Umayalpuram Mali

Umayalpuram Mali, an accomplished mridangam artist, honed his craft under the tutelage of Sri Kumbakonam Rajappa Iyer and Sri Umayalpuram Sivaraman.

With a career spanning several decades, Mali has been a stalwart in the field, collaborating with various vocalists and instrumentalists. Notably, he participated in the special program “Rhythm Spectrum,” conceptualized by his guru Sri Umayalpuram Sivaraman at the Music Academy Chennai. Alongside other mridanga vidwans like Mannargudi Eswaran, K.V. Prasad, and Erode Nagaraj, Mali showcased his artistry. He also took part in the tala vadhya Katcheri led by the venerable Sri T.K. Murthy during the Sadasiva Brahmendral Aradana celebration in Manamadurai, Tamil Nadu.

Mali’s musical journey has extended globally with concert tours in the USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Kenya, France, and Mauritius Islands. His contributions were acknowledged when he was awarded the esteemed ‘Copeland Fellowship’ by Amherst College, Massachusetts, USA. During his time there, in collaboration with Prof. David Reck, Mali conducted workshops, imparted the basics of mridangam playing to students, and delved into a study on ‘Mridangam as an accommodative accompaniment.’

Furthering his international engagements, Mali received the prestigious ‘Fulbright Fellowship’ from USIEF, allowing him to be associated with the renowned Harvard University. Notably, he collaborated with Prof. Richard Wolf, combining the veena and mridangam in performances, and conducted a study on ‘The Art of Improvisations.’

Mali’s dedication to the art extends to his role as a mentor, having trained numerous students in India and abroad, many of whom have made a mark in the concert scene.