Carnatic and Jazz/World fusion music concert by Prasanna & Group
India is a vast country with a rich and varied cultural heritage. Folk dance and music is the core of the Indian tradition and culture. Some have today gained so much importance that people from all over the world flock to see them. On the evening of the conference we will attempt to present you with an opportunity to enjoy Carnatic and Jazz/World fusion music by Prasanna (popularly known as Guitar Prasanna)
Carnatic music is one of the two styles of Indian classical music, the other being Hindustani music. This classical tradition is from the southern part of the Indian subcontinent. The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style. Like Hindustani music, Carnatic music rests on two main elements: rāga, the modes or melodic formulae, and tāḷa, the rhythmic cycles. [1]
World fusion music is a fusion genre of world music, blending musical traditions from around the world, and possibly mixing them with modern music such as jazz or rock. The term was coined in 1978 and has since become a standard term used in the music industry. [2]
“From being a pioneer in bringing the electric guitar to international acclaim as a concert instrument for the ancient and traditional art form of Carnatic music to being involved in the cutting edge of Jazz/Classical and World music, Prasanna continues to confound and yet interest music listeners all over the world with an ever evolving palette of musical vocabulary as a composer and improviser. As a true artist, Prasanna is both a traditionalist and modernist and everything in between” is how many describe him. [3]
Go to Prasanna’s work to check out his music (samples) and to learn more about his well-acclaimed album Be the Change.
Bill Urmson
Bassist Bill Urmson is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, and has studied with bassists Miroslav Vitous and Jeff Berlin, guitarist Mick Goodrick, and saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi. Over the last 25 years Bill has toured the US, Europe and Japan, appearing and recording with artists such as George Russell, The Gil Evans Monday Night Orchestra, Brian Ales, Rich Shemaria, Michael Gibbs, Roland Vazquez, Steve Slagle, Gil Goldstein, Tiger Okoshi, Steve Tavaglione, T. Lavitz, Billy Ward and Ian Wallace. In the 1990’s, he co-led the critically acclaimed Los Angeles-based group, Dark Horses with guitarist Barry Coates and drummers David Derge and Michael Barsimanto.
Mauricio Zottarelli
‘Mauricio Zottarelli is a machine! Keep your eyes on him’, Drum Pro magazine
Originally from Brazil and now among the most in-demand drummers in in New York, Mauricio Zottarelli is one of the most versatile young drummers around. With a performing and recording credits that include such diverse musicians a! s Dig Trio, Prasanna, Marc Rossi, Oriente Lopez, Claudio Roditi, Rosa Passos, Don Salvador, Hiromi and a host of others, Mauricio brings a unique multi-cultural edge to his work. He has studied Indian classical rhythms from Prasanna, Piano and Composition from Charlie Banacos and has apprenticed himself with master musicians in his native Brazil. Mauricio came to the US on a scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music and has since won several awards including the ‘Best drummer’ at the 2005 international Emergenza festival in Boston. He has recorded on over 25 albums with various musicians. He co-leads the acclaimed Jazz/Fusion trio ‘Dig trio’ and is a regular member of Oriente Lopez band, Marc Rossi band, Matt Chase group and others.
http://www.mzdrums.com
http://www.myspace.com/mauriciozottarelli
Shalini
Shalini is a versatile vocalist from India. Her distinctive vocal style involves elements of Carnatic music, Hindustani music, Jazz, Opera, Rock and more. Shalini had performed with several rock bands in India and has since performed and recorded extensively with husband Prasanna on several of his projects. She has performed with Prasanna, JeffCoffin, Esperanza Spalding, Derico Watson, Kai Eckhardt, Marc Rossi, Rodney Holmes, Mike Pope and several other top level musicians. Shalini’s vocal talents are featured in such artistic projects as the upcoming French film soundtrack of ‘Essaye Moi’, the Australian contemporary dance production of the play ‘The Tempest’ and many others.
http://myspace.com/vocalistshalini.
Prasanna
‘Prasanna plays guitar like nobody else on the planet’, Allaboutjazz.com
Prasanna’s recent Jimi Hendrix tribute CD ‘Electric Ganesha Land’ confirms that. From being the world’s most acclaimed performer of traditional Indian Classical Carnatic music on the guitar to extending that signature drawing from Jazz, Classical music, Rock and Blues, Prasanna has carved out a unique identity for himself.! His 2004 CD ‘Be the Change’ features several Grammy Award winning artists. Prasanna has recorded over 14 albums and an instructional DVD as leader. Prasanna has performed and recorded with Joe Lovano, Victor Wooten, Omar Hakim, Larry Coryell, Trilok Gurtu, Aka Moon, Alphonso Johnson, A.R. Rahman, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Steve Smith, Illayaraja, Airto Moreira, Dr. L. Subramaniam, Anthony Jackson, Umayalpuram Sivaraman, Trichy Sankaran, Ralph Humphrey, Jeff Coffin and numerous others.
Prasanna has received several prestigious international commissions as a composer for dance works in Australia, England, USA, India and other countries. He has composed music for the feature film ‘Framed’ and for several documentaries. He has performed at many of the world’s top Jazz and guitar festivals. Prasanna’s orchestration and arranging credits include the title score for the Oscar nominated Bollywood film ‘Lagaan’. His distinctive guitar work can also be heard on several multi-platinum Indian film soundtracks. He holds an engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology and an honors degree in music from Berklee College of Music.
http://www.guitarprasanna.com
http://myspace.com/guitaristprasanna
