to all those who are criticizing ..leave abt playing..you will need some 10 years to jus hold that instrument right and 10 more years to get that sound right..and that too in doubt...useless fellows..you dnt even deserve to critiise ..
I cant believe I see the young Sreenivas...!!! Watch that... At his tender age too, he has a great level of manodharma and how well does he enjoy himself. Thats called born talent.
Srimt. A. Kanyakumari on Violin and Sreemushnam RajaRao on Mridangam.
A mandolin used for accompanying or performing south Indian music (popularly known as Karnatka sangeetam) is tuned as S,P,S,P,S,P or C,G,C,G,C,G. This young man in the picture is now the absolute master in this instrument and probably worshiped by many for his genius and amazing ability to perform the "Gamaka" or the sliding notes on a fretted instrument. Vidvan U.Srinivas is an absolute genius. Your work, @AbdulahZinDaHouse, has brought tears to I don't know how many. A heart felt gratitude.
@sguls2 "...bored the socks off me". And you never wondered that the lack was in you and your understanding, but were nonetheless driven to 'share' this information about your self "I am bored".
Amazing! Of course, it's not a mandolin at all, just a small electric guitar. He didn't use a guitar headstock to "add an extra string" because a mandolin has 8 strings. More importantly, the playing is beautiful.
Heard about his greatness at a tender age. Thank you, now I could have a glimpse of this great musician. What a great sight! I am enriched by having this video. If at all one wishes to know how Sangeetha Sarswathi looks like, this performing kid is the answer and no words are required.
U Srinivas is very talented, but humble. He is so innovative to play Carnatic music on Mandolin. He is a genius in the sense that he proved that it doesn't matter what the instrument is, you can deliver the sweet sounds of Carnatic music from it. No limitations what so ever. See his fingers at work!!!
He is a gem and hails from Palakollu, West Godavari Dt. Andhra Pradesh. May God bless him in achieving his mission of getting Mandolin accepted like Veena and Violin in Carnatic Music concerts.
Chances are he's glancing toward his guru (teacher) for approval. He is also looking at the other musicians to make sure they're on the same page for the unison composed parts of the piece.
@ShribhairaviAdithyan Thank you very much. It's a really nice Raag, first time I've actually heard this raag. Wow it's amazing. South Indian Classical Music Kyaa Baat Hai. Look how the music style is around the world however, like my Ustad Tari Khan Sahib ji my ustadji said, where ever you go around the world music always has the same language but in that part of the world they have a different style of rhythmn.
different cultures, or religions even, handle such things as the idea of notoriety or fame for playing an instrument VERY differently, and as old as this is, even considering the technique, is not very mandolin like, it must have been an awesome experience to witness first hand, let alone, be the kid doing that at the time.
So much is lost in cross-cultural interpretation. To me, he looks like he's uncomfortable and is looking for an exit. He keep scanning the room, or perhaps looking at other musicians out of the frame. Also, his 'mandolin' appears to be a tenor electric guitar. Depending on the tuning, it could be called a mandolin, but size and shape would be the only way to call it that. Whatever you call it--he is very competent.
@kc7fys If he's looking for an exit, he's doin' it pretty fast :) Since they seem to be partly improvising as they go, he looks to me like pretty much any other jazz musician I've seen, making quick eye contact with his bandmates, the crowd etc... to make sure he's in tune and also to share the joy of playing together.
@kc7fys you seem to have a high opinion of yourself.. If you dont understand the music genre, better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt
@saig2007 ?? I do have a reasonably good opinion of myself, yes. I hope you do as well. Unasked questions only lead to confusion. I have the temerity to ask, and I've learned. This "fool" has become slightly more enlightened as a result, smart-ass.
@kc7fys His looking at the accompanying musicians is very common in Carnatic music. He isn't uncomfortable, just very intense and serious. I listened to him live last year (he must be forty now!), and he is still intense, serious and amazingly creative.
@vs1729 Thanks for the clarification. I understand now, and I really have enjoyed this man's music. Improvisation is a sort of spiritual exercise, whenever its practiced. Thanks for helping me understand more fully.
It is a sign of appreciation for the audience to count out the rhythm, move to the beat, etc. This is something that doesn't happen in Western classical music. In fact, it's not uncommon for the audience to dance during concerts. He is probably watching for this.
@kc7fys hahaha you didnt say incredibly competent. you said competent. there is a big difference, and mind his age. he is much more than competent! competent means qualified, able to do etc etc
he is super active. he is a genius. if he needed an exit, he would not be still playing now. he is the one who has digested mandolin in carnatic music and made everyone just flatter. each time i watch this, i just realize that i cannot find bindumalini better than this anywhere, which has come from this small boy, oh my god i cant believe this.
@giriisindahouse As I said. The kid's got talent. "The kid had talent" doesn't work.
"This kid, who is no longer a kid today because he has grown up, had talent in this video--and still must have that same talent today." Is that what you want?
@kc7fys He is in trance from being completely absorbed in the moment of expression... he is channeling the infinite creativity and beatific vision of The Supreme.
Perhaps you mean the instrument appears to be a small six-string electric guitar. This instrument is quite clearly not a tenor guitar. In reality, Shrinivas plays either custom-made six-string mandolins or eight-string ones with cropped headstocks, leaving one tuning peg unstrung and playing only five strings, tuned to CGCGC, a five-string equivalent of the not-uncommon Open C guitar tuning.
hi recently bought a mandolin but its the eight string version, i have taken off the extra strings to try and replicate the srinivas model but am unsure the order of thickness of the strings to get the sa pa sa pa sa
am i meant to have three really thick strings and two thin ones, or two really thick strings and three really thin ones,
@kc7fys Did you notice that he is smiling? What is called a mandolin in South India will constructed differently than in the west to as to be able to perform in the style of Carnatic instruments. The style setter, the veena, has influenced how all other stringed instruments are constructed and or modified to suit the Carnatic sound. The same is true for the western wind instruments adopted by Carnatic Musicians. They are all influenced by the Nadaswaram.
