It’s true that a story will tell itself, when it’s ready. It’s also true that the role of a narrator, is to play the part of each character in the story. Our next band member’s role is not only to identify the ripe stories that are ready to speak, but also to play the various roles to amplify its voice.

Meet Ms. Storyteller: Priya Ramnath

Priya Ramnath, is an MBA from S. P. Jain Institute of Mgmt & Research & an Entrepreneur/ Director of ‘Nyka Events Pvt Ltd’. She has been training in Bharatanatyam since the age of 4 under Guru Smt. Rajee Narayan & she performed her arangetram at the young age of 11. She has cleared her first level in Kathak certified by the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalay Mandal. Guru Shri T S Anantharaman Bhagavathar, has initiated her in Carnatic Vocals. Priya is also greatly inspired by the veteran choreographer Saroj Khan.

If dance was a story, her every movement is a word, and every expression is a recitation.

Her flair for script writing & strong command over English & Hindi languages, make her the impeccable ‘Story-Teller’. She has the requisite skills to positively engage & participate with a variety of audiences. Apart from being a ‘Dancer’ & ‘Script Writer’, she is also a ‘Support Percussionist’ & often adds the ‘Female Vocal’ element to the band. Adept at handling DAW & Triggering tracks, she assumes responsibility and contributes to every aspect of a show.

She proves that ‘Versatility’ is not a noun, but a human quality.

Trivia: Priya is fondly referred to as ‘lyrics dot com’ as she can recall lyrics of Hindi Film Songs across decades & genres.

“If Music wakes you up, makes you think & heals you…I guess music is working.”- A.R. Rahman 

Music works on him…and his music works on everybody around. 

Meet Mr. Voice: Shivkumar Anantharaman

His harmonious journey is the voyage between his internal voice & external expression. It fortifies the band’s philosophy of Carnatic being the internal voice & all the other genres being the external manifestations. 

This voice seeds the fundamental principles of ‘Authenticity’ & ‘Tradition’, that rightly sprout the character of the band.

Shivkumar Anantharaman is a Chartered Accountant and AVP at Deutsche Bank. 

Carnatic Classical is a family inheritance, that has been passed to him through many generations. Initiated into vocal music at a very tender age, under his Father & Guru Shri T.S. Anantharaman & Aunt- Guru Smt. T.S. Kaveri, Shiva also absorbed his preliminary violin lessons from Shri S. V. Ramachandran. This AIR ‘A Grade’ violinist, further honed his skills under the tutelage of Shri Bombay Shivkumar & Violin Virtuoso- Padma Bhushan Prof. T. N. Krishnan. 

When Shiva plays the violin, his inner voice is instrumental in captivating the listener. He also offers a helping hand to the band on the Keyboard & Pianica.

Those who wish to sing, will always find a song. Many melodies, across several genres, stay sociable with him… and consequently, when he presents it, his voice resonates with the soul of the audience. He believes that the only thing better than music, is more music.

Trivia- Even as classical music streams in his blood; Shiva’s feet recurrently tap to Punjabi Folk. He humours a friendly banter with the other singers of the band, to perform on songs of Kumar Sanu.

“Creativity is just connecting things” Steve Jobs.

Simple, yet profound… this quote resonates with the lead singer & guitarist of the band.

Meet Mr. Key Connection: Vishnu Iyer. 

He fluently connects the multifarious pieces in the melodic puzzle of the ensemble. His aura generates Youthfulness & Diversity to the band.

Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious & adding the meaningful. This belief helps him connect with several genres including Bollywood, Retro, Bhav-Geet, Pop, Rock, Classical, Folk & Regional. His ‘Root Key’ pitches in tune with songs in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi & English.  And whenever desired, this root key attunes with Gujarati, Telugu & Malayalam songs as well.

Vishnu Iyer manages the composer- Shantanu Moitra and produces his shows and it’s content. He is also spreading his wings as a musician. 

He is a freelance content-developer & has curated several exclusive live events & television shows with his acumen. His feisty zeal, decodes a concept, toils the production, drives the promotions, enlivens the musical & ultimately enthralls the audience. His guiltless dedication contributes to all departments, adorns every creation & inspires each band member. He upholds a perfect harmony between business & music.

His guru, Mr. Aviv Pereira, trained him in the nuances of handling the guitar. Vishnu, as his guitar, links the Melody to the Rhythm…unites India to the West…bonds Classical to the Popular. Creatively, he connects these seemingly unconnected, by crafting music that is louder than chaos.

Trivia- Vishnu’s illustrious grandfather, Shri Mavelikkara Ramanathan Iyer, has been a recipient of the President’s Award for his involvement in Carnatic Music. He was felicitated by India’s first President, Shri Rajendra Prasad.