ON THE COVER

"Sound Music"

of

conversations with Guitar Prasanna

Guitar is one of those musical instruments which have a global appeal and scores much high in terms of expressivity and emotions. Some of those emotions which cannot be expressed through a vocal performance were greatly expressed by guitar legends since the times immemorial. However, when it comes to Carnatic music, guitar was an instrument that was highly unlikely and unheard of. The main reason for it is because- Carnatic music tends to be more of gamaka based which involves the instrument to be suitable for playing sliding notes. While Veena , one of the prime Carnatic music instruments is adoringly used for this purpose, the placement of frets and the spacing made it convenient to use. However, with guitar, there is one musical master who brought it the cult Carnatic status- along with fluidly playing any other genre under the sun- and enthralling the audience since decades. His understanding of music is universal and doesn’t confine to just one genre. He keeps reinventing himself, brainstorming his ideas and keeping up the game with his unique thought and perception of the art form. This naturally led him to be the most admired Carnatic music guitar player in India along with a fantastic global musician who knows how to effortlessly fuse genres from one style to another. Despite being from a technological background, his roots remained in music and he continues to make waves with his unique performances that give electric guitar a cult status for sure. He also made the non-guitar lovers appreciate the beauty of the instrument through his mellifluously funky renditions. He is none other than Guitar Prasanna, a gifted musician with individualistic thought when it comes to making music and entertaining the audience with the same. He is one perfect example of the fact that- an artist needs to innovate himself continuously and stay at the moment! The Score has had a great privilege to speak to the fantastic musician on the eve of his performance hosted by Banyan Tree events in Hyderabad this month.

Each of your guitar performances sounds so unique and different to one another. What is the reason and motivation behind such unique feature? It is very simple. In a performance, I focus on giving a unique and personalized musical experience. The music is happening right at that moment and so that moment is unique. Also, I challenge myself to put together a diverse set list in each of my shows and also mix up the instrumentation and the musicians a lot, so that could be another reason why no two shows of mine sound the same.

Your guitar rendition sounds like it is actually speaking to the listener. How does this happen so effortlessly? Two things. One is that I like to bring a vocal quality to my guitar playing so it can connect with the listener. The other is that when I play, I love to converse with my audience not necessarily with words but with the music itself and that creates a special experience for everyone. Whether you sing or play an instrument, your music should ‘speak’ to the listener.

Which music genre is appealing to you currently? (Laughs) my listening palette actually changes from time to time as I am constantly exploring. I have been digging into funk like Parliament Funkadelic lately but also some underground EDM music where lots of new ideas are being thrown in – DJs/Producers like Cedric Chervais, Gas Lamp Killer, Dirty South and the likes. I am also re-listening to a lot of great music that have been firmly in my DNA for a long time – Debussy, Schoenberg, Charles Ives, Steely Dan, Rush and Yes. And to my students many of whom are in their early teens, I am constantly aware of the latest Billie Eilish or Taylor Swift songs too…

Speaking modern pop, why do you think it doesn’t create a lasting feeling to the listener unlike the old school pop music from the yesteryear era? The changing times has a great impact on the way music is made. Most music of the past from Mozart to Led Zeppelin were probably created with the intent and hope of being timeless. The listeners also probably had fewer choices before so they

were doing a lot more repeat listening of their favorite music. Now we live in an internet era of 24 hr connectivity filled with the need for instant gratification. Even if the music is not going to be timeless, its ok as long as its good now.

So, does that mean modern pop music serves the intended purpose? Yes. Modern Pop music is all about what’s catchy and about new flavors and sound and very important – about the videos. It has to be a musical and visual experience now. So today’s Pop Artists have to focus on a lot more than just singing or playing, to get their music appeal to people. The producer and the Engineers play a huge role in the success of many of the pop hits. With all the fancy production tools available today, putting things together to create a song now is different from the traditional process.

But will it not make the very nature of music being eternal going off to the background? There’s always Classic Rock or Jazz or Flamenco or Carnatic music and all that stuff which is still about a more timeless esthetic. Even ‘80s pop has come back thanks to Drama series like ‘Stranger Things’so people will find what they want, as everything is out there today. So, the old stuff is still there out in the open.

