Konarak Reddy

Konarak Reddy is a pioneer and legend among music aficionados in India. He is renowned for his finger-style playing, as well as for integrating Hindustani and Carnatic styles of improvisation into his guitar technique. His much talked about pulling technique on guitar and his beautiful alaaps come from his skill on the sarod.

Life

Konarak Reddy, was born on 15th September 1955. His father Pattabhirama Reddy Tikkavarapu, was a poet and filmmaker and his mother, Snehalata Reddy was a dancer/actor. He first studied western classical theory on guitar, and then became proficient on the sarod, which he studied with Gurus Debi Prasad Ghosh and Rajeev Taranath. He grew up between Chennai (then Madras) and Bangalore. He moved to Bangalore in 1970. His parents participated in the anti-Emergency movement. Snehalata was a close friend of George Fernandes and was arrested on 2 May 1976. She was arrested for being a part of the Baroda dynamite case; however, while George Fernandes and many others were made accused in the case, Snehalata's name was not in final charge-sheet. Despite that, she was kept as a prisoner, where she was regularly tortured and was confined to live in inhuman conditions in prison at Bangalore. When later her health deteriorated, she was released on parole on 15 January 1977. But she died five days after her release on parole due to chronic asthma and lung infection on 20 January 1977, being one of the first martyrs of the Emergency. Madhu Dandavate, who was also in the same jail where Snehalata was imprisoned, writes in his memoir, he could hear the screams of Snehalata from her cell in the silence of the night.

Konarak Reddy is married to Kirtana Kumar, who is an actor, director and film-maker based in Bengaluru. In 2013, they moved out of their iconic home on St. Marks Road. 58, St Mark’s Road, the 200 year old house behind India Garage has been the centre for activity in Bangalore for the longest time. It is iconic. Artists have used this space for inspiration, musicians have jammed, actors have rehearsed, thinkers have debated and memories have been inscribed into its stone walls. In a tradition started by Reddy’s parents Snehalata and Pattabhi, its illustrious visitors have left their mark on its walls — replete with scribbles by everyone from writer Ramachandra Guha to activist BS Achar.

Introduction to music

His first interaction with the guitarist was when he had burned himself in the chemistry lab at school. He had to stay home and in boredom, picked up a guitar that had been gifted to his sister, Nandana Reddy. His love blossomed from this day. He first studied western classical theory on guitar, and then became proficient on the sarod, which he studied with Gurus Debi Prasad Ghosh and Rajeev Taranath. He studied jazz improvisation at Berklee College of Music and graduated with Honours from the Guitar Performance Program at Musician's Institute, Hollywood. His teachers have included guitar greats such as Joe Diorio, Scott Henderson and Peter Sprague.

Collaborations

Over the years, Konarak has performed and toured with a range of world-class musicians including Claus Boesser-Ferrari, Jacques Stotzem, Peter Finger, Dr. L. Subramaniam, Ahmed El-Salamouny, Antonio Forcione, George Laval, Maynard Fergusson, Embryo, and Orexis. To create awareness around the guitar and its diverse styles, he initiated the idea of World Guitar Nights by hosting Peter Finger (Germany), Dylan Fowler (Wales), Claus Boesser-Ferrari (Germany) and Bob Bonastre (France), Don Ross (Canada) Sandor Szabo (Hungary) Masa Sumide (Japan) to perform in India every year from 2004 to 2009.

He has also collaborated with M.D. Pallavi for his album, Marathahalli Rani

Upcoming Album

Marathahalli Rani is an album that is produced by Konarak Reddy and Kirtana Kumar. “It’s an ode to the city and how women experience it,” says Kirtana. It may sound like a simple idea, but Konarak adds, “The bigger thought was to communicate and reconnect with young people who have lost touch with their roots.”

All eight songs on the album were penned in English by Konarak, and popular singer MD Pallavi translated them to Kannada and has even lent her voice to the tracks. The music is a combination of Indian ragas, American folk, Western Classical and ’70s rock. “Every song has a different mood, ethos and approach,” offers Kirtana.

Global Guitar Gita

Konarak started Guitar Gita in 2014, he added an all-India fingerstyle competition, which was organised again in 2016. In 2018, he decided to make the competition international and organised an international music festival dedicated to the guitar. It occurred in Bangalore on 19 & 20 October 2018 at one central venue - Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, Bangalore. Guitarist/singer/songwriter John Ainsworth (UK), jazzman Adam Tvrdy (Czech Republic), inventor of ‘de plank” Heiko Plank (Germany), finger style master Sandor Szabo (Hungary) and Konarak Reddy (India) came together to pay homage to the guitar in the very unique concert.

Previous Winners

- 2014 Winner - Ridu Shaw went on to tour Germany, record with Peter Finger (a judge from 2014) and carve himself a fantastic career as a professional guitarist.

- 2016 Winner - Joey Sharma is much in demand with his Gypsy Jazz duo - The Django Twins. His skills and beautiful playing are constantly growing.

- 2018 Winner -Divtej Singh The winner of a custom built Concert Series Guitar by master luthier David MacCubbins and donated by Dream Guitars, North Carolina worth $5000.