@justinge999 That's a good question if you weren't being snarky. This young man's improvisation is particularly competent, considering his age--and for a musician at any age. That's how it's good.
You are completely correct. I don't think the person who uploaded this video really realized how incredible this video actually is. In the Carnatic world, Mandolin Srinivas is one of the top instrumentalists out there, and having a video of him playing this young is incredible.
Uppalapu Shrinivas is a greate mandolin player, and the graetest that I know. Love his work with Shakti, a amazing fusion/world band founded by John Mclaughlin (my favorite guitar player) and Zakir Hussain (my favourite Tabla percussionist) :)
wonderful performance, but it should be pointed out that he's playing a mini electric guitar and not a mandolin, a mandolin has 4 courses of 2 strings each, the guitar has 6 solo strings.
Years ago when I was working in Chennai, (what used to be called Madras then), I made it a point to attend every one of his concerts. It brought tears to my eyes, people wondered what was wrong with me when they thought I was crying. Only a divine gift can explain such talent. There could be no other explanation. Thank you very much for posting.
Thank you very much for introducing yourself. I had the opportunity to visit your website and remain in awe. "Morning shows the day." Wish you much success with your future endeavours.
I would like to be the one with such an awesome talent, but I'm only the "messenger". The man with the real musical gift you see in this video is named "U. Shrinivas" and you can find a lot more, including his own official website, simply by Googling his name.
Amazing - never saw a video of him playing this young. I also recognize Kanyakumari on Violin - she looks very young too. This performance must have happened some 25 years ago!
this is pretty much the time frame. I happy to hear of the violin player's name as well for the first time...
The story of how I found this video and how it ended-up on youTube seems to prove that this footage has some kind of life on his own :) I guess maybe you can say it's a VHS tape with a good karma :)
Even today, I can hardly tell the difference between a guitar and a mandolin (and posters on this list say the instrument he plays even seems to be something else again). Yet, I was moved by this music and that's why this old tape never got to be recycled or discarded.
@AbdulahZinDaHouse : They tend to say that because he modified the instrument. Originally, he learned on a traditional mandolin... he found that to play Indian classical music, he needed to change the tuning, and add an extra string (Sa-Pa-Sa-Pa-Sa) to give it sufficient range, and also because Sa and Pa are the only anchored pitches; all others are loosely defined.
He also uses the headpiece from a guitar rather than a mandolin simply because it has room to hold 6 strings (he uses 5, though).
I collected quite some illegal copies on casstte of his recordings from a Indian musicshop in Singapore, since the early eighties. Master Srinivas read the homemade inlay's.
Amazing technics for such a young boy.... and what an outstanding musician he was and has become. Great with John McLaughlin.
I would say 'truly amazing.' I am American + I have an acoustic guitar which I TRY to play. I will just say that I play the bottom string up + down the frets, it is damn hard. My fingers ache. SInce my daddy played the guitar yrs. ago before he passed, I thought "Oh Mighty Nancy, maybe you have a hidden talent" WELL I am trying very very hard. : -) The tabla I love, the mandolin has a warm spot dad had a beatle-backed American mandolin. << Truly a great vid. Thanks for sharing.:) 5-*'s for you!
No need to repeat what girls said about you on the dancefloor, the last time the bouncer let you in... No matter what you feel, I'm a beats specialist and this music has it's own rythm, from which smart people usually can infer a beat :) And yes, its not cut all in equal parts, like dried pastas, but this has a groove nonetheless.
Ah, yes, the usual comments of youtube know-it-alls who master the cheese grater and then think they can diss U Srinivas ... WTF is wrong with you people ... you should just STFU and drop jaws in awe of his musical mastery.
As thetopface wrote, this should send you to seven plains ... it did send me, it's bliss here :)
Srinivas himself refers to the instrument as 'modified'. Nobody is 'dissing' him! Perhaps one must "master the cheese grater" to get the point, as Srinivas says, "acoustic mandolins are unsuitable for carnatic music", hence the 'modified' instrument, call it what you will...
true it's not a mandolin. I've even heard carnatic musicians acknowledging this. srinivas is a great carnatic musician, no doubt, but the instrument is not a mandolin. also, he doesn't use mandolin tuning G/D/A/E, he tunes his instrument in 4ths & 5ths. perhaps the most distinguishing charactoristic of a mandolin would be it's CHORUSED STRINGS??? i.e. double strings, tuned in unison. the guy still rocks though. namaste~
I copied this from Shrinivas's site (about his mandolin):
"Normally one finds two variations in the original form of the mandolin - the acoustic and the electric (solid block).
The acoustic Mandolins are unsuitable for carnatic music. The electrically modified Mandolin is the one used by U. Shrinivas which is suitable for "gamakas" (sustained notes)."
i would like to humbly present a question... if it is not a mandolin, then why did he record a cd featuring himself entitled "Ilaiyaraaja's Classics in Mandolin?" just like how a baritone guitar is different from a normal guitar, this is a different kind of mandolin.
I completely agree, however. Even if people decide to call it a cheese-grater, it still sends one to all seven plains and further on.
that's what i thought too. I have 3 and theyre all 8 strings in guts of 2 making for 4 open notes. But theres all types. This is a type of electric mandolin using no guts cuz it doesnt need 2 strings to project the sound since its not acoustic. And it has a few more strings to add a nother octave or two.
Ok well... A mando duznt need pairs to project the sound. All it needs is tension. This is some kinda mini guitar. Close to a mando, but no apples. Kinda like a ukulele but with 6 strings. Don't insult mandos! Haha
Ya, he played with Shakti Remembered (John McLaughlin on guitar, and the incredible, mind-blowing Zakir Ali Husein on tabla). There was another guy whose name I don't remember. Saw them in Vancouver a few years ago-- simply astonishing. It was as if the music came from nowhere and they were merely its conduits.
