Anantha Krishna Sharma (Shivu)

Shivu's Website

Anantha Krishna Sharma (Shivu as he is popularly known) was born in Bangalore, a city with rich cultural heritage, to a family of musicians. He is considered as an eminent percussionist (mridangam) in the whole of India. His father late Vidwan Anoor S. Ramakrishna was a well-known violinist, and an eminent teacher too in the Dept. of Music of Bangalore University. He was initiated in Mridangam by vidwan R. A. Rajagopal, who is a highly accomplished Mridangam / Ghatam artist and a senior staff of All India Radio, Bangalore.

Drawing on his long concert career from an early age of fifteen and a number of significant encounters with other great musicians, Anantha Krishna Sharma is known for his own style.

Anantha Krishna Sharma has performed in all the leading sabhas in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, all over India, and Anantha Krishna Sharma besides being a Mridangam artist also can play other percussion instruments like Tabla, Thavil and others with the same felicity and with ease. He has composed music for Ballet Dance and Films. His compositions have been regarded as highly imaginative and they encompass an amazing complexity and intricacy of rhythm blended in the musical notes.

Started at the age of 15, as a performing artiste and performed in all the leading Sangeetha Sabhas in Bangalore, Chennai and all over India.

As an accompanying artist, accompanied many senior and young talented musicians, which includes vidwans like R.K.Srikantan, Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna, M.L. Vasantha Kumari, Sanjay Subrahmanyam, Unnikrishna, T.M. Krishna, Maharajapuram Santanam, M.S.Sheela, Sudha Raghunathan, Bombay Jayashree, M.S.Gopalakrisnan, T.N.Krishnan, N. Ramani, B.N.Suresh, Dr. Doraiswamy Iyengar, Ravi Kiran, U. Srinivas, Kadri Gopalanath and many more.

Overseas Visits :

• Traveled extensively to European countries Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Switzerland.

• Toured all over USA several times.

• Toured United Kingdom and Belgium for the East-West fusion with Strings of Gufia (London) and

• Led a percussion Group to Hanover for a performance.

Merits & Awards :

• Awarded “Best Mridangam Artist” in 1981 by Gayana Samaja

• “Laya Kala Prathibhamani” Title awarded by Percussive Arts Centre

• Awarded “Best Mridangam Artist” in 1996 from Madras Music Academy

Other Accomplishments :

• Well Conversant with other percussion instruments such as Dolu (Thavil), Tabla, Pakhawaj and even a good Vocalist.

• Talent has been tapped for other non-classical forms of music like light music, film music, folk and devotional, even for ballet and audio cassettes and CD’s.

• Composed music for balled titled “Kaishika” which was staged in UK in February 1995.

• Composed music and intricate patterns which blend with the compositions for an ensemble for Percussive Arts Centre

• Composed rhythmic patterns for an ensemble of Sri Ayyanar College of Music, LayaLahari.

• Imparting training to many students, who are in various stages of their career with some of them budding to matured and popular artists.

• Many recordings to the credit and with other musicians in a supporting role and as composer.