GUITAR PRASANNA BAND – BLUE DANCE OF SHIVA 

“A living hope for quality music.” —A R Rahman
Guitar Prasanna is one of the most renowned musical artists to have emerged from the Indian subcontinent. He is a pioneer in performing the traditional Indian Classical Carnatic music on a modern electric guitar and is known worldwide for that innovation. He was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for Carnatic music and was awarded a Distinguished Alumnus Award from his alma mater, the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Along with Pandit Ravishankar and A.R. Rahman, Prasanna is the only other Indian composer to have scored the music for an Oscar-winning film (Smile Pinki, 2009).

Prasanna also is recognized internationally for his expertise in Jazz, Rock and Fusion music, performing and recording with Grammy-winning artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Victor Wooten, and Joe Lovano. His collaborations over the last 25 years with Indian music legend A.R. Rahman in numerous movie soundtracks has made him a household name with Indian film music fans.

GUITAR PRASANNA BAND – BLUE DANCE OF SHIVA
Featuring Special guest Shalini Lakshmi on Vocals
*PRASANNA – GUITAR
*SHALINI LAKSHMI – VOCALS
*BILL URMSON – BASS
*RODNEY HOLMES – DRUMS

After a string of sold-out concerts in the last few years at Montalvo, renowned guitarist and composer Prasanna returns to Montalvo with a fiery program of music he calls “Blue Dance of Shiva” – a genre-defying explosion of fiery Carnatic rhythms, blistering guitar rock solos, swingin’ jazz improvisation, and that fabulous high-octane Bollywood energy. Joined by 8-time Grammy-winning drummer Rodney Holmes (Santana, Wayne Shorter), bassist
Bill Urmson (Gil Evans Orchestra) and powerhouse vocalist Shalini Lakshmi (A. R. Rahman, Newport Jazz Festival), this is Indian classical music reinvented with electrifying modern force.