Srivinas is not just one of the greatest Carnatic musicians, but underappreciated as a mandolin master too. See him if you can; he's simply beyond belief.
Obvisouly, this isn't the impressions of many on this page.
And until I see a video with a better performance from you (you're welcome to post it here anytime), it probably wouldn't hurt you to be a bit more respectful of this artist's work.
Don't worry for what you'll hear in hell. Mr. Srinivas will probably be busy in paradise anyway, but from what I gather, Hell just bought a huge pile of scratched vinyls from Enya, Twisted Sisters, Ozzy, Kiss and other assorted pop you probably enjoy :)
this joint sound stupid i think he needs some more practice can any body tell me what key this music is on this music sound like sound thing u would hear in hell listening to this just make me mad
Actually it's an electric mandolin... 6 tuners but five strings in 5 courses. It's an adaptation: he used to play 8-string mandolins but wanted more bass for playing solo.
He heard the mandolin in a concert when he was about 4 years old and was attracted to its sound. The typical mandolin cannot play south indian classical music very well because there are some ornamentations which are not captured perfectly...esp the sustained note. So he kept making some changes and this is the result....
Just some additional information- for someone who may need it.
He is improvising on Raga Bindumalini - A south Indian scale. The song that he is playing is called "Entha Mudho". It has been composed by the Saint Singer Tyagaraja who is probably the most popular composer in South Indian Classical Music.
I know what u mean, a lot of Indian music is really really trippy.. especially since it's been around for really long, and India has a long history of weed :p Lol... Indian music is awesome dude, u shud check out more of it if ur interested. Many indian instruments use quartertones, but I think u can play this on the major scale, but go half a note back on the 7th note and skip the 2nd note...
After much research I am pretty sure it is the Harmonic Minor Inverse Scale. Anyone have any suggestions for good websites/books for learning the basics of ragas and classical indian music?
you need to go half a note back from the 2nd note as well (not skip it). plus, you never increase frequency from c to d, you go through c->e->dflat. you never decrease from bflat to a, rather you go through the c above bflat. there is no f played when decreasing from g to e. then there are guidelines on how to shift b/w notes, what notes to emphasize, what notes to avoid like plague and when, when to ornament.
together, they form a "musical grammar" (raga)---bindumalini.
ModeratlySoberElf - the scales in Indian music are based around semi-tones. However, micro-tones, which can't be accuratley described using notation, are also utilised throughout. There are 108 "functional" rhythms and 72 "parent" scales - but virtuoso players utilise others (the theory allows for 175 rhythms apparently).
Yes as a major technophile myself, this is a good reminder that soul is more important than the technology used...
Honestly for all I care about the mandolin versus something else question, it would be even more interesting to discover that it's a special instrument built for or by himself...
Maybe I could try to ask him how he calls this instrument himself.
This is a six stringed instrument. Mandolin's (or atleast the one I play) is an 8 stringed instrument tuned in guts. Meaning for all intents and purposes its a 4 string instrument. So this might be an indian variation on the mandolin but really that's irrelevant. All that matters is this person reminds me that music and spirituality can transcend all races and borders. Hope this kid is all grown up and even further down a prodigious path.
Did you read the rest of the sentence in which I referred to him as a kid? I made reference to the fact that he is now an adult. Finish reading before you get all self-righteous.
This is indeed a mandolin. And its not Indian. A mandolin is an instrument with more forms. This is an electric version of the f-shaped mandolin. You are right in saying that it originally comes with 8 strings. But there are 6, 4 and even 12 string variants.
The tuning is anyway very different. Its tuned to suit Indian Classical music.
Last year, while cleaning up my shelves, I found an unmarked VHS.
It escaped the trashcan by miracle... But it had no label, so I decided to check this tape, to see if I there was anything I could salvage before discarding it...
And there was my amazing guitarist!!!
By then, i was still ingorant of who he was. So I thought that someone among the millions youTube users would know the answer.
If you believe that some things are meant to happen no matter what, the story of this clip and how it found its way on youTube is a thing in itself.
To begin. I was not a fan of this music, mostly because I was ignorant of it.
But I am a performing VJ. I used to record random TV snippets to mix live in my shows... I remember that more than 15 years ago, I was just amazed by this young player. I kept talking to my friends about it. I knew I had this tape somewhere, but was sure I had lost it
Actually it's a small electric guitar but he put only 5 simple strings. I have one like this. He is amazing, his aura... I was with him 3 years ago, at his home taking some lessons. Great energy. And his brother plays same level. Both awesome.
It could have been the case since this was salvaged from an old VHS tape and we see a few glitches here and there.
But it couldn't be off by that much or else the video would loose its synch.
Plus when you listen to the other instruments, their pitch don't seem to be shifted towards the hi frequencies, a good indication that it's only Mr. Shrinivas who's picking up speed as he's warming up...
I think he's playing in front of an audience. So not only does he play fast and well, but he also finds the time to smile at the audience and his band members...
He's playing Indian classical music on some kind of modern hybrid mandolinesque intrument. And he's hitting every single microtonal note. That's mad chops to me. The kid is cutting a wide swath through the thickets of musical dogma. He's a young master. He's contributing to the evolution of world music. Brave soul, intrepid young musician. May he prosper in his art.
i saw his videos on doordarshan in his beginning days - and he always - always - played like the maestro he is, even when he was eight
those looks are not looking for an exit... his music does not ring one false note - each note is masterful.
mvrks69 1 month ago
holy shit wow :O
yourdeadmother 4 months ago
to all those who are criticizing ..leave abt playing..you will need some 10 years to jus hold that instrument right and 10 more years to get that sound right..and that too in doubt...useless fellows..you dnt even deserve to critiise ..
ruthmdivine2001 5 months ago
koji kur*c???
vucibatina2810 5 months ago
Wow! This is simply too good! :)
iramaheshwari 6 months ago
WOW...!!!!!
