Aditya Prakash
15 videos • 110 views • by Ropeadope Aditya Prakash was born and raised in Los Angeles and his roots are deeply embedded in Carnatic (South Indian classical) culture and music – the sound of his childhood environment. He’d attribute this to his mother, Viji Prakash, a pioneer in the Indian classical arts, who started the first Bharatanatyam dance school in Los Angeles in the 1970’s. Indian classical music was the first language he knew and the medium through which he negotiated the multitude of sounds in my American environment. Today Aditya is very proud of the rich heritage that he stands for; but that was not how it was growing up in LA - He grew up with the fear of being too different. All things changed when Maestro Ravi Shankar heard about a talented 15 year old Carnatic vocalist from LA - he invited him to do a 30-minute set at his home in Encinitas. What Aditya did not know was this was his audition to be accepted to tour with him. What started as a 30 minute showcase, became a 2 hour concert as he requested more songs and ragas - making him feel comfortable and at ease singing and improvising in front of such a daunting presence as himself and other esteemed guests in the room. Months passed, and he received a call from Ravi Shankar himself asking Aditya if he would like to join him on an extensive tour of the USA and Canada from 2005-2006. Aditya's collaborations with ground-breaking artists such as Anoushka Shankar, Karsh Kale, Mythili Prakash and Akram Khan, who push the boundaries of Indian classical art while staying rooted in tradition are an enriching experience because they have exposed him to the power and connectivity of blending the ancient spiritual quality of a tradition with a contemporary, modern aesthetic to create a form of expression and story telling that is relatable, universal and yet unique. Aditya's experiences as a kid from the Indian Diaspora growing up in Los Angeles are unique to him, and he finds himself grateful that he has Aditya Prakash Ensemble, the outlet to express the quality of straddling two very deep cultures.