Prasant Radhakrishnan | Blog

D.K. Pattamal has passed away

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:50:00 +0000

Friends,

I'm very sad to recognize that one of the greatest Carnatic music figures of our history, D.K. Pattammal has passed away. There has been so much written about her so I will not attempt to bring that to the fore here. Needless to say, she was one of the most influential musicians in Carnatic music and also an instrumental force for bringing women to hold an equal space on the concert platform. The great pair of D.K. Pattammal and her younger brother D.K. Jayaraman make up two of my favorite musicians in Carnatic music.

I remember meeting her backstage at Naradha Ghana Sabha briefly some years back. She was in her wheelchair but she was so full of life and had an enormous aura of joy. She made sure to smile and meet everyone in the room even though she was to be on the stage any moment to receive an award. There are just too many good things to mention and it is yet another deeply saddening loss in the Carnatic music field.

Please read through an interview with D.K. Pattammal here. More info on Wikipedia. There are also many videos on youtube as you will find after a quick search.

With the loss of many of the great trailblazers in the field during recent years, K.V. Narayanaswamy, Semmangudi Srinivas Iyer, M.S. Subbhalakshmi, Palghat Raghu, and now D.K. Pattammal, sometimes I wonder what we have left. I know the jazz community went through a period like that when John Coltrane died. It just felt like our guiding lights disappeared. But ultimately, we have to push forward and keep playing creative music that inspires people and ourselves. I believe that is what these great artists did. Yes, they upheld tradition with great humility. But it is where they took that tradition and the passion they had for creative music that lifted people up.

I think we, as young musicians, need to see that fire and intensity of purpose that the greats had and still have in their music, and use it as our guiding light today.

Posted via email from Prasant's posterous

VidyA at SFJazz Stanford Thursday July 16th

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:54:00 +0000

Hi folks,

Thanks again for the amazing support at our Yoshi's concert. It was great. Now, we are giving a FREE concert at one of the really fun and prestigious jazz festivals in the Bay Area, SFJazz's Stanford series.

We are performing this Thursday, July 16 at 6:30pm at the Stanford Shopping center. It's outdoors. Join us!

View Larger Map

I also just finished an interview with Shri in his Stanford 90.1 FM radio show, Itsdiff. There might be some archives up soon at http://www.itsdiff.com/.

Also, if you haven't checked out the KPFA interview on Music of the World with Kutay Derin Kugay, check that out too.

See you soon!

Posted via email from Prasant's posterous

VidyA at Yoshi's Oakland Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:38:00 +0000

Our concert at Yoshi's in Oakland has finally come and gone. It was a memorable evening of music and so much support from our listeners. A special thank you goes out to every one of you who came out to not only listen to music but to support this art.

A few things to check out...

VidyA has a fan page on facebook. If you go there and click the big "become a fan" button, you can easily interact with us and other listeners as well as get updates as decided by you within facebook. You can even upload photos and videos you took at our concerts. It is also a great way to show your support for our music online. Check it out.

Online archive of my KPFA 94.1 interview with Kutay Derin Kugay on his Music of the World show. Audio expires 7/20.

A feature in the East Bay Express highlighting our concert as a critic's choice.

A feature on our Yoshi's concert in the Oakland Tribune.

Now for a few photos -- hopefully we will get some more soon. Full set on flickr as always.

Next up, we are performing at SFJazz Festival at Stanford July 16 at 6:30pm. It is free, and outdoors. We will be giving away free VidyA posters there, so come on down!

How I Started Meditation and Healing Raga Sessions

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:04:00 +0000

I have received several e-mails and questions in general about this, so I thought I would just explain for everyone.

Earlier this year, I decided to try something a bit different from my usual concert format as an experiment.

I had studied a few different types of healing techniques under Guruji Sri Yogacharya Arun Kumarji in India some years back and had been practicing it ever since, though I must admit, not as regularly as I should have. It was quite by chance that I came into this study, but that is a story for another time. During my last visit, Guruji expressed that I should do more with combining this healing with music. At that time, I wasn't quite sure how to go about it, or whether I should. After all, Guruji had cured patients of all kinds of major chronic illnesses, but for me to claim anything myself would be a bit much. My mother is also an expert in these methods and has helped many.

