7 months ago
3
Over the people of a seven-day whirlwind tour, One Man, One Guitar, Many Worlds, ‘Guitar’ Prasanna visited Bengaluru, Chennai, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Arunachal Pradesh and yet Kochi. From Tyagaraja and Dikshitar to jazz, blues, Illaiyaraaja, and songs from his ain albums, Prasanna played them each connected his guitar. After a rocking show astatine the Ziro Festival, Prasanna presented a 180-minute Carnatic recital astatine the aureate jubilee celebrations of Sree Poornathrayeesa Sangeetha Sabha, Tripunithura.
A pioneer successful playing Carnatic euphony connected the guitar, Prasanna’s travel is simply a masterclass successful dedication and passion. Picking up the basics of guitar astatine a young age, Prasanna began playing professionally with stone bands successful Chennai portion inactive successful school. After completing Naval Architecture from IIT Madras, helium decided to relocate to the U.S. aft helium gained admittance astatine Berklee College of Music. He went connected to survey Carnatic music, archetypal from Tiruvarur S. Balasubramaniam, nether whom helium trained for six years, and aboriginal from the violin maestro A. Kanyakumari, nether whose tutelage helium was for implicit 25 years.
Prasanna lent a chiseled interaction to his guitar strings and soon, helium was into Carnatic music, dense metallic and Indian movie euphony — each astatine the aforesaid time.
In betwixt dependable checks, earlier his performance successful Kochi, Prasanna spoke astir his travel frankincense far:
Guitarist, composer, collaborator... does this multi-faceted philharmonic travel specify who you are?
I spot myself arsenic a taste connector, with euphony arsenic the medium. My extremity is to bring radical unneurotic done music. There’s truthful overmuch part successful music, similar the satellite outside.
How did you determine to marque guitar an hold of your ain self?
When I decided to determination to the U.S. to survey astatine the Berklee College of Music, I faced caller challenges. I was equipped with conscionable the basics of music. Western classical euphony and different genres required ceremonial survey and rigorous discipline. The modulation was not easy. There were implicit 1,000 guitar players determination and you had to find a space. I had to maestro the intricacies of jazz and classical music, equip myself with the tools indispensable to make my philharmonic signature.
How hard it is to traverse antithetic genres?
For me, now, it is not tough. The years of learning, playing and collaborating with large artistes person go my strength. The power happens lone erstwhile you deliberation of it. And I effort not to. Rather, I effort to unrecorded with it.
You person performed crossed the globe. Do you deliberation the audiences present request to beryllium trained successful the creation of listening?
No. I see this the work of the artiste — to bid them by performing well. The onus is wholly connected the musician.
What’s your instrumentality connected institutionalisation of euphony and the accepted learning strategy successful India? earlier
Carnatic euphony has evolved done guru-sishya parampara. . It is antithetic from the institutionalised strategy that is successful spot today. But Western classical oregon jazz has ever been taught successful institutions abroad. I consciousness it is necessary. I didn’t person a spot similar this successful India to spell to erstwhile I wanted a ceremonial acquisition successful jazz, classical oregon modern music. We person immoderate of the champion institutions for different subjects, past wherefore not for music?
Is determination a request to demystify the conception of a guru not arsenic a divine being alternatively than a quality being and the sishya arsenic a devotee?
This demystifying process indispensable hap organically. I person ever felt it is much of a bonding. My narration with my guru Kanyakumari, is similar that. Recently, I was to execute successful Dubai, I felt similar calling her. She picked up the telephone and I told her I privation her blessings. We past talked for a portion astir music. ‘Hi! Prasanna,’ is however my students successful the U.S. greet maine and I don’t consciousness offended. People have, implicit the years, mystified this concept. I effort to marque it simple, clear.
It is often said euphony is learnt alternatively than taught...
You cannot beryllium spoon-fed. When I started, it was basal guitar lessons and from determination you had to instrumentality off. It was learning, shredding and learning. You request to persist. It was listening and imitating the sounds and quality voice-like prime of Carnatic music. I began playing jazz portion listening to saxophone players. This cross-learning is important. The pupil has to widen his scope beyond what the teacher teaches.
Is euphony supra language, chiefly acrophobic with the aesthetics of sound?
Vocal euphony is babelike connected language. If we are talking astir the aesthetics of sound, then, I consciousness instrumental euphony is the purest form. I judge euphony constitutes art, subject and language. Art is simply a spontaneous exposition of a composition, the raga alapana oregon the improvisations. Science, is the process of penning the assorted parts of music. And often, we notation to connection arsenic grammar oregon syntax. But erstwhile the composed euphony is played connected an instrumentality it is simply a non-verbal connection — beardown and impactful. That, past is the purest 1 too.
When does innovation people implicit tradition? ?
It’s earthy to spot a fewer raised eyebrows erstwhile a instrumentalist attempts thing caller oregon antithetic from the traditional. Innovation should hap organically. It request not beryllium radical.
Any caller projects?
My circuit for 2026-27 is astir chalked out. Then I person 2 albums coming up — Blues for Saraswathy, which is purely Carnatic classical, and Here is the Cure, a premix of Carnatic and Western music.
