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 A brilliant rising sun in the musical horizon is bathing mankind with its enchanting voice and incredible repertoire. He is the one and only
Suryaprakash.
His initial tutelage under his uncle Tirukkodikaval Rajamani, when he was barely five, laid a strong foundation for his musical career.
T V Sankaranarayanan taught him the nitty-gritty of music for a decade. Eminent musicologists V V Srivatsa and Sulochana Pattabiram tapped and channelised the potentials in
Surya.
A jet-setter, his American and Australian tours are replete with anecdotes and interesting episodes.
 Suryaprakash is bestowed with a rare privilege of being the first Asian to perform at The Parliament House, Canberra, Australia. The day before the concert, the musicians’ dresses, to be worn on the day of the concert, were collected by the security for a thorough scrutiny by ultra violet rays. Then on the day of the concert, they were asked to wear those dresses. The concert hall was jam-packed which included top notches of the Australian government. “The standing ovation by the audience was like an elixir to me,” declares Suryaprakash. He struck an immediate rapport with the audience by composing a song (specially for the occasion). Since Kangaroos and Australia are synonymous, he never missed a chance to have a close look at them.
‘Curd rice our manna from heaven’ hit the headlines there. He had a sizeable audience to view his eating `thayir sadam’. They were bewildered to see Surya mixing yogurt with rice. Cameras clicked to take a snap of the curd rice.
A wild life enthusiast and a passionate trekker, he is dubbed by his colleagues as National Geographic photographer and an ‘animal lover’. He is generally found feeding rabbits or caressing a camel!
Suryaprakash’s memorable trip was on board a flight from USA to Canada. What made his journey unforgettable?
(To be continued)
In the meantime, check out his website www.rsuryaprakash.com
Mira
mira60@rediff.com
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