SAVITRI OUTWITS the GOD of DEATH | Ravikiran | Dance Opera | Lata Ganapathy | Murari | Thiagarajan
Channel: Ravikiran Creations and Collaborations
Date: 2023-03-14

Ravikiran was invited to create the music and lyrics for the operatic dance production, "Savitri" for Dr Chandrabhanu in 1998.  The show was a big hit at the Melbourne National Theatre in Australia with The Melbourne Age declaring: "Ravikiran's compositions with strong rhythmic structures, and free form interaction with instruments is the first reason for the dancer's expansion of the language." 

This scene depicts Savitri, the heroine, outwitting the God of Death, Yama and retrieving her beloved husband, Satyavan.  The video has been digitised from an old tape.  

Hailed as "Mozart of India" (Wisconsin State Journal & Belgium TV) and known for his "Teasing precision & dazzling effects" (New York Times) and for "Taking Indian music to new audiences" (CNN), Ravikiran's maiden stage appearance was at age two, first vocal concert was at age 5 and first chitravina (21-string slide) concert was at age 12.  A globally celebrated performer, Ravikiran has composed over 1050 compositions in 5 languages including hundreds of dance compositions and dozens of orchestral works.  

Ravikiran is the only composer to have composed a song on each one of the 108 Divya Deshams (a feat he accomplished in 45 days), the 35-Tala Set of compositions, 72-Mela Ragamalika Geetam, Pancha Gati Varnam as well as individual varnams in each of the 5 gatis, Multi-language compositions (Bhasha Malikas), Dasha-Ranjani Tillana, Schematic Swarakshara Krtis and several other unique works. He is also one of the few to have composed songs on each one of the 72 Melakartas (he did this in a matter of 36 days). Besides, he has composed eulogies on mythological as well as historical figures including Buddha, Vyasa, Adi Shankara, Shri Ramanuja, Carnatic Music Trinity, Ramana Maharshi, Mahatma Gandhi, Kanchi Paramacharya, M S Subbulakshmi, Pt Ravishankar and his guru Chitravina Narasimhan and several socially inspirational pieces. 

He has also set music to over 1400 compositions of other creators including the entire 1330 Tirukkural Verses of Tiruvalluvar in a matter of 16 hours, verses of Bhagavad Geeta, Sangam Tamil poetry, Adi Shankara, Purandara Dasa and several contemporary lyricists.  

Ravikiran has been decorated with a number of awards across the world for his contributions, being the first and/or youngest to receive such honours in many instances.