Kiranavali - A brief
profile |
Kiranavali comes from a lineage of well-respected Carnatic musicians. Her grandfather was the legendary Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar. Her father, N Narasimhan, a musician of great merit, saw Kiranavali's potential even as a toddler and trained her to be a prodigy. Before she was 2 1/2 years old, she was able to identify more than 200 Ragas and the 175 Talas, besides answering numerous technical questions pertaining to Carnatic music. If Indian Express called her "astounding in her precocity" (14 June 1975), the music critic of The Hindu wrote, "More fantastic is the manner in which 3-year old Kiranavali is able to tell the Raga even at the commencement of its outline." Kiranavali has also had the benefit of training intensely under her older brother Ravikiran for several years. |
She has been performing regularly since the age of five, initially giving duets with her brother Shashikiran and moving on to give solo recitals. She has won the hearts of the knowledgeable and laymen alike. In her quest for excellence, Kiranavali pursued advanced vocal music training under the late T Brinda, the torchbearer of one of the most sought-after styles and the highest authority on the works of many a great composer. Under her guidance, Kiranavali has matured into a sensitive musician with a deep commitment to highly refined musical values. |
In addition to her deep involvement with vocal music, Kiranavali also plays the Chitravina, true to her family tradition. She has performed solo, and has accompanied Ravikiran. In fact, she is the first artiste to be graded in both Vocal and the Chitravina by All India Radio and Doordarshan. Her music is regularly featured in their broadcasts. |
Kiranavali brings with her a unique blend of strong traditional values, a good presentational style and a vocal-instrumental background. She has been featured by many leading organisations in India and the US like the Music Academy, Krishna Gana Sabha, Narada Gana Sabha, Shanmukhananda Fine Arts, National Centre for the Performing Arts (Mumbai), Cleveland Aradhana Committee and so on. Many of these concerts have earned her awards for best performances. Special mention must be made of her performance in the operatic ballet Lakshmi Prabhavam as the lead female vocalist. It not only won her great acclaim, but was also talked of as one of the biggest attractions of the show itself. |
Her accomplishments extend to other spheres of music too. She is a much sought-after teacher, having done stints at the Shanmukhananda Fine Arts, Mumbai and is currently with the Centre for World Music at San Diego. Under her Editorship,www.carnatica.com has emerged as one of the top-notch sites in Carnatic music, having won the Britannica Award for Excellence. She also recently edited a book titled Ragas at a glance. |
Kiranavali's artistic talents include painting, designing websites and so on, for which she has bagged prizes at an international level. Her academic records are equally impressive and include ranks at the school, regional and national levels. She holds a degree in commerce but Carnatic music remains her passion and her chosen career. |
Some press quotes... |
From Vocal concerts: |
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From Chitravina concerts: |
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3309 Clairemont Dr. # 4 San Diego Ca 92117. |
( 619 275 2150 (Home); 619 347 4196 (Cell) |
Email:kiranvali@hotmail.com
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