Karthik Raaja Lounge...

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electric vibrations - a chat with prasanna

saregamaremix- 22 sep 2002- karthik raaja lounge...

Prasanna, is the top most performer of Indian classical carnatic music on a contemporary western instrument like the electric guitar. Prasanna is the only classical musician from India who has top credentials as a guitarist/composer in jazz, blues and rock in the international music scene. As a composer, performer, recording artist and educator, Prasanna's work could be seen as a part of a mission to bring increased global awareness of Indian classical carnatic music while being equally motivated in promoting western art music in India. His guest lectures/ clinics on carnatic music at institutions like Berklee College of music, Harvard University, MIT, Tufts University etc, awareness workshops on carnatic music in primary schools for children(in London) testify to his continuing efforts in bridging musical worlds in his own way...

does music run in your family ?

No. I am the only professional musician in my family.

can you provide a brief background of your family?

Normal middle class upbringing. Father is an advisor in a chemicals firm, mother a home-maker,brother a marketing professional, and sister, a doctor. My wife, Shalini, a senior business consultant in Boston also sings in some of my bands.

can you briefly describe about your childhood/growing up ? i suppose you, were a bright kid, academically...

Again, with the normal middle class upbringing, I was obviously encouraged to do well in academics. For some reason, I did end up doing quite well throughout my school years - topping my class mostly.

Besides music, which I was playing professionally from the age of 13 or so, I was quite active in school, particularly in elocution - both English and Tamil. I participated in debate contests and sports too, especially - athletics (sprints, jumps etc).

how supportive of your music was your family ?

My family has always been a source of incredible support.Sometimes, I find it a little unbelievable !

how was it managing music riyaaz (practice) and preparations for IIT-JEE (presumably one of the toughest entrance examinations in India)

I dreamt of going to IIT ever since I discovered a basic fascination for Maths and Physics. Since it was a labor of love, I was somehow able to do everything - my school studies, my intensive IIT JEE preparation(Brilliant Tutorials, Agrawal, everything in the world!!), studying and performing carnatic music and touring all over India playing at big rock festivals.

The price? I hardly slept at all, I guess!

with your interest in maths and physics, and subsequent education in the respective fields, do your compositions experiment on topics like - say a particular crescendo and fibonacci series (pretty cliched example, i guess !!) ?

Mathematics is a very strong part in my composition style - sometimes obvious, sometimes disguised.

was your first contribution in a movie music score the july maatham vanthaal in puthiya mugam by a.r.rahman ? how was the experience ?

July Maatham was my first film work as a guitar player. I was working with A.R (then called Dilip) and Suresh Peters on an album right around the time 'Roja' came out. So I was jamming with A.R. in the studio quite often as we had a nice vibe together. Dilip soon became Rahman and Roja transformed his life and the rest is history.

Since we were (we still are)more like friends, there was a certain degree of informalism with which my recording sessions went. In fact, when A.R. called me to record, he didn't even tell me it was for a film (although I guessed it). Some of the guitar parts that you hear in the song were stuff I was jamming in the studio spontanteously while he was at the console and at some point I suddenly realized he was recording everything and I was even more surprised when everything came out in the song. That is why you can hear so many guitar parts in that song. A.R. is always great to work with.

you went on to play for other music composers for movies - even in mumbai ?

I have played guitar and/or arranged music for almost alll the top film composers and everybody treats me with the highest regard and lets me really do whatever/however I feel like embellishing their songs, and I am very happy about that. Some films I have worked on are Puthiya Mugam, Muthu, Jeans, Pukar, the orchestral arrangement of the title track of Lagaan,Kizakkum Merkkum, Ullasam, Kathala Kathala etc.

being a composer yourself, do other composers solicit your opinion/feedback when you are playing as a musician ?

All the time. Ilayaraaja, even shows me the score sometimes and welcomes critical musical comments. A.R too would get my opinions when needed.

Its the same with virtually everyone. Usually I am very frank and they too like it that way.

though you are now called guitar prasanna, anytime you could recall, having been tempted to lose the guitar for another instrument, string or otherwise ?

I am personally not comfortable with being called guitar prasanna but I guess people find a reference factor that way.

Some of my favorite instruments are Bass Clarinet, Oboe, English Horn, Cello, Trombone, Kanjira etc. Wish I can play any of those!!

I can play some piano/keyboards, bass guitar and a little drum set and some hand percussion though..

how were your experiences playing for karthik raaja compositions ?

I have played on virtually every film of Karthik's from Ullasam to Split Wide Open. I also did quite a bit of arranging (and obviously guitar) work for the background score for 'Grahan'.

Karthik and Yuvan are very informal with me since we are friends and in fact, Ilayaraaja himself is quite close in that sense.

I like the fact that Karthik has studied western music formally and I think that really helps him in his work.

being based in boston, how do you work on assignments from india ? do you have to travel and record, or you record locally and ship it..

As of now, i have been travelling and recording.

do you like the globe-trotting that is part of being a musician of international repute ?

It is the real fun part !

who would you liken yourself to most amongst a current set of young international achievers of indian origin like say -
mandolin u. srinivas
a.r.rahman
viswanathan anand
sachin tendulkar

All the four people you have mentioned have made tremendous contributions. My music is my life and I am very fortunate to have whatever recognition I have, and it inspires me to keep going. True recognition, to me, is a by-product of integrity to one's art.

even after achieving what you have, do you still face attitude issues on the indian music scene - carnatic or otherwise, from so called traditionalists/purists ?

The terms traditionalist and purist are quite blurred. I welcome constructive criticism, but I always weigh it with my own goals and objectives.

laypersons relax to music. what does a musician like you do ? what are your other hobbies ?

Photography, films, observing human psychology etc. I value knowledge and any pursuit that enhances that scope.

when is your techno/ambient - the electronica carnatica album going to be released ?

I don't know at this point. Hopefully by Spring of 2003.

you have accomplished so much on the international music scene at a young age, where do you see yourself in say - 10 years from now ?

To be an extension of what I am. Organic life experiences will teach me and position me where I will be 10 years from now. I don't like to set timebound goals too much!

concert and tour information of prasanna can be viewed from: guitarprasanna.com website