Nachiketa Yakkundi performs at Ustad Amir Khan Music Festival, on May 19, 2018. Accompanied by Ravi Gutala and Vivek Datar. Rochan Yakkundi on vocal support.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Hailing from Dharwad, Nachiketa Yakkundi was initiated into Hindustani vocal music by his parents. His formal study began in Madras under Shri B. N. Simha and later under Shri B. Hanumantachar. His rigorous and extended pedagogy came under the virtuoso late Padmabhushan Pandit Basavraj Rajguru. Nachiketa has performed in several cities across India and North America. A resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, he runs the Rajguru Sangeet Vidyaniketan school of music.

Ravi Gutala

Ravi was initiated at a very early age into Tabla by Shri P.Anjaiah, in Hyderabad, India and has been studying Tabla under Maestro Swapan Chaudhuri at Ali Akbar College since 1990. He has been teaching Tabla in South Bay for the past 20 years.

Ravi was recipient of All India National Talent Search Scholarship and was a regular performer at AIR, Hyderabad. He has accompanied many noted artistes such as, Pt.Jasraj, Dr Balamurali Krishna, Smt.Lakshmi Shankar, Dr.L.Subramaniam, Shri Anup Jalota, Master Shashank etc. and has played on 14 CD recordings.

Ravi designs 3D IC chips for a living!

Vivek Datar

Vivek learnt art of harmonium solo and accompaniment from (late) Pt. Vinayakrao Kale, who was a Gwalior Gharana vocalist. Kalebua was a prolific composer, with more than 800 compositions of his own. Vivek has taught several of them to his disciples in bay area. Currently Vivek learns from Vidushi Seema Shirodkar as and when time permits. Seema hails from Mumbai, and is a disciple of Pandit Tulsidas Borkar.

Vivek has accompanied several noted artists such as Vidushi Veena Sahastrabuddhe, Vishushi Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande, Vidushi Padma Talwalkar, Pt Arun Dravid, Pt Madhav Gudi. He has keen interest in tuning theory and applications. He co-created a unique changeable-reed harmonium with Hinge Brothers from Mumbai.

Vivek resides and teaches in the Bay Area.