U Srinivas was born in Palakol, in the state of Andhra Pradesh on February 28, 1969. When he was six, his parents came home to find him playing on his father’s mandolin. That kick-started his musical training under his father. Practice on the Mandolin stretched 10 to 12 hours a day. His grooming as a complete Carnatic musician was under Rudraraju Subbaraju. Realising that Chennai was the Carnatic music hub, Srinivas and his family moved to the city in 1980. In 1983, he performed at the Music Academy for the first time. Since then he has been the foremost ambassador of the Mandolin as an instrument for Carnatic music.
His wizardry on the Mandolin has enthralled both purists and liberals, in the country and abroad. His mastery is all the more incredible when one realises that his is a staccato instrument, that he gives an amazingly strong expressive power. From the super-fast figurations of his early performances, Srinivas’ music has mellowed to a less hurried pace today.
For more information : www.mandolinshrinivas.org