I cant believe I see the young Sreenivas...!!! Watch that... At his tender age too, he has a great level of manodharma and how well does he enjoy himself. Thats called born talent.
Srimt. A. Kanyakumari on Violin and Sreemushnam RajaRao on Mridangam.
Simply Amazing...!!!!
harilalmn 7 months ago
A mandolin used for accompanying or performing south Indian music (popularly known as Karnatka sangeetam) is tuned as S,P,S,P,S,P or C,G,C,G,C,G. This young man in the picture is now the absolute master in this instrument and probably worshiped by many for his genius and amazing ability to perform the "Gamaka" or the sliding notes on a fretted instrument. Vidvan U.Srinivas is an absolute genius. Your work, @AbdulahZinDaHouse, has brought tears to I don't know how many. A heart felt gratitude.
bkarthiks 7 months ago
This blew my mind people! Fantastic! Bravo! 4/5!
Tylesaurus 8 months ago
Très wonderful lekker schön! :-)
Thank you very much for uploading!
Namaste!
balueke 9 months ago
COOL MAN SO GOOD PLAYING IN THIS AGE'
HANNAH41911 1 year ago
WHAT A TALENT!!!!
sufiFOREVER 1 year ago
this is crazy! (in a good way) :)
ludimladi18 1 year ago
Beautiful! Amazing violinist too.
GLPlumleeIV 1 year ago
such a genius.m.s.amma appreciated his music according to eyewitness.
vidaripollen 1 year ago
how can one listen to this and not get chills/goosebumps?
ericjay71 1 year ago
whoa!!!! nice video
karwizz 1 year ago
he may be extraordinarily good but he bored the socks off me :(
sguls2 1 year ago
@sguls2 You are a loser, take your anti-depressant and stay away from the computer
flashrules 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@flashrules I have a right to voice my opinion... he must be doing your mom or your sister for you to get so touchy about it.
sguls2 1 year ago
@sguls2 "...bored the socks off me". And you never wondered that the lack was in you and your understanding, but were nonetheless driven to 'share' this information about your self "I am bored".
jancivil 1 year ago 3
Amazing! Of course, it's not a mandolin at all, just a small electric guitar. He didn't use a guitar headstock to "add an extra string" because a mandolin has 8 strings. More importantly, the playing is beautiful.
2tallB 1 year ago
so good melody i know you are playing aier bhairav
see my link-
11 years esani dey.
TheDey990 1 year ago
its different from anything i heard, its awesome tho
murphanatorxxx 1 year ago
thank you so much for sharing this.
chethi 1 year ago
Hello India! i love you!
uncleanonymous 1 year ago
Heard about his greatness at a tender age. Thank you, now I could have a glimpse of this great musician. What a great sight! I am enriched by having this video. If at all one wishes to know how Sangeetha Sarswathi looks like, this performing kid is the answer and no words are required.
gvgsarma 1 year ago
Now thats a genius !
maknam 1 year ago
U Srinivas is very talented, but humble. He is so innovative to play Carnatic music on Mandolin. He is a genius in the sense that he proved that it doesn't matter what the instrument is, you can deliver the sweet sounds of Carnatic music from it. No limitations what so ever. See his fingers at work!!!
He is a gem and hails from Palakollu, West Godavari Dt. Andhra Pradesh. May God bless him in achieving his mission of getting Mandolin accepted like Veena and Violin in Carnatic Music concerts.
DrLalithaKala 1 year ago
Chances are he's glancing toward his guru (teacher) for approval. He is also looking at the other musicians to make sure they're on the same page for the unison composed parts of the piece.
Semaj1250 1 year ago
what raag is this ???
1nd1anb0y86 1 year ago
@1nd1anb0y86 This is Bindumalini
ShribhairaviAdithyan 1 year ago
@ShribhairaviAdithyan Thank you very much. It's a really nice Raag, first time I've actually heard this raag. Wow it's amazing. South Indian Classical Music Kyaa Baat Hai. Look how the music style is around the world however, like my Ustad Tari Khan Sahib ji my ustadji said, where ever you go around the world music always has the same language but in that part of the world they have a different style of rhythmn.
1nd1anb0y86 1 year ago
different cultures, or religions even, handle such things as the idea of notoriety or fame for playing an instrument VERY differently, and as old as this is, even considering the technique, is not very mandolin like, it must have been an awesome experience to witness first hand, let alone, be the kid doing that at the time.
Anekretia 1 year ago
So much is lost in cross-cultural interpretation. To me, he looks like he's uncomfortable and is looking for an exit. He keep scanning the room, or perhaps looking at other musicians out of the frame. Also, his 'mandolin' appears to be a tenor electric guitar. Depending on the tuning, it could be called a mandolin, but size and shape would be the only way to call it that. Whatever you call it--he is very competent.
kc7fys 1 year ago
@kc7fys If he's looking for an exit, he's doin' it pretty fast :) Since they seem to be partly improvising as they go, he looks to me like pretty much any other jazz musician I've seen, making quick eye contact with his bandmates, the crowd etc... to make sure he's in tune and also to share the joy of playing together.
AbdulahZinDaHouse 1 year ago 16
@kc7fys you seem to have a high opinion of yourself.. If you dont understand the music genre, better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt
saig2007 1 year ago
@saig2007 ?? I do have a reasonably good opinion of myself, yes. I hope you do as well. Unasked questions only lead to confusion. I have the temerity to ask, and I've learned. This "fool" has become slightly more enlightened as a result, smart-ass.
kc7fys 1 year ago
@kc7fys His looking at the accompanying musicians is very common in Carnatic music. He isn't uncomfortable, just very intense and serious. I listened to him live last year (he must be forty now!), and he is still intense, serious and amazingly creative.
vs1729 1 year ago
@vs1729 Thanks for the clarification. I understand now, and I really have enjoyed this man's music. Improvisation is a sort of spiritual exercise, whenever its practiced. Thanks for helping me understand more fully.
kc7fys 1 year ago
@kc7fys
It is a sign of appreciation for the audience to count out the rhythm, move to the beat, etc. This is something that doesn't happen in Western classical music. In fact, it's not uncommon for the audience to dance during concerts. He is probably watching for this.
motownxphilly 1 year ago
@kc7fys hahah competent! interesting word choice, mind HIS AGE.....