That changed later, when I reminded myself that trying to do a little extra good in the world when you can -- even just a little, is better than not doing it at all. Music can be healing in nature even without imposing any specific healing techniques upon it. With the additional intent and technique of healing added, the music would act more as a conduit or path for the listener to engage further. It took me some time to put worries aside about what others may think and just do it. I feel music is a special source of joy and strength for myself, but it is equally important to share that with others. The meditative and healing aspect of music is one facet that draws people who seek nourishment from music. By developing a combination of energy healing with music that is already innately meditative, something potentially stronger or at least more helpful, could be formed.

The method of healing used cleanses all the major and minor chakras in the body. This is combined with rendering of various ragas to coincide with the healing process. In order to be able to focus on this process, while allowing for a relaxing and uninterrupted experience for listeners, I decided that the format should be simply solo with no accompaniment and no specific tala (time meter). I resolved to record and release a series of albums (the first of which will be released soon) to share this music with the world.

A little time passed and the thought dawned on me to also do this in person, live. I told my friend and creator of the Sangati Center, Gautam, about my idea over dinner one day. He readily agreed out of his openness to new ideas, though I'm sure he wondered what I would finally do.

I planned for a live session to last approximately one hour. We had done minimal publicity for the event and I had no idea what to expect. There was a small group of people at the start, which was encouraging. I gave a brief introduction of what I was about to do and explained that it wasn't a regular Carnatic concert, but more of a session. It's best for people to relax and just be themselves, if one doesn't want to meditate or close their eyes, it's ok.

I closed my eyes and began. Some ragas were planned, and others chosen on the fly as the session continued. Various patterns emerged including some thanam-like phrases and some like swara improvisations in addition to general raga elaborations. When I opened my eyes it had been about 1 hour and 15 minutes and to my surprise, the audience had multiplied. Most still had their eyes closed, while a good number of people were staring right at me, wondering what I would do next. After instructing people that it the session was over and everyone slowly stood up, I got a chance to talk to some people. I found out that many didn't know it would be a "session" and were expecting a regular concert, but still stayed. That was a good sign.

It was overall a good experience and Gautam, the director of the Sangati Center, and I have agreed to do schedule this monthly in addition to my regular Carnatic concerts. I would encourage you to check out this other type of music I am doing. If you have heard any of the raga elaborations in my Carnatic concerts and CD's, it wont be a big departure for you. Here is an example similar to what you will hear on the CD.

Bhairavi Ragam mp3

I hope that answers your questions, and if you have any others, just send me an e-mail or leave a comment. prasant at prasantmusic dot com.

Those of you who are listeners of VidyA and my Carnatic concerts, not to worry. This is in addition and my main vocation will still be behind those endeavors.

Who knows, at the very least, it is a great way to help your baby (or you) enjoy a relaxing moment -- maybe a little afternoon nap?

Please keep an eye on this blog and my calendar for future dates and information on the CD releases.

Take Care!

P.S. VidyA at San Jose Jazz, Yoshi's and SFJazz this summer!

New Podcast Episode 6: Kedaragowla: Deeper into the Compositions of VidyA

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:53:00 +0000

Right-click to download mp3

I'm happy to finally be able to bring you episode 6 of my podcast. It goes into some basic level of detail about "Kedaragowla," an original composition that is featured on the VidyA CD and goes a little further into the influence of the ethos of Carnatic music and its great artists. I hope you enjoy it! Kedaragowla is available on iTunes here, as well as other services online.

Also, take note, we are at Yoshi's Oakland July 6th, 2009! Come and join us.

You can subscribe to this podcast in iTunes, or right here!

Videos from UNC concert: Teliyaleru Rama

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Sat, 16 May 2009 18:54:00 +0000

Hi everyone, it has been a busy two months with concerts on the both coasts. I haven't had a chance to recap the UNC Chapel Hill concert from March 29, 2009. The folks there sent me some video, so I am sharing some of it with you.

It was wonderful to play with Vittal Ramamurthy and Poovalur Sriji. I played again with Sriji just last weekend in Sacramento, which I will recap soon. Anyway, here are some pictures and video. You can always keep track of the latest pictures at flickr and the latest videos at my youtube channel.

Also, my podcast is still in effect at podcast.prasantmusic.com, and I promise to post a new episode very soon...

Also mark your calendars, VidyA is performing at the SFJazz Festival in Palo Alto July 16 and San Jose Jazz: Flavors of Jazz series June 23, but also Yoshi's Oakland on July 6th, 8 & 10pm shows! Enjoy.

