 Neyveli B. Venkatesh
 Mridangam was thrust on me, declares Venkatesh who fell in love with the instrument after he started playing it. Hailing from a family which breathes music, Balaraman, his father and guide, was his first guru. When boys of his age used to play games, Venkatesh was involved in learning the nuances of the art. His father’s involvement in grooming the child laid a strong foundation for his musical career.
To perform at a tender age of 10 is not a joke, confesses Venkatesh. His tutelage under P P Venkatesan and Ramanathapuram M N Kandasamy Pillai honed his skills.
 It also became a launchpad to scale new heights. His 28 hours non-stop performance in a Neyveli temple attracted the media and music lovers. He gave expression to the Gumuki style. It is very difficult to play this particular style and it needs rigourous practice.
Employed in the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC), he was a staff member in the cultural department.
Knowing his potential, the then chairman of NLC, Narayanan, encouraged him to a great extent. He quit his lucrative job to swim in the ocean of laya and
rythym.
Besides
mridangam, Venkatesh can play kanjira and say konnakkol. He is an ‘A’ grade artiste of the AIR in mridangam. He has accompanied all the front-ranking musicians in India and abroad. A globe-trotter, his expertise has made him a mridangam guru overseas.
He gave lecture demonstrations/advance training in mridangam at Sruti Laya Gnana Nilayam in South Africa. The interest evinced by the students was amazing, quips
Venkatesh.
Playing at London’s Royal Albert Hall is itself a great honour. Venkatesh had the rare privilege of accompanying violin virtuoso Dr L Subramaniam, Dr Grapelli and the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall. It was gratifying, declares Venkatesh, who is unable to come out of that spell. Marktoberdorf in Germany, which hosted the international rhythm festival, reverberated with the sound of his gentle rythym. Many stalwarts of international fame participated. He has also conducted workshops on south Indian percussion and he was the first south Indian todo so.
 “I was in a trance while performing with violin maestros Ganesh & Kumaresh and multi-percussionist Hakim Ludin in a Jazz fusion concert in Germany,” confesses
Venkatesh.
He has accompanied all the stalwarts of wind and string instruments. Which shows that mridangam can be of wonderful support in a concert.
He has created ripples in music circles with his 'thani avarthanam'. His European tours with Sanjay Subrahmaniam, Kadri Gopalanth, Unni Krishnan, Lalgudi Krishnan & Vijayalakshmi and Shashank, to name a few, will be etched in his memory forever. His brainchild 'Rhythmic Resonance' is ready to take off next year.
Venkatesh always looks forward to playing for the Indian audience. Practice has taken him places. He is ruled by dedication, devotion and determination.
Venkatesh can be contacted at:
23-C, Kannayiram Street,
Sivasankaran Nagar, Nagalkeni,
Chromepet,
Chennai - 600 044.
Phone & Fax : 0091-44-2221 11057
Mobile: 98412 75764
E mail: neyvenkys@yahoo.com
Website – www.neyvelivenkatesh.com
Usha Raja
Usharaja60@hotmail.com
| 
