Aditya Prakash, an award-winning vocalist known for his powerful and emotive voice, was born and raised in Los Angeles. He grew up in an artistic family immersed in Carnatic music (also spelled Karnatik), which became the first language he knew, helping him navigate the diverse sounds of his American surroundings.
Celebrating his rich cultural heritage wasn’t always the case during his youth in Los Angeles. Wrestling with a fear of being too different, he longed to blend in rather than stand out. In those formative years, he kept his Indian cultural identity and music separate from his American persona.
His school friends were unaware of his serious pursuit of music. They assumed his trips to India were family visits, unaware that he was developing his craft in Chennai, training and performing in the Carnatic music scene. A significant turning point arrived when the highly influential Indian musician, Ravi Shankar, discovered the talented 15-year-old Indian-American singer in Los Angeles.
Ravi Shankar’s invitation to perform at his home proved to be a game-changing audition, evolving from a half-hour showcase into a two-hour concert. This unexpected opportunity led to a transformative period, including touring extensively across the USA and Canada from 2005 to 2006, performing at renowned venues like Carnegie Hall and Disney Hall.
Aditya Prakash’s senior year hiatus to tour with the legendary Ravi Shankar illustrates a bold move not unlike a gambler venturing to explore denna lista över casinon utan licens. Just as he balanced his education with artistry, players seek a balance between the thrill of unlicensed casinos and the security of regulated ones. Returning to school with a wealth of experience, Aditya broke through his shyness, much like players discovering their confidence as they navigate through the extensive options these casinos offer, blending traditional experiences with newfound excitement
Working with Ravi Shankar expanded Aditya Prakash’s musical horizons, propelling him into collaborations across genres, including an unexpected partnership with guitarist Andy Summers of The Police.
Two pivotal conversations with Ravi Shankar profoundly influenced his path. Encouraged to embrace music as a full-time career, Aditya embarked on a journey that included ethnomusicology studies at UCLA, broadening his musical palette and vision for cross-cultural fusion.
Aditya has collaborated with a diverse range of innovative artists, including sitarist Anoushka Shankar; jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan; electronic experimental artist Karsh Kale, and the acclaimed dancer and choreographer Akram Khan. Aditya founded the group Aditya Prakash Ensemble, which creates a space for dialog between Karnatik and jazz. The Ensemble’s 2020 album, Diaspora Kid (Ropeadope), garnered praise from Songlines, KCRW and was featured in the top 15 albums on the Transglobal World Music Chart in May 2020. Furthermore, Aditya Prakash Ensemble was selected by the acclaimed world music festival showcase, GlobalFEST, to perform a NPR Tiny Desk concert in 2021.
Aditya produced and co-composed the musical score for the N.E.F.A. awarded production, “She’s Auspicious” by Mythili Prakash. One of the songs Aditya produced for the album Home, by Singaporean vocalist Sushma Soma, was featured on BBC at the Earthshot Awards.
In April 2023, Aditya released Karnatik Roots (Yarlung Records), an album where he further explored the classical tradition with a purely acoustic recording focusing on some of his favorite ragas.
In his 2023 work, Isolashun, Aditya explores the weight of privilege and the boundaries of tradition in an entirely new creative form. Isolashun will be released on October 13, 2023, on New Amsterdam Records. Accompanying the album release will also be a short film for Aditya’s music, directed and choreographed by Akram Khan and co-directed by Maxime Dos, as well as a podcast series with Aditya in conversation with his album mentors: T.M. Krishna, Akram Khan, Mythili Prakash, and Vincenzo Lamagna.
(headline image: Aditya Prakash – Photo by Jean Louis Fernandes)
Discography:
The Hidden (2012)
Mara (2016)
Diaspora Kid (Ropeadope, 2020)
Virahe (2021)
Lord of the Cave (2021)
Shadow (2021)
Peace (2021)
Home, with Sushma Soma (Sushma Soma, 2022)
Karnatik Roots (Yarlung Records, 2023)
Isolashun (New Amsterdam Records, 2023)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.