Revolvingsound 1 year ago
@Revolvingsound ?? You don't find him incredibly competent? OK, to each his own.
kc7fys 1 year ago
@kc7fys hahaha you didnt say incredibly competent. you said competent. there is a big difference, and mind his age. he is much more than competent! competent means qualified, able to do etc etc
Revolvingsound 1 year ago
he is super active. he is a genius. if he needed an exit, he would not be still playing now. he is the one who has digested mandolin in carnatic music and made everyone just flatter. each time i watch this, i just realize that i cannot find bindumalini better than this anywhere, which has come from this small boy, oh my god i cant believe this.
keerthanasundarkumar 1 year ago
@keerthanasundarkumar I agree. The kid's got talent.
kc7fys 1 year ago
@kc7fys lol he's no longer a kid this is way way back
giriisindahouse 1 year ago
@giriisindahouse As I said. The kid's got talent. "The kid had talent" doesn't work.
"This kid, who is no longer a kid today because he has grown up, had talent in this video--and still must have that same talent today." Is that what you want?
kc7fys 1 year ago
@kc7fys He is in trance from being completely absorbed in the moment of expression... he is channeling the infinite creativity and beatific vision of The Supreme.
ProfesseurX 10 months ago
@kc7fys
Perhaps you mean the instrument appears to be a small six-string electric guitar. This instrument is quite clearly not a tenor guitar. In reality, Shrinivas plays either custom-made six-string mandolins or eight-string ones with cropped headstocks, leaving one tuning peg unstrung and playing only five strings, tuned to CGCGC, a five-string equivalent of the not-uncommon Open C guitar tuning.
RoflCopterAce 9 months ago
@RoflCopterAce
hi recently bought a mandolin but its the eight string version, i have taken off the extra strings to try and replicate the srinivas model but am unsure the order of thickness of the strings to get the sa pa sa pa sa
am i meant to have three really thick strings and two thin ones, or two really thick strings and three really thin ones,
username3123 6 months ago
@kc7fys Did you notice that he is smiling? What is called a mandolin in South India will constructed differently than in the west to as to be able to perform in the style of Carnatic instruments. The style setter, the veena, has influenced how all other stringed instruments are constructed and or modified to suit the Carnatic sound. The same is true for the western wind instruments adopted by Carnatic Musicians. They are all influenced by the Nadaswaram.
drum4uz 4 months ago
How is this good again?
justinge999 1 year ago
@justinge999 That's a good question if you weren't being snarky. This young man's improvisation is particularly competent, considering his age--and for a musician at any age. That's how it's good.
kc7fys 1 year ago
A true gift. It makes a person stop and ponder.
boris1887 1 year ago
aha... great song "enthamudo, entha sogaso.." kanyakumari on the violin is also a genius..
g3forall 1 year ago 2
oh.
my.
god.
JustinHSabaj 1 year ago
amazing :)
casparandres2 1 year ago
yes .. we use a modified 5-string mandolin first devised by U.Shrinivasji for Karnatic Music..
pkharry 1 year ago
The GENIUS mandolin player who still feels he has not achieved anything.
masterprofession 1 year ago
aahh, to grow up in the age of McLaughlin!
GeezerYoung 1 year ago
is this considered Carnatic music? he "shreds"
eyeh8usernaymes 2 years ago 2
You have no idea what you have uploaded. Gold!
hgowda 2 years ago 19
@hgowda
You are completely correct. I don't think the person who uploaded this video really realized how incredible this video actually is. In the Carnatic world, Mandolin Srinivas is one of the top instrumentalists out there, and having a video of him playing this young is incredible.
worlddominator62 3 months ago
Can someone tell me the ragam he playing?
natarajanganesan 2 years ago
Ragam Bindumalini.
TejasM14 2 years ago
saw him live back 3 yrs ago... pretty damn good!
Brom24 2 years ago 2
This is blowin' my mind.
DJDrDerek 2 years ago 2
Uppalapu Shrinivas is a greate mandolin player, and the graetest that I know. Love his work with Shakti, a amazing fusion/world band founded by John Mclaughlin (my favorite guitar player) and Zakir Hussain (my favourite Tabla percussionist) :)
Corilo91 2 years ago 3
this music is pure and beautiful, moving in every note.
i love the drone instruements as well, shrivnas is great, can you recommend any other classical indian musicians?
anyone?
HeTheTree 2 years ago
bade ghulam ali khan -the king of them all
acryingguitar 2 years ago
K2tSWuunG88 check this video of the grand master
acryingguitar 2 years ago
@HeTheTree ALL 1st videos
1) search for Raga Abheri
2) Search for Shri Valli
3)Search for charukesi veena
Enjoy.
Balatesting 2 years ago
wonderful performance, but it should be pointed out that he's playing a mini electric guitar and not a mandolin, a mandolin has 4 courses of 2 strings each, the guitar has 6 solo strings.
thank you for posting this comment
strumian 2 years ago
you are right. he has modified the mandolin.
thegoogly 2 years ago
electric mandolins are commonly single-strung. I believe this is a five- or six-string electric mandolin.
krdurham 2 years ago
Years ago when I was working in Chennai, (what used to be called Madras then), I made it a point to attend every one of his concerts. It brought tears to my eyes, people wondered what was wrong with me when they thought I was crying. Only a divine gift can explain such talent. There could be no other explanation. Thank you very much for posting.
donbradman 2 years ago
Thank you very much for introducing yourself. I had the opportunity to visit your website and remain in awe. "Morning shows the day." Wish you much success with your future endeavours.
japanesesen 2 years ago
I would like to be the one with such an awesome talent, but I'm only the "messenger". The man with the real musical gift you see in this video is named "U. Shrinivas" and you can find a lot more, including his own official website, simply by Googling his name.
