G Guruprasanna

Percussion Kanjira

2 minute read

G Guruprasanna is an expert Carnatic percussionist, specialising in the kanjira. He trained under legendary maestro G Harishankar and has accompanied a swathe of top classical artists as well as collaborating with jazz musicians. Today he tours widely and continues to study under esteemed master Vyasa Vittala.

In 2014, Guruprasanna showcased his virtuosity at the Darbar Festival, participating in several ensemble performances. He accompanied renowned vocalists and instrumentalists, including Abhishek Raghuram, Shashank Subramanyam, and Akkarai S Subhalakshmi, delivering intricate rhythmic interplay that captivated audiences. His contributions to these performances highlighted his deep understanding of Carnatic rhythms and his ability to seamlessly complement both melodic and percussive elements. His mastery of the kanjira, combined with his dynamic and sensitive approach, earned him widespread acclaim.

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Patri Satish Kumar, Amrit Nataraj, & Triplicane Sekhar | Dons of Percussion

Recorded at Darbar Festival 2017, on 9th November, at London’s Sadler’s Wells. Musicians: - Patri Satish Kumar (mridangam) - Tavil Triplicane Sekhar (thavil) - Amrit Nataraj (kanjira) Three superb exponents of Carnatic rhythm trade off and join forces - Patri Satish Kumar (mridangam), Tavil Triplicane Sekhar (thavil), and Amrit Nataraj (kanjira). Learn more about the music: Patri Satish Kumar is one of India’s leading mridangam players, known for fine dynamic control and architectural solo phrasings. First inducted into music by his violinist mother, who noticed his talent at tapping his school lunchbox in rhythm, he went on to study under three Andhra Pradesh gurus - S Ramachandramurthy, VA Swami and V Narasimham. He credits his teachers with broadening his mind, recounting that they never set him ambitious goals beyond immersing into the music as fully as he could. He says that “the mridangam chose me and not the other way around”. But it was on kanjira that he got his early break, reasoning that it would allow him to accompany top mridangam artists and perhaps fill in for them on occasion. It worked - he was soon accepted as a mridangam accompanist, and has now worked with almost all of today’s top Carnatic artists. He has worked in jazz settings too, and his ‘Dancing Drums’ project involves a large ensemble of layered percussion instruments. But his forays into fusion have not diluted his classical playing, which still forms the focal point of his stellar career. Subscribe to the Darbar Player to access the full, uncut performance