Recap: Carnatic concerts at San Diego and Irvine, California

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:45:00 +0000

I hope you are all doing well. I just thought I would start recapping some of the concerts. I am waiting on pics from UNC, and I will post those as soon as I get them.

The concert at the San Diego IFAASD Festival on April 4 went well. Thanks to the organizers including Shekar Viswanathan, V.V. Sundaram, Mr. Venkatachalam and others. Thanks to those of you who made it to the concert. It was a very warm audience of mostly Carnatic music listeners. The hall was very nice, and they attracted more people this year.

The artists included Nishanth Chandran on Violin, Kalyan Vaidyanathan on mridangam and Cleveland Balu on Kanjira. Mr. Balu has been heavily involved in the Cleveland Aradhana and has seen me since I first performed in Cleveland more than ten years ago. He graciously filled in for T.V. Vasan (ghatam) who was billed to play the concert, but could not make it due to a flight cancellation in New York.

The main raga was Saaramathi for Thyagaraja's Mokshamu. Here is a brief clip of some swara exchanges in an unusual ragam: Kantamani. A listener from the audience sent this in. Other ragams from the concert included, Gowrimanohari, Jaganmohini, Ananda Bhairavi, Kambodhi and a few more.

It was also a pleasure to meet Thiravarur Krishnan and his wife there. They shared some fun anecdotes about traveling with Vikku Vinayakaram, V.V. Subramaniam and Trichy Shankaran in the old days. Upon receiving the special award, veena artist Geetha Bennett gave a moving speech about her father, the great S. Ramanathan and also her husband, Frank Bennett. To be honest, I was almost moved to tears. It reminded everyone that the concert stage is just the tip of a much larger mass of deep relationships and interactions that creates the music we cherish.

Here are some photos from the concert, more on flickr.

The Irvine concert the next day on April 5 was also very nice, with Ektaa Center's extremely intimate setting to contrast a larger hall setting. It was not only a concert, but also an interactive event. Basically that means I talked more than usual and took questions after the concert. The artists included Nishanth Chandran again on Violin and Shubha Chandramouli on mridangam, one of Poovalur Sriji's disciples. All performed admirably. It was a pleasure to play at Ektaa Center, and I will be returning there often for other such events.

I was glad to see a good crowd of listeners despite the last minute arrangement of the event, and the listeners were from a mix of backgrounds. They had some very good questions, and it made me think that I should do more events like this. Thanks to Mr. Murthy for arranging the event. More photos on flickr.

Nishanth, Me and Shubha.

Goodbye Solo, a beautiful film

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:37:00 +0000

Usually, I just post about what I am doing with music, but I thought it would be nice to include some other things as well.

I am in Boston for a concert at the LearnQuest Festival. It went very well, by the way. More on that later.

These days I leave many movies unsatisfied because the production values are so amazing, but I was never drawn in to the story and plot nor cared for the characters. Not the case here.

As a layman in the world of film, I really enjoyed Goodbye Solo. The shots, the tight direction, excellent performances meld with a touching and airtight story that brings you in with every scene. It appears to be slow-moving, and towards the end, I wondered if the film could have been shorter. In retrospect, it was very well crafted, and the actual story moves rather quickly. From the Q&A session, it was apparent that Bahrani is an extremely well-planned, methodical and intellectual filmmaker.

He referred to Hollywood and some mainstream independent films with some detached criticisms, and was careful not to slam them too hard. It somewhat reminded me of the way I refer to certain phenomena in the field of music in public.

I also loved the cultural references that slowly came out through the characters without being overt.

Definitely check out Goodbye Solo when it comes out in your neighborhood. The "spirit of Solo" portrayed by Souleymane Sy Savane as Bahrani mentioned in his talk, is definitely infectious and memorable. He really made the film for me. Here are some things to take you further.

Goodbye Solo on IMDB

Here is a trailer

By the way, I am not referring to a Korean drama by the same name...

Getting back to things

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:39:00 +0000

Well, it has been a while since my last post and podcast episode. Things have been busy, but I suppose that is a good thing.

After a month of personal and family time (hint: wedding), I came back to a busy month ahead. I just got back from a Carnatic concert at UNC Chapel Hill with Vittal Ramamurthy on Violin and Poovalur Sriji on mridangam. It was nice, and I will probably write another post on that once I find some pictures/video of the concert. I had my share of time at the airport of course...

