I’m looking forward to performing with an outstanding Kathak dancer, Charlotte Moraga this weekend at the Ethnic Dance Festival in San Francisco. We are doing a piece called “Conference in Nine” based on poetry by Rumi. Musically, the piece was a collaboration from all of us and based on one of my earlier compositions, “DSH” in Shanmugapriya. Charlotte is in great form so definitely make sure to come see this!
Musicans are: Ben Kunin: Sarod, Samrat Kakkeri: Tabla and myself on alto saxophone.
The premier of Prasant’s original work Bodhidharma Ensemble, May 2013. Wang Fei – Guqin, Jim Santi Owen – Tabla.
Double header with Gautam Tejas Ganeshan.
Featuring Wang Fei – Guqin, Sankar Narayan – Mridangam and Prasant Radhakrishnan – saxophone.
Thursday Early Evening
June 20th, 5:30pm at the
UC Botanical Garden
Brilliant full concert by master vocalist, S. Kalyanaraman.
SRI.THANJAVUR S.KALYANARAMAN – VOCAL
SRI.T.N.KRISHNAN – VIOLIN
SRI.UMAYALPURAM K.SIVARAMAN – MRIDANGAM
First of all, thank you for your amazing support!
Thanks to a successful kickstarter campaign, and funding from the East Bay Fund for Artists and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Bodhidharma Ensemble (BE) will premiere at Oakland Asian Cultural Center on May 4, 2013. We are honored to have received both the generosity from listeners as well as acknowledged by these eminent funding organizations.
Here is a quick intro to what the project is about from our Kickstarter page.
Working on this project continues to be an inspiring journey, taking this music in a very different but somehow completely natural direction. BE combines South Indian and Chinese classical music with saxophone, guqin and mridangam through original and traditional compositions. The cultural, musical and spiritual ethos around this project is immense and profound. To share a few glimpses of this, there will be posts about these various aspects on this blog and on OACC’s website leading up to the performance. Please check back here often to find out more.
Bodhidharma is known as an enlightened master. His reputation is both legendary and mysterious, with most accounts of him being anecdotal and some falling into tall-tale territory. However, contemplation on Bodhidharma, on what he represents and to where his teachings point reveals a vast, unknowable space. We hope to find inspiration for this new music from those depths and see what is revealed.
I’m excited to invite you to the first artist preview of my new project combining Indian and Chinese classical music, Bodhidharma Ensemble. It will be held at Oakland Asian Cultural Center tomorrow, November 8th.
We will be presenting two brief pieces as an extremely early taste of some of the sounds you will hear in the final project. It will be myself on saxophone and guqin master Wang Fei. The final project will also include mridangam.
If you are in the area, please come out and enjoy some free food and learn more about the project! I will be posting more about what the project is all about and the concepts behind it, but in the meantime, check out the kickstarter page here: http://kck.st/Os7Gso
We cordially invite you to attend a special Artist Preview
& Reception
The Bodhidharma Ensemble:
A Chinese & Indian Music Collaboration
Please join us in attending this very special artist preview & reception of the oakland asian cultural center’s world premiere of the bodhidharma ensemble led by master artist, prasant radhakrishnan
thursday, November 8, 2012
5:30pm – 7:30pm
oakland asian cultural center
388 ninth street, suite 290
2nd fl, pacific renaissance plaza
oakland, ca
r.s.v.p to
gshears@oacc.cc or call 510.637.0464
Silence is before this
Silence is within music
Silence is before music
Before Aum, there was Silence
This is Silence
Silence is within all
Silence is
and I Am That.
Wishing all teachers, Gurus and all of you a Happy Vijayadasami.
The elements of the word Guru (gu and ru) mean to bring the disciple from darkness to light. In music, I was lucky to have met my Guru Sri Kadri Gopalnath in 1995 who did this for me. I began summer gurukula study under him in 1996. I cannot put into words all the learning experiences and memories I have from studying with him, living with him and during our travels all around India together. My most intensive time studying under him also happened to be during my very formative teenage years. So for this great teacher, my pranams and thanks.
I also offer my gratitude to Sri T.R. Subramaniam (affectionately known as TRS). I began further studies with him in 2004 during my extended time in India. I think it would be difficult for anyone to learn everything he knows! His energy and encyclopedic knowledge is of a high order but it is clothed in a very welcoming, loving demeanor. He is a rare person.
Of course there are so many other people who have stepped in to guide me and I thank them all for being in my life.
My spiritual Guru Poojya Swamiji Iswarananda Giriji is an immeasurably large one but that may be a subject of another post as this one is music-focused.
Happy Vijayadasami!
Robert Adams: The American Jnani
How can you explain that there are no others? It makes no difference what anyone else is doing. Let them all do what they will do. What does this have to do with you? When you try to straighten things out, when you try to change other people, when you try to make other people do what you want, you’re holding up your spiritual progress. Bless everyone and let them go. Leave the world alone. The world doesn’t need your help, thank you. This world, remember, is an emanation of your own mind. Therefore you are seeing yourself when you look at the world.
As you begin to go within, you will realize that you’ve always been within. There’s nowhere to go. The within and without is the same, pure consciousness. It begins with you.
Many are familiar with the book of Ramana Maharshi’s teachings, Be As You Are. If you have not had a chance to read it yet, maybe now is a good time. There are several other excellent books, such as “Talks” and others, but Be As You Are was the first one I read.
Here is a beautiful full length concert by K.S. Gopalakrishnan from 1988. (Update: the previous concert that was listed here was removed, so I have found another and also added a few more videos to the list.)
Here is another KSG recording of the Shri ragam varnam, Sami Ninne. The intensity in the rendition is palpable. I think that aspect is one of the things I admire most about KSG’s music – that deep intensity regardless of what he chooses to play. Earlier there were not that many recordings of KSG on youtube, but now there are quite a few. Enjoy!
Bala Gopala
Prasant Radhakrishnan is a saxophonist specializing in Carnatic music. His approach emphasizes spiritual discovery through music. To learn more about him, visit the about page. You can listen and download his music here or subscribe to his Youtube channel.
Prasant Radhakrishnan 