Sadanam Vasudevan

Sadanam Vasudevan (born 1945) is an Indian percussionist who plays the chenda (a traditional Kerala drum).^[1] He is a well-known artist in both Thayambaka and Kathakali performances.^[2][3] He received the Pallavur Appu Marar Award from the Kerala government in 2013.^[4] He also received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship in 2019.^[5]

Born in 1945 as the son of Karimpnaykkal Meenakshi Amma and Chenankara Gopalan Nair in Angadipuram in Malabar, Sadanam Vasudevan started learning Chenda at the age of seven.^[3] He later joined the Gandhi Seva Sadan (Sadanam), a leading Kathakali institution in Perur village near Ottappalam in Palghat, and continued his studies as a disciple of Pallassana Chandramannadiar. He later became a chenda teacher at Sadanam.^[3] He is the guru of many famous artists like Mattannoor Sankarankutty.^[6] He is also proficient in playing Madhalam, Idakka, and Timila.^{[citation needed]}