CELEBRITY OF THE MONTH | Prasanna is an internationally renowned guitarist, music composer and the Founder President of Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music, the largest music college in South Asia. Prasanna has composed the original music score for the 2009 Oscar Award winning documentary ‘Smile Pinki’. He has also scored music for the critically-acclaimed Tamil feature film, ‘Vazhakku Enn 18/9’ that is currently running in theaters. A pioneer in performing Carnatic music on the guitar, Prasanna has more than 11 Carnatic albums to his credit, as well as recordings of original music such as ‘Be the Change’, ‘Electric Ganesha Land’ and more. In an interview to Spark, Prasanna talks about his fascinating musical journey of being a guitarist, composer and the President of Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music. Anupama Krishnakumar listens in.
SPECIAL FEATURE | Spark is proud to feature Harish Sivaramakrishnan, Lead vocalist at Agam, a Bangalore-based music band that has been around since 2003, Namita Devidayal, Journalist and Author of the acclaimed books ‘The Music Room’ and ‘Aftertaste’, Krish Ashok, popular blogger known for the humour that permeates his writing, RJ Prithvi, the highly popular Radio Jockey at Radio One 94.3 FM Bangalore and Vidya & Vandana Iyer, the music sisters whose rendition of ‘Munbe Vaa’, ‘Ashai Mugam’ and ‘Nee Nenaindal’ with clarinetist and composer, Shankar Tucker went viral on YouTube.
These six people talk about what music means to them and provide a glimpse of how this beautiful art form has become a part of their lives. Diverse that their fields are, it is interesting to note how music can be learnt, savoured and shared in such different ways. We hope you enjoy the feature!
WRITER OF THE MONTH | SHIKhANDIN A mother and daughter share a poignant moment during a rainy afternoon. Flash fiction by our Writer of the Month, Shikhandin.
WRITER OF THE MONTH |SHIKhANDIN A wet monsoon day is also a day of loss. Here’s a poem by our Writer of the Month, Shikhandin.
WRITER OF THE MONTH | SONNET MONDAL What really happens when rains decide to visit a place like Jaipur where sand and heat dominate for much of the year? Sonnet Mondal, our Writer of the Month, brings on the spirit, mood and colours of rains in Jaipur through his poem.
India is a melange of many cultures – each with its own characteristics. Wouldn’t you think it is great to actually have some initiatives that help you sustain the connection with your culture, ones that take you closer to your roots? We, at Spark, looked around and found some very interesting ventures that are passionate about bringing regional culture to the fore with particular focus on Tamil culture.
In an interview to Spark, popular anchors, Rocky and Mayur, respond to Anupama Krishnakumar’s questions on their show ‘Highway On My Plate’ (HOMP), the book, food, their experiences on the road and dream trips. Don’t miss this interview!
Drives on roads to beautiful destinations and amazing cups of chai: Anupama Krishnakumar talks to Rishad Saam Mehta, author of ‘Hot Tea across India,’ a compilation of road trips he has made over the years, published by Tranquebar in 2011.
In an interview to Spark, Samhita Arni, Author and one of our Writers of the Month, talks about her book, ‘Sita’s Ramayana’ and women in mythology, among other things. Anupama Krishnakumar listens in.