V. Selvaganesh
Encyclopedia
V. Selvaganesh is an India
n percussion
ist working in the Carnatic
tradition, and is one of the leading kanjira
(south Indian frame drum) player of his generation. He is also known as "Chella S. Ganesh."
to Grammy-winner Vikku Vinayakram, a former member of the original Shakti. He is the grandson of T. R. Harihara Sarma, who founded the Sri Jaya Ganesh Tala Vadya Vidyalaya (Sri JGTV school) in Chennai
.
's group Remember Shakti
. He helps his father, Grammy-winner T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram, to run the Sri JGTV school and train a new generation of Carnatic percussionists. He has also composed and produced albums, and played with the Swedish bass virtuoso Jonas Hellborg
and American guitar player Shawn Lane
.
His debut international solo album, Soukha was released in 2006 featuring all other regular members of Remember Shakti including John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain
, U. Srinivas
and Shankar Mahadevan
, as well as sitar player Niladri Kumar
and Selvaganesh's father T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram. He has also formed a new group called dr JSM, with the UK-based Goan songwriter/producer dr.Joel and the young Carnatic singer Mahesh. Their Indo-Celtic
album entitled Turn on the dreams was released in the UK in 2005.
movie Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (2008).
He next scored the music for the Tamil film
Kola Kolaya Mundhirika
(2009) where he had composed a diverse album containing a Punjabi-style Bhangra song sung by his favorite singer Shankar Mahadevan
, a south Indian folk song, a hip-hop number, and an exquisite, romantic ballad that brings together legendary singers S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
and K. S. Chithra
after a very long time. The theme track of the film brought together world-renowned Swedish guitarists Mattias Eklundh
on his signature electric guitar and Jonas Hellborg
on the bass respectively, Ranjit Barot
on the drums, and Selvaganesh's legendary father Vikku Vinayakram on the Ghatam
. It marks the first time that so many world-renowned musicians have collaborated in the history of Tamil film music.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
ist working in the Carnatic
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
tradition, and is one of the leading kanjira
Kanjira
The kanjira, khanjira or ganjira, a South Indian frame drum, is an instrument of the tambourine family. It is used primarily in concerts of Carnatic music as a supporting instrument for the mridangam...
(south Indian frame drum) player of his generation. He is also known as "Chella S. Ganesh."
Early life
Born in ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
to Grammy-winner Vikku Vinayakram, a former member of the original Shakti. He is the grandson of T. R. Harihara Sarma, who founded the Sri Jaya Ganesh Tala Vadya Vidyalaya (Sri JGTV school) in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
.
Career
Selvaganesh gained world fame through tours with John McLaughlinJohn McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
's group Remember Shakti
Shakti (band)
Shakti was a group which played a novel acoustic fusion music which combined Indian music with elements of jazz; it was perhaps the earliest practitioner of the musical genre world fusion....
. He helps his father, Grammy-winner T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram, to run the Sri JGTV school and train a new generation of Carnatic percussionists. He has also composed and produced albums, and played with the Swedish bass virtuoso Jonas Hellborg
Jonas Hellborg
Jonas Hellborg is a Swedish bass guitarist. He has collaborated with John McLaughlin, Ustad Sultan Khan, Fazal Qureshi, Bill Laswell, Shawn Lane, Jens Johansson, Michael Shrieve, V. Selvaganesh, Mattias IA Eklundh and Buckethead....
and American guitar player Shawn Lane
Shawn Lane
Shawn Lane was an American musician. Although piano was his first instrument, he quickly became a noted player in underground guitar circles and joined Black Oak Arkansas when he was just fourteen years old....
.
His debut international solo album, Soukha was released in 2006 featuring all other regular members of Remember Shakti including John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain
Zakir Hussain (musician)
Zakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
, U. Srinivas
U. Srinivas
Uppalapu Shrinivas , is an Indian mandolin player of the Carnatic musical tradition of Southern India. Shrinivas plays an electric mandolin and has collaborated with John McLaughlin, Michael Nyman, and Michael Brook...
and Shankar Mahadevan
Shankar Mahadevan
Shankar Mahadevan is an Indian music composer and singer. He is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that composes for Indian films and a playback singer.-Early life:...