4:30 am in Raleigh airport...I think.

I will be in San Diego and Irvine this weekend for concerts, so if you are in the area, come and say hello. Nishanth Chandran on Violin for both concerts, Kalyan Vaidyanathan and Shuba Chandramouli (Poovalur Sriji's disciple) on mridangam for each concert respectively.

Many exciting things ahead, so check the concert calendar, and keep in mind there are a few more even more exciting things that are not officially on the calendar yet. So keep your eyes open!

Here is a beautiful video of D.K. Jayaraman singing one of my current favorites (the audio quality is not great though).

By the way, the classic film 12 Angry Men, is a great movie. Watch it.

Talk soon...

Nefasha Ayer at Brava Theater Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 04:33:00 +0000

Hello everyone. So far things have been going pretty well at the start of 2009, despite all the gloom surrounding the economy. We just need to stay positive I suppose...

We had a blast performing at the Brava Theater on February 6th and 7th. Both shows were packed. It was fun playing with such a diverse group. It included:

Meklit Hadero: vocals
Todd Brown: Guitar
Prasant Radhakrishnan: Tenor Saxophone
Keenan Webster: Balafon/Mbira/Kora and more
Abdi Jibril: Conga/Cahon and others (sad to see Abdi moving to Kenya, this was his last show in the states before moving.)
Mohini Rustagi: Drums
Lalo Izquierdo : Cajon
Gabriel Teodros: Spoken word hip-hop
Michael Warr: Poetry
Marcus Shelby: Bass
Howard Wiley: Tenor Saxophone
Adrian Arias: Poetry

Hope I didn't miss anyone. There was every type of song in there, from poetry with James Brown-esque grooves, mbira and vocal duets with audience sitting on the stage, to "tenor battles" with Howard and I. Of course, it really was more like a complimentary duet than a battle. I still need to get Howard recorded on the podcast. Hopefully in a couple weeks, if not earlier! Overall, it was unique and definitely fun experience.

Here are some pictures. Go to my flickr stream to see all the pictures.

...and lastly, the stage moment, taken from my cell phone behind the stage...

Some live VidyA videos

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:06:00 +0000

Footprints (Wayne Shorter composition)

Paavanaguru

You can subscribe to videos on youtube, both Carnatic classical and VidyA videos at the official youtube channel.

New Podcast. Episode 5: Lost Tales: Deeper into the compositions of VidyA.

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:33:00 +0000

Right-click to download mp3

Happy new year! In the first episode of 2009, I talk a little about the whole Carnatic and Jazz thing before getting into a more in-depth discussion of the composition Lost Tales from the VidyA album.

Actually, it has to do with the Ramayana. Well, sort of. Listen to find out what its all about.

Its a start of a series of shows where I will do a similar dissection and discussion of other VidyA compositions.

Until next time...

Kiravani: A Live Experience. Now available.

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:25:00 +0000

Kiravani: A Live Experience. Available now at http://prasantmusic.com/store.

After over three years, I am happy to release this full concert recording featuring Kiravani as the main raga. Here are the details of the album.

Artists:
Prasant Radhakrishnan: Saxophone
B.U. Ganeshprasad: Violin
Poovalur Srinivasan: Mridangam

Recorded in August 2005.

Tracks. Total Length: 1:51:48.

Siddhi Vinayakam. 13:13
Rama Nee Pai. 4:31
Charukesi Ragam - Saxophone. 6:06
Charukesi Ragam - Violin. 4:34
Kripaya Palaya. 13:26
Dasharatha Nandana. 3:40
Kiravani Ragam - Saxophone. 8:11
Kiravani Ragam - Violin. 5:26
Thanam - Kiravani. 9:17
Pallavi - Kiravani. 24:09
Tani Avartanam (Percussion Solo). 11.10
Korai Onrum Illai. 4:23
Bagyadhe Lakshmi. 3:48

Listen now on Last.fm

Listen now on iLike

This is being released as a digital download exclusively from the prasantmusic.com store, but may be available as a 2-disc set in limited quantities later this year. It is currently available for $15.

I hope you enjoy this recording. Here are some videos to check out.

Promo on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzpzK8Kmt3g

Video clip from the Pallavi (track 10)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2BwXm0YkGI

Kiravani...live concert digital release. It's almost here!

