Prof. Parassala B Ravi

🪔 About

Prof. Parassala B. Ravi, born V. Raveendran Nair on August 10, 1944, is a distinguished Mridangam maestro, academician, and author in Carnatic music. Hailing from a musical family in Parassala, Kerala, his father, K. Viswanatha Pillai, was a nagaswara vidwan, and his mother, G. Gomathy Amma, was a music teacher. His maternal grandfather, a nattuvanar at Padmanabhapuram Palace, introduced him to the basics of rhythm and the nuances of playing for both Bharatanatyam and Carnatic vocal performances, laying an early foundation for his rhythmic understanding. Ravi's formal training in mridangam began with Kaliyappan Annavi and another Thavil master. He later enrolled in the prestigious Swathi Thirunal Music Academy in Thiruvananthapuram, where he pursued the Ganabhushanam course, gaining admission through the intervention of the legendary Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. He further honed his skills under the tutelage of Mavelikkara Velukutty Nair. With decades of teaching experience, Prof. Parassala Ravi has mentored countless students across Kerala, serving as a prominent faculty member at institutions such as Tripunithura RLV Music College, Palakkad Chembai Memorial Music College, and Thiruvananthapuram Swathi Thirunal Music Academy. He is renowned for the 'Parassala Ravi style' of mridangam playing, which harmoniously blends traditional techniques with innovative approaches, fostering creativity and aesthetic depth. He has also systematized methods for creating complex rhythmic patterns like moras and korvais. An A-Top grade artiste of All India Radio, Ravi has accompanied numerous Carnatic music stalwarts, including Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, T. N. Seshagopalan, R. K. Srikantan, Chembai, and M. S. Subbulakshmi. Beyond performance and teaching, he is a prolific author of several books on laya and mridangam, such as "Mridangam – A Carnatic Music Instrument" and "Mridanga Bodhini," and continues his research on percussion instruments. His contributions to Carnatic music have been recognized with significant accolades, including the Sangita Kala Acharya award from The Music Academy, Chennai, and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship. He currently serves as a Member of the Syllabus Committee in Kerala University and M.G. University. Awards & Honours: Sangita Kala Acharya (2024), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship (2024), Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (2013), Asthana Vidwan, Asthana Vidwan, Laya Vadya Vichakshana, Laya Ratna, Mridanga Bhoopathy, Vadya Sreshta, Mridanga Kala Shiromani, Sangeetha Tilakam, Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval Memorial Trust Award.