ABOUT K. SRIDHAR:"In the beginning there is the musician, the instrument, and the audience. In the end, all three merge into the Ocean of Sound"
- K. SRIDHARTwo traditions co-exist in India, that of the North (Hindustani) and of the South (Carnatic). They share the same basic systems but differ greatly in the instruments used, by the Ragas played, and by the concept of musical expression. Mastery of both traditions is not only rare but gives K. Sridhar's music a universality that is profound.From infancy, K. Sridhar was initiated into the highly structured and precise training of the Carnatic tradition by his mother. As a descendant of fourteen generations of temple musicians, including Narasimha Bhagavatar of Tanjore, she was a renowned vocalist in her time. From the mid-1950's, K. Sridhar began his studies on the sarod under the guidance of Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, the foremost master of the rudra veena of his day and an internationally known specialist in the traditionally classical and devotional Dhrupad style within the Hindustani tradition.Interpretation of Dhrupad music instrumentally is not the same as a vocal interpretation. K. Sridhar stretches the limitations of plucked strings and allows the sarod the full range of its expressive voice. The sarod is an instrument of great complexity. As such, few musicians choose to play it. Sridhar's study of Hindustani music was long, rigorous and disciplined, in the old style of learning within gurukula. It was a training designed to prepare him for a lifetime spent as a performer, not just as a technician. This form of mentorship has all but disappeared from India today.At the age of 12, K. Sridhar became the youngest member ever of Ravi Shankar's orchestral group and started performing solo at an early age. At 25 he was granted the honorary title of Sur Mani (Sky Jewel) at the famous Kal-Ke-Kalakar festival in Bombay. At present, he is the senior most performing disciple of Z.M. Dagar and the only one performing in the West today. Deeply influenced by Ravi Shankar and Ali Akar Khan, K. Sridhar has woven together from all these influences a universally appealing sound.K. Sridhar started touring out of India in 1982 and has given hundreds of concerts worldwide. During the 1980's in Europe he often performed in the more traditional Dhrupad manner with pakhawaj player Arjun Shejwal. Starting in 1987 he toured internationally numerous times under the auspices of W.O.M.A.D., often as part of jugalbandhi (duet) with Carnatic violinist K. Shivakumar along with tabla and mridangam accompaniment. Two of these jugalbhandis are featured on a CD by Peter Gabriel's RealWorld label entitled "Shringar".K. Sridhar has made 12 recordings on both European and American labels, a few of which are multicultural collaborations. On his "Food For the Soul" CD he plays a Carnatic raga in the Hindustani manner. As a composer, he has provided numerous soundtracks for film including the French film, "Pondicherry: juste avant l'oubli," which won the prestigious Jean Vigo Award in 1988. Presently he divides his time between the USA, Europe, and India primarily as a concert artist.K. Sridhar's musical fluency has also allowed him to form exciting links with musicians from other cultures while enriching the repertoire of his own. He has conducted seminars on Indian music in the USA, France, Singapore and Mexico. His collaborations include musicians of various disciplines: Arabic, African, jazz, flamenco, Persian and European classical. He has received critical acclaim from such diverse locales as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Scandinavia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, the UK and USA. He has been featured on British, Irish, and French TV as well as American, Danish, Swedish, and Mexican radio.K. Sridhar received a separate form of training from his spiritual guru. It is to him that he gives credit for lending the music a quality described as "an aspiration towards spiritual bliss". With rare intensity, the music of K. Sridhar offers to all listeners an opportunity to merge into a world of divine sound.