Does this mean the live music era has been put to a back step these days? Live music is still thriving but today’s Artists have to be innovative and mix things up in live shows and make it a real experience for their fans, because it is getting more difficult to bring audiences to live shows with all the other options available to them. Whatever kind of music you play, it is your responsibility to find and nurture your fan base and actually make a personal connection with them through your concerts.

What is the one most fetching aspect of music which current day artists are focusing these days? Sound. Let’s take the example of three of the biggest pop hits of recent times – Shape of you, Despacito and Havana. Besides the song, singing, lyrics and what seems to be the ‘front face’, it’s actually the specific sound in the production that made each of these songs what they are - that repetitive marimba sound and figure in Shape of You, the Spanish style acoustic guitar intro and the blend of Latin American instruments with modern beats in Despacito and that tinge of traditional Cuban music sound in ‘Havana’.

What are the other instruments you like to play apart from Guitar? Apart from guitar, I sing, play Piano, Bass, Drums, Percussion.

What is your approach in creating your original music? My approach is very simple. I draw on everything past and present that I have listened, absorbed and internalized and let that fall into my own signature in a natural and organic way. I have heard so much music in my life and they all come together in some way and reflect in my original songs and compositions. I am always evolving as a composer.

A lot of electric guitarists use multiple pedals or effects processors in their shows. What is your take on it? I do the same too but I just don’t go overboard on that. While I experiment relentlessly with various amp configurations, guitars, pedals and sounds in the Studio, I try to keep my live gear simple – for two reasons – it makes me focus and get the best out of a few sounds and the other is that it is easier for me to travel. People also identify me with a specific style and sound. All I need is a few perfectly dialed in sounds that are used effectively for the show! I tell many guitar plyers who come to me for advice about gear - Your sound is in You, not in the pedals!

Why do you think labeling music with different names and genres affects it the wrong way? Labeling music into genres is what record companies did to distinguish some products from the other. While it does make sense and we all call our music something or the other, ultimately it is not that important at least for me. Many great Artists make music that transcend these genres anyway and cannot be labeled. Imagine labeling Frank Zappa’s music!

Is that the reason why you can effortlessly move in between genres in your performances? For me they all converge. When I play a Hendrix song that somehow moves into an Illayaraja song, it happens spontaneously. I don’t have much filters in my head and I am in the moment and most of all, my audience welcomes it. In that particular moment they become one and the same at least for that evening. I don’t see any point in playing so many genres of music if they don’t somehow converge into a single identity – at least for me. My fans enjoy the thrill ride just like I do.

Your solo shows feature you as the only main artist in your performances. Does it get pressuring at any point of time? I love playing Solo. I will say that again, I love playing Solo. There is pressure of course, pressure of being the only one on stage in front a lot of adoring fans but its cool. I find it extremely motivating to see the fans coming for my solo guitar performances. Think about it- its just all guitar. Its terrifying in a way but also fun. I draw energy from the audience, from the place, the ambience, feel and vibe of the venue and that helps me keep a fluid program of music. In one way, playing solo has freed me from genre pressure and got me closer to my fans. I take a ton of fan requests in many of my solo shows and put some crazy mash-ups together like a Steely Dan song and a Dikshitar kriti or a Queen song and an A.R. Rahman song and we all have a good time. When I play with a band its completely different - I have to be more prepared and have to give the band a much clear idea of the music for that evening and therefore I focus on giving a different experience and that is equally awesome. So, its like two completely different type of shows – both fulfilling experiences for me and my fans too.

You are one of those musicians who is quite active in interacting with fans in social media. How does that keep you uplifted? That’s what Social Media is all about, right? Interaction. I am fortunate to have a large following around the world on my social media pages and I try to make it meaningful and fun in return for the love and time they give me. I don’t use my pages as spaces for just promoting my shows. I like to give people a lot of fun content both in my videos and otherwise. I have developed a nice bond with my fans in the virtual world and thanks to that, they also show up in large numbers in the real world at my shows! My fans keep me on my toes, I guess!