, as well as sitar player Niladri Kumar
Niladri Kumar
Niladri Kumar is an Indian classical and fusion musician. He performed on the sitar from a young age and toured and released albums as an adult. He created a unique instrument, a modified sitar, which he named zitar.-Early life:...
and Selvaganesh's father T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram. He has also formed a new group called dr JSM, with the UK-based Goan songwriter/producer dr.Joel and the young Carnatic singer Mahesh. Their Indo-Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
album entitled Turn on the dreams was released in the UK in 2005.
Film career
V. Selvaganesh made his debut composing for films with the TamilTamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
movie Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (2008).
He next scored the music for the Tamil film
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
Kola Kolaya Mundhirika
Kola Kolaya Mundhirika
Kola Kolaya Mundhirika is a 2010 Tamil comedy film written by Crazy Mohan and directed by Madhumitha. The film stars Karthik Kumar and Shikha in lead roles along with numerous popular Tamil comedy artists including Jayaram, M. S. Bhaskar, Pandiarajan, Anandaraj, Vasu Vikram and Vaiyapuri essaying...
(2009) where he had composed a diverse album containing a Punjabi-style Bhangra song sung by his favorite singer Shankar Mahadevan
Shankar Mahadevan
Shankar Mahadevan is an Indian music composer and singer. He is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that composes for Indian films and a playback singer.-Early life:...
, a south Indian folk song, a hip-hop number, and an exquisite, romantic ballad that brings together legendary singers S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam is a multilingual Indian playback singer, actor, music director, voice actor and a film producer. He is referred to as S. P. B. or Balu by the media. He has won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer six times closely following K. J. Yesudas...
and K. S. Chithra
K. S. Chithra
K. S. Chithra often credited as Chithra , is an Indian playback singer who has made her mark in the Indian music playback industry. Popularly known as Chinna Kuyil of South India, she has lent her voice to Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Badaga and Punjabi films...
after a very long time. The theme track of the film brought together world-renowned Swedish guitarists Mattias Eklundh
Mattias Eklundh
Mattias "IA" Eklundhtou de meme' is a guitarist and vocalist, known for his work with the bands Freak Kitchen, Frozen Eyes, Fate, The Jonas Hellborg Trio, and Art Metal; he has also released several noted solo albums...
on his signature electric guitar and Jonas Hellborg
Jonas Hellborg
Jonas Hellborg is a Swedish bass guitarist. He has collaborated with John McLaughlin, Ustad Sultan Khan, Fazal Qureshi, Bill Laswell, Shawn Lane, Jens Johansson, Michael Shrieve, V. Selvaganesh, Mattias IA Eklundh and Buckethead....
on the bass respectively, Ranjit Barot
Ranjit Barot
Ranjit Barot is an Indian film score composer, music director, music arranger and singer. He is a long time associate of A. R. Rahman and has done music arrangements for him in many of his works....
on the drums, and Selvaganesh's legendary father Vikku Vinayakram on the Ghatam
Ghatam
The ghaṭam is a percussion instrument used in the Carnatic music of South India. Its analogue in Rajasthan is known as the madga and pani mataqa "water jug"....
. It marks the first time that so many world-renowned musicians have collaborated in the history of Tamil film music.
Discography
As film composer:- Vennila Kabadi KuzhuVennila Kabadi KuzhuVennila Kabadi Kuzhu is a 2009 Indian Tamil drama film written and directed by newcomer Susindran, starring debutant Vishnu Vishal, Kishore and Saranya Mohan along with numerous other newcomers in the lead roles....
(2008) - Kola Kolaya MundhirikaKola Kolaya MundhirikaKola Kolaya Mundhirika is a 2010 Tamil comedy film written by Crazy Mohan and directed by Madhumitha. The film stars Karthik Kumar and Shikha in lead roles along with numerous popular Tamil comedy artists including Jayaram, M. S. Bhaskar, Pandiarajan, Anandaraj, Vasu Vikram and Vaiyapuri essaying...
(2009) - Drohi (2010)
- Nil Gavani Sellathey (2010)
- Kullanari KoottamKullanari KoottamKullanari Koottam is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Sribalaji and produced by V. Ashish Jain. It stars Vishnu Vishal and Remya Nambeesan in the lead roles, while the crew of Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu reunited for this film, with V. Selvaganesh composing the...
(2011) - Pilla Zamindar (2011)