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:19:00 +0000

Live concert featuring a Ragam Thanam Pallavi (3 part composition) in ragam Kiravani. Watch out for it this week at http://prasantmusic.com/store!

Recorded in August 2005.

Prasant Radhakrishnan - Saxophone
B.U. Ganeshprasad - Violin
Poovalur Srinivasan - Mridangam

Episode 4: Dasharatha Nandana live clip

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:40:00 +0000

Right-click to download mp3

Happy Holidays!

It has been about a month since I would have normally posted a new episode... a substantial delay. But I finally put together a new episode to keep you company during those long holiday flights, baggage check-in lines, long drives and what have you.

It is a somewhat short episode, so make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you can listen to them all!

This one has a live clip from an older concert with B.U. Ganeshprasad (violin) and Poovalur Srinivasan (mridangam). I also address a couple questions.

Enjoy!

Recent Pictures, Nefasha

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:53:00 +0000

Happy Holidays!

I hope you are all having a great year and managing through the chilly weather. Here are some pictures from some recent concerts:

At Stanford. Blur.

VidyA at Stanford, November 2008. For the ASHA V Charity concert.

Guest drummer Jaz Sawyer

With Keenan Webster and Balafo at the Nike Marathon.

VidyA at LIMN Gallery for a Obama Fundraiser, with Eric Vogler and Howard Wiley.

I got to spend some time with my dad over the Thanksgiving here in the Bay Area. Here is a pic of Sausalito I snapped with my new phone.

He also got to see a Nefasha Ayer concert, and took a few photos. Here is one.

Go to http://flickr.com/prasantmusic to see my photostream and subscribe!

Speaking of Nefasha Ayer, we are going in to the studio to record a new album tomorrow! More news to come.

Excited and grateful for our 44th president, Barack Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:51:00 +0000

image courtesy of barackobama.com

This is an unprecedented moment in the history of our country, as everyone knows. I am incredibly moved and excited at the fact that this country has embraced our power to elicit change.

Obama stated in a speech towards the end of his campaign that he had done all he could and that it was up to us -- the next president elect depended on who wanted it more -- and I think the majority of Americans just wanted change that much. I appreciated JohnMcCain's concession speech and believe he had a real respect for the choice people finally made.

Obama's acceptance speech was not just moving, but done with great humility as much of the viewers fought back tears. It was about what WE could do as a people, not about an individual. I admire his addressing those in other parts of the world tuning in to his speech. I had always wondered about the place of the U.S. in the world and felt deeply troubled at the way things had been going the last eight years, as I am sure many have. As a citizen, I feel that with Barack Obama as president, we may actually restore the image and message of our country on the international stage.

This is the first time that I think I have ever been proud of a president being elected in our country.

Podcast: Episode 3. Saxophone-morsing duet and conclusion of discussion with B. Rajashekar

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:18:00 +0000

Right-click to download mp3

Enjoy!

Feel free to subscribe to the podcast! You can subscribe in iTunes too.

New podcast episode: A discussion with Morsing master B. Rajashekar

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 04:54:00 +0000

I am happy to say I was actually able to bring you another episode within my prescribed time span of two weeks! I am very excited to share this discussion with you.

I had a special guest who is a mentor and dear friend, Sri Bangalore B. Rajashekar, who happens to be finishing up a tour of the U.S. with a percussion ensemble. As my title states, he is a master of his instrument, the morsing (also referred to around the world as "Jew's Harp.") It is one of the three main auxiliary percussion instruments used in Carnatic music aside from ghatam and kanjira.

In action (taken from the stage a few years ago in India)

Together with my guru a some years back.

To keep things digestible, I have broken our discussion into two parts. The second one will be released in the next episode.

In case for some reason you are contemplating whether or not to check this out, there is quite a bit of him actually playing and at the end of our discussion we do a short duet together (you can find that in the next episode). The whole thing was really memorable and fun.

We also got to spend some time together:

Download it here:
http://podcast.prasantmusic.com/2008/10/discussion-with-morsing-master-b.html

Once you are there, click the icons to the right to subscribe to the podcast! Now you can subscribe in iTunes too.

VidyA at Hillside Club Recap and Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:29:00 +0000

Last Friday, September 19, 2008, we performed at the Hillside Club in Berkeley, CA. It was great to play in the beautiful hall they have there. Despite the presidential debates, we had a receptive audience. We had a special guest on bass, Eric Vogler, filling in for David Ewell. Aside from playing bass, Eric is a genius at programming music through his computer.

