Bangalore-based G Guruprasanna, a much sought after khanjira artist who is also adept in playing the mridangam and morsing, is the recipient of this year’s CMANA prize. CMANA award is presented to a young percussion artiste below the age of 30 every year during the annual festival of Percussive Arts Centre, Bangalore which was held in May 2006.

The award is instituted by CMANA, a non-profit organization whose objective is to promote the learning, understanding and appreciation of Carnatic music in the USA.

Guruprasanna stepped into the music world at the age of 6, learning mridangam under the guidance of Vid R Sathyakumar at Sri Ayyanar College of Music. He received advanced training from versatile percussionist Vid Anoor Anantakrishna Sharma. Currently pursuing khanjira training under Vid Vyasa Vittala (disciple of khanjira maestro Vid Harishankar), Guruprasanna has also trained in morsing under Vid S V Giridhar.

Having started his career as a performing artist at the age of 12, Guruprasanna has performed at prestigious sabhas all over India. He has accompanied seasoned artistes such as Dr R K Srikantan, T K Govinda Rao, T V Shankaranarayanan, O S Thyagarajan, A K C Natarajan, M S Sheela, Kunnakudi R Vaidyanathan and Sudha Raghunathan. He has played khanjira alongside renowned mridangam artists such as Dr T K Murthy, A V Anand, M S Ramaiah, Srimushnam Rajarao and Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma.

He is a B-High artiste of AIR and Doordarshan, and is also part of many leading percussion ensembles in Karnataka like Laya Lahari, Laya Vrushti, Laya Milana and Laya Lasya. A recipient of state government scholarship, Guruprasanna has the distinction of securing the top prize in khanjira in AIR national level competitions in the year 1998. ‘Ananya Prathibhe’ for Khanjira (2000), Best Khanjira Artist by Karnataka Ganakala Parishat during its 33 annual conference (2002), and Sri B Seetharam Iyengar Memorial award - ‘Khanjira Praveena’ (2005) are some of the awards he has to his name.

With a masters degree in software systems management, Gururprasanna is working at Wipro Technologies, managing a parallel career as many young musicians in the Silicon Valley of India.

"One channel of my mind is always thinking music,"he says.

Reason why he has done well and been recognised. Contact: Guruprasanna email: guru.gundappa@gamil.com

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