AbdulahZinDaHouse 2 years ago
Very nice!! Awesome!! You are a very talented young artist!! I hope to hear more from you.
japanesesen 2 years ago
Amazing - never saw a video of him playing this young. I also recognize Kanyakumari on Violin - she looks very young too. This performance must have happened some 25 years ago!
rajaha 2 years ago
this is pretty much the time frame. I happy to hear of the violin player's name as well for the first time...
The story of how I found this video and how it ended-up on youTube seems to prove that this footage has some kind of life on his own :) I guess maybe you can say it's a VHS tape with a good karma :)
AbdulahZinDaHouse 2 years ago
wow, great footage!
i am lucky to have some footage of the next mandolin master of today, the north indian style. (see videos of shehasish)
LiftoffMusic 2 years ago
Even today, I can hardly tell the difference between a guitar and a mandolin (and posters on this list say the instrument he plays even seems to be something else again). Yet, I was moved by this music and that's why this old tape never got to be recycled or discarded.
AbdulahZinDaHouse 2 years ago
@AbdulahZinDaHouse : They tend to say that because he modified the instrument. Originally, he learned on a traditional mandolin... he found that to play Indian classical music, he needed to change the tuning, and add an extra string (Sa-Pa-Sa-Pa-Sa) to give it sufficient range, and also because Sa and Pa are the only anchored pitches; all others are loosely defined.
He also uses the headpiece from a guitar rather than a mandolin simply because it has room to hold 6 strings (he uses 5, though).
ShootMyMonkey 1 year ago
I collected quite some illegal copies on casstte of his recordings from a Indian musicshop in Singapore, since the early eighties. Master Srinivas read the homemade inlay's.
Amazing technics for such a young boy.... and what an outstanding musician he was and has become. Great with John McLaughlin.
asiantraveller 2 years ago
just unbelievable!
dajnoch 2 years ago
Comment removed
nocturnarboreal 2 years ago
I would say 'truly amazing.' I am American + I have an acoustic guitar which I TRY to play. I will just say that I play the bottom string up + down the frets, it is damn hard. My fingers ache. SInce my daddy played the guitar yrs. ago before he passed, I thought "Oh Mighty Nancy, maybe you have a hidden talent" WELL I am trying very very hard. : -) The tabla I love, the mandolin has a warm spot dad had a beatle-backed American mandolin. << Truly a great vid. Thanks for sharing.:) 5-*'s for you!
nancyl2 2 years ago
No need to repeat what girls said about you on the dancefloor, the last time the bouncer let you in... No matter what you feel, I'm a beats specialist and this music has it's own rythm, from which smart people usually can infer a beat :) And yes, its not cut all in equal parts, like dried pastas, but this has a groove nonetheless.
AbdulahZinDaHouse 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
this music has no beat, its just weird and awkward
Beauthegreat1 2 years ago
Comment removed
saig2007 2 years ago
He's like Usain Bolt, just waltzing thru it as if nothing special. I'd sweat like hell if i played less than half his speed.
heavyatheart 2 years ago 3
Sheer Bliss!!!
tezla4u 2 years ago
Great Video can you upload if you got more...
Do you have the video of Srinivas performance at Berlin Jazz festival....
If someone has it can you please upload that concert.
nts1020 2 years ago
Ah, yes, the usual comments of youtube know-it-alls who master the cheese grater and then think they can diss U Srinivas ... WTF is wrong with you people ... you should just STFU and drop jaws in awe of his musical mastery.
As thetopface wrote, this should send you to seven plains ... it did send me, it's bliss here :)
Tentacleed 2 years ago 2
Srinivas himself refers to the instrument as 'modified'. Nobody is 'dissing' him! Perhaps one must "master the cheese grater" to get the point, as Srinivas says, "acoustic mandolins are unsuitable for carnatic music", hence the 'modified' instrument, call it what you will...
gadulka 2 years ago
aise baja kar dikhaye koi gutar toe mannu
shrutidyundi 2 years ago
true it's not a mandolin. I've even heard carnatic musicians acknowledging this. srinivas is a great carnatic musician, no doubt, but the instrument is not a mandolin. also, he doesn't use mandolin tuning G/D/A/E, he tunes his instrument in 4ths & 5ths. perhaps the most distinguishing charactoristic of a mandolin would be it's CHORUSED STRINGS??? i.e. double strings, tuned in unison. the guy still rocks though. namaste~
gadulka 2 years ago
I copied this from Shrinivas's site (about his mandolin):
"Normally one finds two variations in the original form of the mandolin - the acoustic and the electric (solid block).
The acoustic Mandolins are unsuitable for carnatic music. The electrically modified Mandolin is the one used by U. Shrinivas which is suitable for "gamakas" (sustained notes)."
Juvenaly 2 years ago
i would like to humbly present a question... if it is not a mandolin, then why did he record a cd featuring himself entitled "Ilaiyaraaja's Classics in Mandolin?" just like how a baritone guitar is different from a normal guitar, this is a different kind of mandolin.
I completely agree, however. Even if people decide to call it a cheese-grater, it still sends one to all seven plains and further on.
thetopface 2 years ago
lol the hottest lick at 1:24, and the video cuts to some lady
jazzpsalti 2 years ago 2
This has been flagged as spam show
That's not a fuckin mando guys! Some ppl!!! Mando has 8, count em 8 strings!!!
wes0507 2 years ago
that's what i thought too. I have 3 and theyre all 8 strings in guts of 2 making for 4 open notes. But theres all types. This is a type of electric mandolin using no guts cuz it doesnt need 2 strings to project the sound since its not acoustic. And it has a few more strings to add a nother octave or two.
quasiphatpaul 2 years ago
Ok well... A mando duznt need pairs to project the sound. All it needs is tension. This is some kinda mini guitar. Close to a mando, but no apples. Kinda like a ukulele but with 6 strings. Don't insult mandos! Haha
wes0507 2 years ago
jai mera hindustan hu jai israel!
geva90 2 years ago
sheer brilliance!!
