Interview | One Man, One Guitar, Infinite Stories: The Electric Journey Of Guitar Prasanna

If you're looking for a box to put Guitar Prasanna in, good luck. The musician (born R. Prasanna in Chennai) has spent his life prying open every musical container he’s handed. Carnatic classical? Sure. Jazz? Absolutely. Prog rock? Why not. Film scores, fusion ensembles, solo concerts that sound like full bands—he’s done it all. He’s shared stages with AR Rahman and Ilaiyaraaja, composed for Oscar-winning films like Smile Pinki, and collaborated with jazz legends like Joe Lovano.

“Sometimes, people are shocked to see me play Carnatic music on an electric guitar,” he tells ETV Bharat in a telephonic conversation. “But once the emotion hits, all the skepticism disappears.” And this month, the US-based artist is bringing his genre-defying act to Hyderabad (July 13 at EXT by The Moonshine Project) and Mumbai (July 20 at AntiSocial). His setup for these sets is just one man and one guitar. And yet the stage feels full. “It’s a sacred space,” he says. “Just me and the sound, and hopefully, the audience leaving the world behind for a bit.”

Heady Journey

Guitar Prasanna's relationship with the guitar began not in a conservatory or jazz club but at home, where he was surrounded by the sounds of Ilaiyaraaja’s film scores and Carnatic compositions sung by his sister. He began teaching himself to play guitar and soon developed a passion that transcended musical boundaries. “My Carnatic journey is self-taught,” he explains, “but a guru is a must.”

He found his guru in vocalist Tiruvarur S. Balasubramaniam and later in violin virtuoso A. Kanyakumari. “I’ve been learning from her for over two decades,” he adds. Their teachings pushed him to imagine Carnatic music not only through their voices but also through the bending, sliding, microtonal capabilities of the electric guitar.

“There are things I didn't know were even possible on the instrument,” he says. “The guitar became expressive because of the blues, but Carnatic music pushed it further.”

One can hear the innovation in pieces like Blues for Saraswathi, a track where Bob Marley meets Muthuswami Dikshitar. Or in his early composition, Ode to Kubla Khan, written as a student at IIT Madras. “From age 13 to 19, I was playing everything: metal, jazz, funk, reggae,” he recalls. “Nobody I knew was listening to both John McLaughlin and Thyagaraja.”

Guitar Prasanna has shared the stage with both AR Rahman and Ilaiyaraaja (Image courtesy the artist)

From Software to Stage Lights

Guitar Prasanna once worked a regular software job before heading to Berklee College of Music to formally study jazz. That pivot gave him the language to converse fluently with international musicians. It also sharpened his composition and improvisation chops, which came in handy when collaborating with artists across the globe; from jazz drummers to electronic musicians.

“True collaboration lies in completely being in the unknown,” he says. “You don’t need to find a common raga or scale. The emotion is the common ground.”

One of Guitar Prasanna’s most celebrated albums, Electric Ganesha Land, turns 20 soon. The album is a tribute to Jimi Hendrix but also deeply rooted in Indian rhythm and melody. It was preceded by his album Be The Change, which had received five-star reviews in international music journals and opened doors to the global jazz circuit. But he’s equally at home composing film scores. “Scoring for film is a minimalist approach; less is more,” he says. “The music shouldn’t take away from the scene. For Smile Pinki, I used only Hindustani instruments and my guitar. The film told me what to write.”

By contrast, composing for stage albums allows him to explore contemporary issues. His track Wrinkle In Time was inspired by rock formations in the Rockies; Culture of Silence critiques societal apathy. “With albums, the inspiration comes from what I see around me,” he says.

The Connector

He’s a sought-after educator, having taught at Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (which he helped found) and other prestigious institutions. Ask him what role he enjoys most (educator, composer, performer) and his answer is poetic. “The most fulfilling role is being a connector,” he says. “Connecting people to each other and to something larger through music.” This philosophy carries into his teaching.

“When people come to my concert, I think: How can I transport them to a place that only exists in this moment?” he says. “It’s not about technique. It’s about effect. This is something I always try to inculcate in my students.” He stresses emotion, storytelling, and empathy just as much as rhythm and ragas.

Guitar Prasanna has just finished two new albums, both set to release later this year. While the titles are under wraps, he promises a continuation of his signature blend: rooted in Carnatic, branching into jazz, funk, and ambient experimentation. He also has a Europe and UAE tour planned for September. In Hyderabad and Mumbai, fans can expect an intimate, immersive experience. “It’s one man, one guitar, but many sounds,” he says. “No frills, no distractions. Just music in its rawest form.”

Details:

On July 13 at EXT by The Moonshine Project (Hyderabad) and July 20 at Antisocial (Mumbai)

Read more:

1. AR Rahman Returns To Hyderabad After 8 Years With An Exclusive Stadium Concert At Ramoji Film City
2. Six-Time Grammy Winner Jacob Collier Is Coming Back To India, And This Year He’s Bringing the Whole Universe With Him
3. Running With Bulls In Pamplona, Battling with Wine In Haro, and Other Spanish Traditions That Shouldn’t Make Sense But Somehow Do
4. Jazz Vocalist Vasundhara Vee Brings Soul In The Age Of Scroll, Talks About Songs That Heal Not Hype