Fusion Music By Pravin Godkhindi: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR FUSION MUSIC BY PRAVIN...

The Alpha Foundation, in association with Kannada Natya Ranga, is organising the ICFAI Karnataka Nite 2007, on 22nd July, at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan auditorium in King Koti. Renowned artistes from Bangalore, flautist Pravin Godkhindi and playback singer Archana Udupa, will be performing.

The first concert for tonite is a fusion performance by Pravin Godkhindi's Krishna Fusion Band. The band consists of Pravin Godkhindi on the flute, Arun Sukumar on the drums, Srinivas on the guitar, Caleb on the bass guitar, Madhusudan on the tabla and Shivu on the mridangam.

Born into a family of musicians, Pravin is fortunate to have his father Pt. Venkatesh Godkhindi, an eminent vocalist and flautist of the country, as his first and only guru for flute. Pravin gave his first public concert at the age of 6, and held the audience spellbound. His quest for deeper knowledge about Layakaari brought him to Vidwan Anoor Ananth Krishna Sharma, a reputed mridangam artiste.

His father taught him in the Kirana Gharana Gayaki style, but Pravin added the Gatkaari or Tantrakaari style to his repertoire by his own efforts. Sonorous blowing, control over breath, elaborations of raaga with its aesthetic appeal, and extraordinary and skillful rendition of Layakaari are but a few salient features of his flute recital. He has been ably balancing between traditional and creative music, as also Western classical, Jazz and Carnatic classical.

At the age of 16, Pravin performed at the Kal Ke Kalakar Sammelan at Mumbai, and was awarded the title of Suramani by the Sur Singar Sansad. Pravin stood first in the All-India Radio music competition in 1991, at the age of 18, for which he was automatically graded B for Akashavani and Doordarshan. He later on went to become one of the few young artistes of the country to have been graded A at the age of 21.

Pravin never neglected his academics, and was a top-ranker from the beginning. He has passed engineering BE (Electrical & Electronics) in first class with distinction, a fact which may serve as a role model for young aspirants.

He has featured on some of the most prestigious music conferences and Sangeet Sammelans of the country, noteworthy among them being Sawai Gandharva Festival, Kundgol; Salt Lake City Festival, Calcutta; Kal Ke Kalaakar Sammelan, Mumbai; Tatanagar Sangeet Sammelan, Tatanagar; Panchakshar Gawai Punyatithi Sammelan at Gadag, Bangalore and Bhopal; Rehamat Khan Punyatithi Samaroh, Dharwad; Sawai Gandharva Festival, Pune; and Sankat Mochan Festival, Varanasi.

Pravin has also toured USA, Canada, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Muscat, Qatar, Holland and Portugal for his solo and fusion performances. He is also a composer, a vocalist, an actor, a tabla artiste and a harmonium player, apart from what he is best at - the bansuri.

The fusion band Krishna he formed has all the three forms of music - viz. Hindustani, Carnatic and Western Music. The band is very popular in the concert circuit because of its uniqueness in content and presentation. He has also performed with the esteemed jazz band "Silk", involving Shankar Mahadevan, Shivamani & Louis Banks, and also with a Dutch rock-band named Blof, in Delhi.

The Alpha Foundation, a registered charitable trust established by the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI), has been working for the upliftment of the under-privileged population, especially children, in urban slums and rural areas through a holistic approach combining quality English medium education, nutrition, healthcare services, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, vocational training and employment opportunities.

The foundation also provides an opportunity to performing artists to showcase their talents in classical/folk music and dance through the ICFAI Music And Dance Festivals. The Foundation has plans to provide such opportunities at district, block and village levels also to revive the dying arts of India.

Entry is free for all. Please contact Prakash K Rath at 99480-85054 or Praveen Kumar at 99121-11205 for further details.