89anirudh 2 years ago 2
Also remember me the great talent of the young AMRAT HUSSAIN which start to perform on the indien national TV around 10 year old !!
carnout 2 years ago
Ya, he played with Shakti Remembered (John McLaughlin on guitar, and the incredible, mind-blowing Zakir Ali Husein on tabla). There was another guy whose name I don't remember. Saw them in Vancouver a few years ago-- simply astonishing. It was as if the music came from nowhere and they were merely its conduits.
Srivinas is not just one of the greatest Carnatic musicians, but underappreciated as a mandolin master too. See him if you can; he's simply beyond belief.
fastabulus 2 years ago
how old is this guy? i realise it is kind of irrelevant, as he is clearly a prodigy, but just out of interest does anyone know his age? Thanks
joebandana 2 years ago
@joebandana In this video he's around 10-11 years old, but this was a long time ago.
He is 38-40 years old now.
Just search his name and you'll see his videos in abundance.
guitarguy1381 1 year ago
Isn't that the same guy who played with Shakti later? I think its him, a fantastic artist indeed. Thank you for sharing.
NartMakhsida 2 years ago
Obvisouly, this isn't the impressions of many on this page.
And until I see a video with a better performance from you (you're welcome to post it here anytime), it probably wouldn't hurt you to be a bit more respectful of this artist's work.
Don't worry for what you'll hear in hell. Mr. Srinivas will probably be busy in paradise anyway, but from what I gather, Hell just bought a huge pile of scratched vinyls from Enya, Twisted Sisters, Ozzy, Kiss and other assorted pop you probably enjoy :)
AbdulahZinDaHouse 2 years ago
Quite right... but nothing wrong with Enya... although a scratched Enya vinyl would be hellish!!
danrobottom 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
this joint sound stupid i think he needs some more practice can any body tell me what key this music is on this music sound like sound thing u would hear in hell listening to this just make me mad
08guitar 2 years ago
ha ha ha
heyspacecowboy 2 years ago
Comment removed
firemuffin 2 years ago
08guitar ura fucktard
firemuffin 2 years ago
bravo be ruva!!!!!!!!!!!!! NICEEE!!!!!!!super ;)
studiomanuel 2 years ago
that has six strings not eight
not a mandolin.
dukenukembunz69 2 years ago
Actually it's an electric mandolin... 6 tuners but five strings in 5 courses. It's an adaptation: he used to play 8-string mandolins but wanted more bass for playing solo.
jakewildwood 2 years ago
untrue
mothe1st 2 years ago
priceless video!
lazykidarr 2 years ago
Thanx for all those details. You can see in the comments that many people were wondering about these. Don't hesitate to post more if you know.
I barely knew what a mandolin was, only five years ago, but the more I know about Mr. Shrinivas and his skills, the more he fascinates me...
AbdulahZinDaHouse 2 years ago
Info about the instrument :-
He heard the mandolin in a concert when he was about 4 years old and was attracted to its sound. The typical mandolin cannot play south indian classical music very well because there are some ornamentations which are not captured perfectly...esp the sustained note. So he kept making some changes and this is the result....
dhrupadfan 2 years ago
Just some additional information- for someone who may need it.
He is improvising on Raga Bindumalini - A south Indian scale. The song that he is playing is called "Entha Mudho". It has been composed by the Saint Singer Tyagaraja who is probably the most popular composer in South Indian Classical Music.
dhrupadfan 2 years ago 3
so matured for this age!!!
Rambokalyan 2 years ago
Anyone know what scale this is? Or if he is using quartertones? This is a mad trippy song.
ModeratlySoberElf 2 years ago
this raga is called bhindamathi (not sure about spelling)........
guitarguy1381 2 years ago
it is bindumalini
flashrules 2 years ago
I know what u mean, a lot of Indian music is really really trippy.. especially since it's been around for really long, and India has a long history of weed :p Lol... Indian music is awesome dude, u shud check out more of it if ur interested. Many indian instruments use quartertones, but I think u can play this on the major scale, but go half a note back on the 7th note and skip the 2nd note...
kafcin 2 years ago 2
They also have a long history with opium...
After much research I am pretty sure it is the Harmonic Minor Inverse Scale. Anyone have any suggestions for good websites/books for learning the basics of ragas and classical indian music?
ModeratlySoberElf 2 years ago
what is a harmonic minor inverse?
mothe1st 2 years ago
trippy? whatever.
you need to go half a note back from the 2nd note as well (not skip it). plus, you never increase frequency from c to d, you go through c->e->dflat. you never decrease from bflat to a, rather you go through the c above bflat. there is no f played when decreasing from g to e. then there are guidelines on how to shift b/w notes, what notes to emphasize, what notes to avoid like plague and when, when to ornament.
together, they form a "musical grammar" (raga)---bindumalini.
nsanthan 2 years ago
No disrespect meant. When I say "trippy" I group that adjective with creative, innovative etc.
kafcin 2 years ago 7
ModeratlySoberElf - the scales in Indian music are based around semi-tones. However, micro-tones, which can't be accuratley described using notation, are also utilised throughout. There are 108 "functional" rhythms and 72 "parent" scales - but virtuoso players utilise others (the theory allows for 175 rhythms apparently).
BrainFPatterson 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Twaddling around on a banal scale.
MandoMohan 2 years ago
Comment removed
fcubic 2 years ago
Hey, foul mouth, I don't know who it is. It's still a banal scale that goes nowhwere.
