several Kathakali clubs and cultural organisations.Once at Delhi by watching his performance, the then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher embraced him and said in wonder "your fingers fluttered like butterfly wings". In 2006, he was honoured with a Veera Shrinkhala by the Maharaja of erstwhile Kochi at Tripunithura. In 2009, Warrier was honoured by musician K J Yesudas in a function held at the UAE, by a Dubai-based cultural organisation called Thiranottam. Shri Sankara Warrier was honoured with Best Maddalam Artist Award in 2011 by Kerala Kalamandalam. Venkichan Smaraka Puraskaram (2012) for Kalamandalam Sankara Warrier for this contribution to Maddalam in Kathakali, Panchavadyam etc. and also for the literature in Maddalam. Maddalakesari Puraskaram by Pudayoor Temple, Thaliparamba, 2012