Here are some pictures. View the whole set on flickr.

It was a fun two concerts -- for YBCA at the Red Poppy and Hillside Club in Berkeley. Sameer has gone back to New York. We should all be getting together and playing again soon. In mean time, you can support us by checking out our new album if you have not already.

Podcast Launch: Indian Classical Jazz Saxophone Set!

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:53:00 +0000

Wow, that's a mouthful. Its a long title, but it was the easiest way to convey what this new show would be about. Yes, I actually decided to start a "podcast." Its basically like a radio show that is online. I decided to refer to it as a "set," because I hope that there will be a good dose of music in the show itself as well -- kind of like going to a concert.

You can subscribe to the show here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/prasantmusicpodcast. You can also check on updates at http://podcast.prasantmusic.com.

The show should be on itunes shortly, if it is not there already. The first episode briefly discusses why I decided to start the show and is followed by a clip of Bhairavi ragam on the saxophone. I actually had entertained the idea a couple years ago, but finally decided to take the plunge now for a few reasons. I will give more details soon.

Without further ado, hit the link to listen to the show (or right-click to download).

Listen Now!

A live clip from Friday's VidyA concert

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:09:00 +0000

I have finally done it. At long last. I actually brought my recorder with me and recorded last Friday's VidyA concert that took place at the Red Poppy Art House as part of YBCA (Yerba Buena Center for the Arts) Bay Area Now series. The recorder was actually placed behind us, because there was no other place to put it, but you can still hear everything pretty well.

I felt the concert went quite well musically and I think its mainly a result of trying to keep the songs fresh every time and take chances with the compositions.

I decided to make a part of it available online for you to download and enjoy. This is the first part of the 2nd set. A new ragamalika (multiple raga) exploration that segways into Kauveri, which happens to be another song with multiple ragas. Click the link below to download (right-click to save it).

Nine / Kauveri (VidyA live 9/19/08)

VidyA concerts Fri 9/19 and Fri 9/26

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:54:00 +0000

Just a quick reminder -- a couple great VidyA concerts coming up.

Friday, September 19, 2008. 8pm.

VidyA at Yerba Buena Bay Area Now series. San Francisco, CA.
Located at 2698 Folsom St at the Red Poppy Art House (23rd and Folsom).
More info here.

Friday, September 26, 08 - VidyA at Hillside Club. Berkeley, CA. This is a beautiful venue in the East Bay. If you haven't been, make sure to come! This will feature Eric Vogler as a guest on bass.

2286 Cedar Street
Berkeley 94709
Info: (510) 845-1350
More Info here.

Here are some pictures to leave you with.

Take care,

Prasant

Interview in "The Score" Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Remember the other interview I hadn't seen yet? Well, the person who interviewed me, Vanipriya, just sent me a copy of the interview.

Interview with "The Score" music magazine August 08: Online | PDF | Photo (jpg)

Vanipriya, as it turns out, studies Carnatic music with violinist Delhi P. Sunderrajan, a great violinist who played with me on my Duality album.

The interview was for a new magazine in India called "The Score." When I saw the magazine, I was pretty amazed because I had never seen a magazine cover such a wide range of genres. It had everything from Alicia Keys, to Chennai indie rock bands, to Carnatic music and everything in between.

Picture L-R: Trichur Narendran, V. Suresh, Prasant, B.U. Ganeshprasad

The article briefly covers the concert I did in Chennai at Sri Muthu Venkata Subba Rao Hall and then
has some quick Q & A. If you didn't catch reviews and other stuff on that concert, see this post.

New VidyA Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Prasant) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:07:00 +0000

To coincide with our new VidyA CD release, we finally got some photos taken by a great Bay Area photographer, Nate Keck (who also happens to be a friend of the Red Poppy).

I think we were able to get a few nice shots -- the whole thing was natural with very limited actual posing for the pictures. That was great for me, because posing is not my forte. I think David has it down though.

Anyways, I uploaded all the color pictures to flickr, so please check them out and tell us your favorites in the comments or via e-mail. It hard to decide looking at so many pictures of ourselves. We eventually have to choose two or three that would be used for most purposes.

View the pictures here.

Here is my favorite: L-R: Sameer Gupta, David Ewell, Prasant Radhakrishnan.

Thoughts?

If you are in the Bay Area, make to sure to check out two exciting concerts we have this month! Info here.