# K.V. Prasad

Kalaimamani K.V. Prasad is a mridangam artist in Carnatic music. He has accompanied several great stalwarts of Carnatic music, including M.S. Subbulakshmi, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, D.K. Jayaraman, Nedanuri Krishnamurthy, T. Brinda and Muktha, S. Balachander, M.L. Vasanthakumari, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, N. Ramani, T.V. Sankaranarayanan, Madurai T.N. Seshagopalan, K.J. Yesudas, Mandolin U.Srinivas, Kadri Gopalnath and A.Kanyakumari. He is known for being a versatile percussionist, with deft fingering, a key element of the grand Thanjavur style he is trained in.

## Career

Prasad started training in the mridangam at the tender age of 6 from Ernakulam Narayana Iyer. Prasad received his training in the Mridangam from Narayana lyer, Parassala Ravi, and T.K. Murthy. He has received training also in other percussion instruments like the Chenda and Edakka, and in Carnatic vocal music. He is today acknowledged as a front-ranking Mridangam artist. He also learnt vocal music from a very young age for almost 12 years under Ottapalam Mahadeva Iyer. This training has helped him while playing the mridangam in concerts.
He has accompanied M.S.Subbulakshmi from 1984 to 1998 until her retirement from public performances. He is also into film music recordings for the past 30 years and has worked with many great film music directors. He has played for a number of Malayalam film songs, many of which, like “Pramadavanamveendum” from the film “His Highness Abdullah” and “Orumuraivanthu” from “Mani Chitrathazh”, turned out to be hits. He also had the opportunity to do a mridangam mix for a recording of the legendary Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer supported by M.S. Subbulakshmi, which was sung informally and without any accompaniment. This was released as an album titled “Divine Unison”.
He has also worked in over 500 South Indian films with almost all the leading music directors of yesteryears, like Johnson, Vidyasagar, Ilaiyaraja, Raveendran Master and many more. Apart from Carnatic legends, he has also accompanied Zakir Hussain, G Harishanker and T H Vinayakram in Holland, Hungary, Germany and Switzerland. He has also performed in United Nations Assembly Hall on 2 October 2016 in commemoration of 50th year of M. S. Subbulakshmi's concert.

## Personal life

Prasad was the youngest of three brothers. His father, V. Krishnan, was a manager with Castrol in Kochi. Prasad did his schooling at SRV High School and joined Sacred Theressa College, Thevara later. After completing his Bachelor's degree in science from Kerala University, he was interested in pursuing a post-graduate degree in Botany. But witnessing the financial difficulties of his parents to educate his elder brothers, he decided to work after his degree.
He first got a job as staff artiste at AIR, Kozhikode on a monthly contract. But he was terminated a few months later. He then worked as a parts-picker for TVS. He also represented India at the 1978 World Youth Festival held at Havana, Cuba, where he played Western drums, Mridangam, Tabla and also Chenda.
Prasad states that his father was instrumental in moulding his career. His father was the person who asked him to send and application to AIR, Chennai which exposed him to the thriving Carnatic music scene there. Prasad attributes all his success to his family. His wife, Usha has a doctorate in music from Chennai University and writes books on music. His son, Krishna Kishore is also a percussionist, following his father's footsteps and is part of Carnatic fusion band Zinx. Prasad has also acted in a movie, 'Oru Naal Oru Kanavu' by Fazil.

## Awards and honours

Prasad is a recipient of numerous awards and honours through the course of his career. Some of the most prestigious awards are listed below:
* Kalaimamani bestowed by the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Mandram (2000)
* Asthana Vidwan of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham (2001)
* The Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (2010)
* The Vani Kala Sudhakara conferred by the Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, Chennai (2011)
* Sangeet Nataka Akademi Award for his contribution to the field of music (2012).