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Ravikiran in Hollywood
A track from Ravikiran's album, Mumtaz Mahal with Blues singer Taj Mahal and Pt Vishwa Mohan
Bhatt was featured in the Hollywood Film,
2 days in the Valley directed by John Herzfeld (1996). In his early teens, he also played in a few Indian films where
his classical style was required. He has collaborated with Oscar winning film director like A R Rahman in a National
Anthem film that featured some of India's greatest legends.
Global profile
Ravikiran has performed at top venues like the Theatre de la Ville(Paris), Vienna Palace (Austria), Tate Modern (London), National Theatre (Melbourne),
Institute of World Music (New York), Esplanade (Singapore), Sadler's Wells (London), Oji Hall (Tokyo) and at events
including The Millennium Festival (UK), Autumn Festival (France), Europalia Festival (Belgium), Brisbane Festival
(Australia), Madison Festival (USA), Radio Koln Festival (Germany), Harborfront Festival (Canada), Masters of India
Festival (Hungary), Festivals of India (France, Germany and Switzerland), Amsterdam-India Festival (Holland) and the
Cleveland Tyagaraja Festival (USA). He has showcased the chitravina's prowesses also through powerful
collaborations with celebrated artistes. While his interpretation of Pavane by Gabriel Urbain Faur with
artistes of BBC Philharmonic touched hearts in UK, his re-creation of Luiz Gonzaga's famous Asa Branca had
audiences spontaneously singing along in concerts across Brazil.
Consummately Carnatic
Ravikiran has proved that world audiences need not be wooed by diluting or polluting core Carnatic
values. He has blended emotive appeal, intellectual sophistication, virtuosity and classicism, without detracting from
grammatical correctness or aesthetic values. In his fidelity to pitch, rhythm and ornamentation, and in his perception
and communication of the musical spirit of great composers, micro-tonal oscillations, awareness of lyrics and his
appreciation of their spirit, Ravikiran stands out as a deeply evolved musician. His ability to blend the best aspects of
vocal and instrumental techniques have won him a global following of both listeners and students.
Ravikiran's "traditional innovations" include intricate rhythmic cadenzas, improvisation-centric pieces
like an 8-kalai pallavi (which even vocalists rarely venture into) and a unique shataragamalika ragam-tanam-pallavi (RTP) - a single piece featuring
100 ragas.
Ravikiran briefly performed on the electric slide-guitar (Hawaiian guitar) but soon designed
the navachitravina, a sleek 20-stringed slide-instrument that gives him flexibility in pitch, apart from a sharper
tone.
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