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K. Sathyanarayanan - A Prodigy on the Keyboard

   
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"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", goes the popular saying, but when work is play and play is work what does it produce? A wizard to whom playing the keyboard is what comes naturally. While the people around him rave and wonder and weave an aura of hype around him, K. Sathyanarayanan, the 8 year old, wonders what all the fuss is about when all he is doing is indulging in his passion - playing the keyboard!

The little boy wonder is the son of T. Krishnababu and Lalitha who herself is a musician and playback singer. Krishnababu confesses that his interest in music was only after his marriage but gives a hundred marks to his father-in-law Sangeetha Bhushana Shri. Embar Sadagopan. While most grandfathers told stories and lulled the children to sleep Shri. Sadagopan used to sing Carnatic songs and the constant exposure plus the genes nurtured the genius in Sathyanarayanan. It is the combination of the two and not genes alone that has to be the catalyst.

At an age when children are lisping nursery rhymes and learning the alphabet, Sathyanarayanan at the age of 2 years and 6 months, participated and sang folk songs in Mazhalai Amutham, a children’s programme of All India Radio, Chennai. At the age of 3, he was presented in Kanmani Poonga, a Doordarshan programme as a singer of Bharathiyar songs. That’s not all, he has been given an entry in the Limca Book of Records 2003 as the youngest to pass the 4th grade Keyboard examination conducted by Trinity College, London with distinction securing 85%, in Sep’01. Another feather in his cap is his having passed the Initial Level Solo Piano examination conducted by the Trinity College, London at the age of 4 securing 78%. The 2nd Grade Electronic Keyboard examination was a cakewalk for Sathya at the age of 5. He was featured at the age of 4 in the Sun TV children’s programme and sang Bharathiar songs.

From the age of 4, it has been no holds barred for Sathyanarayanan and his list of achievements even at the age of 8 is an impressive scroll of honour. Sathya is unfazed by all this adulation and welcomes competition as he feels that it will be the touchstone of success. He wishes to be known as “Keyboard Sathya” and as Lalitha says, they have one more ambition for him - to buy him a Yamaha Titan keyboard as it will be in keeping with the level of expertise that he has reached.

Is it a tightrope walk for Sathya as far as academics is concerned? Lalitha says that he is a very good student and his studies suffer in no way. When he studies is a mystery but the concentration and attention during class hours is what makes it possible. With a diary that is getting packed tighter by the day it is creditable that he has carried the honours academically as well.

“Rhythm and Raga” is the name of the orchestra that he leads and it has been showcased in all major TV channels, Radio FM1 and Chennai A stations. A 2 hour light music concert under this banner was given with 3 singers and one mridangist at the Navi Mumbai Tamil Sangam.

His debut Carnatic music concert was a 30 minute session under the auspices of Nadopasana with Shri. N. Sundar on the tabla. Among some of the major concerts are the 18 concerts in South Africa and Maritius from 29th April to 26th May ’03. It was the Tyagaraja Music Festival and the Heritage series in South Africa and other concerts in Mauritius. The Raj Bhavan was the venue for a solo Carnatic music concert on the keyboard. Sabhas like Bharat Kalachar, Sri Parthasarathy Sabha and Bharathi Kala Mandrum, Mumbai have presented him. Ghatam Karthick’s Heartbeat showed him as the guest artiste to play in the main piece along with top accompanying artistes..

Sathya’s big achievement has been his debut album titled "Carnatic on Keyboard” produced by Serendipity Music Productions. It was launched on 16th August ’03 at Narada Gana sabha by Mandolin Srinivas and Sri. Krishnaswamy and received by Sri. AVM Saravanan and Sri. Deva. Leading music directors have invited him to Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films and he has composed the music for jingles and advertisements for Adyar Cancer Institute which was for the promotion campaign titled ‘Irubathu Varai Irubathu’. The Juries Award for Carnatic Melody on the Keyboard was awarded by Carnatica.com in a competition organised on World Music day on 21st June 2001. The Rotary Club of Anna Nagar and International Women’s Organisation honoured Sathya with citations. All leading newspapers and magazines have carried interviews with him and The Hindu’s ‘Metro Plus’ aptly captioned the lead article "Destiny’s Child".

So much of recognition and encouragement comes his way every day and it is attributed to God’s grace by his parents. Such a mine of talent must not go unheeded and fostered and much more support is needed. Opportunities will come without even looking for them, says Lalitha for such is her belief in Divine Grace. To rub shoulders with the rich and famous, top musicians and celebrities is no small role to fill for a child but he does himself proud.

The genius of Sathya is put cryptically by Krishnababu and his statement speaks more than a thousand words. “Sathya is not just a child prodigy with potential to develop into brilliance; he is a professional musician who happens to be all of eight”.

Geetha Iyengar

 

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