MandoMohan 2 years ago
Yes as a major technophile myself, this is a good reminder that soul is more important than the technology used...
Honestly for all I care about the mandolin versus something else question, it would be even more interesting to discover that it's a special instrument built for or by himself...
Maybe I could try to ask him how he calls this instrument himself.
AbdulahZinDaHouse 2 years ago
This is a six stringed instrument. Mandolin's (or atleast the one I play) is an 8 stringed instrument tuned in guts. Meaning for all intents and purposes its a 4 string instrument. So this might be an indian variation on the mandolin but really that's irrelevant. All that matters is this person reminds me that music and spirituality can transcend all races and borders. Hope this kid is all grown up and even further down a prodigious path.
quasiphatpaul 2 years ago
There are many 4 string mandolin models, most notably the Fender 50's, 60's model. Very nice they look, too.
MandoMohan 2 years ago
I know there are. My point was that this instrument is has SIX strings.
quasiphatpaul 2 years ago
Kid? This is a pretty old video. He has performed with many great musicians. Try searching U Srinivas on youtube
indimonster 2 years ago
Did you read the rest of the sentence in which I referred to him as a kid? I made reference to the fact that he is now an adult. Finish reading before you get all self-righteous.
quasiphatpaul 2 years ago
This is indeed a mandolin. And its not Indian. A mandolin is an instrument with more forms. This is an electric version of the f-shaped mandolin. You are right in saying that it originally comes with 8 strings. But there are 6, 4 and even 12 string variants.
The tuning is anyway very different. Its tuned to suit Indian Classical music.
tejaswy123 2 years ago 2
this is not a six stringed instrument. It only has 5 strings.
duberdoo 2 years ago
What a marvellous melody - I have always learned to appreciate raga delineation from U Srinivas. His is one of the best...
tanapp 2 years ago
:) Nice story!! And thanks for the video.
By the way the violinist is a talented lady called Kanyakumari
dhrupadfan 2 years ago
Wow Kanyakumari - Best Violinist :-). Hats off to her
dvraaghu 2 years ago
Last year, while cleaning up my shelves, I found an unmarked VHS.
It escaped the trashcan by miracle... But it had no label, so I decided to check this tape, to see if I there was anything I could salvage before discarding it...
And there was my amazing guitarist!!!
By then, i was still ingorant of who he was. So I thought that someone among the millions youTube users would know the answer.
You can follow the rest in the posts.. :)
AbdulahZinDaHouse 2 years ago
If you believe that some things are meant to happen no matter what, the story of this clip and how it found its way on youTube is a thing in itself.
To begin. I was not a fan of this music, mostly because I was ignorant of it.
But I am a performing VJ. I used to record random TV snippets to mix live in my shows... I remember that more than 15 years ago, I was just amazed by this young player. I kept talking to my friends about it. I knew I had this tape somewhere, but was sure I had lost it
AbdulahZinDaHouse 2 years ago
Did you work for DD how did you get this . I used to follow this guys music . he must be in his late 30's now.
kosopet 2 years ago
Srinivas is a great artist in line with Kadri, L Subramanian, Dr Ramani, MSG etc.......great is mother India who has given this jewel to us.
kishorh 2 years ago
This is terrific.
minutegongcoughs 2 years ago
Could people who know these kind of things agree on what this instrument is? I'll be happy to update the info on my page accordingly.
AbdulahZinDaHouse 2 years ago
Actually it's a small electric guitar but he put only 5 simple strings. I have one like this. He is amazing, his aura... I was with him 3 years ago, at his home taking some lessons. Great energy. And his brother plays same level. Both awesome.
God bless them
BLUEDOTSVLC 2 years ago
NOT a mandolin. Notice the 6 strings...
Theemotto1 2 years ago
What a great video, thanks so much for posting. Amazing seeing him play so well at such a young age....truly a prodigy
saiph84 2 years ago
NOT A MANDOLIN
medlum 3 years ago
yea it is, its just modified to sound more like a sitar. that is a mandobird
watson123445566 3 years ago
i see there r just 6 wires there, i think its a type more of an a small electric guitar, what do you think?
smashtree 2 years ago
uh, yea it is buddy. It's an electric mandolin ;-)
saiph84 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
this sucks mad balls
tophernessofdoom 3 years ago
The music flows like a conversation and they are both talking about the same thing... fantastic
ifaskunkskunksyou 3 years ago
That fucker's having so much fun up there. Look at the smiles. Great mando work
bonapartist1 3 years ago
starting at 1:44 the video looks real time, but the area around his fretting hand looks like a sped-up video. Wicked.
apazeia 3 years ago
It could have been the case since this was salvaged from an old VHS tape and we see a few glitches here and there.
But it couldn't be off by that much or else the video would loose its synch.
Plus when you listen to the other instruments, their pitch don't seem to be shifted towards the hi frequencies, a good indication that it's only Mr. Shrinivas who's picking up speed as he's warming up...
AbdulahZinDaHouse 3 years ago
i love this performance
bernard35 3 years ago
Michael Angelo Batio obviously has a son in india
kps142 3 years ago
tis kid is 40+ now.....i wud say U srinivas has a son named Michael Angelo of nitro band...
rishulmatta16 3 years ago 5
sorry to get caught in the argument but cant a mando have eight strings? four doubled strings? I dont know, kinda like a twelve string guitar?
brandenbran 3 years ago
Mandolin usually has 4 double strings (therefore, 8 strings), tuned in couples,
E A D G from the higher. This instrument is somewhat different.
paolomanueldec 3 years ago
okay thanks
brandenbran 3 years ago
why does he keep looking around
robertbarrentine 3 years ago
I think he's playing in front of an audience. So not only does he play fast and well, but he also finds the time to smile at the audience and his band members...
AbdulahZinDaHouse 3 years ago
He's playing Indian classical music on some kind of modern hybrid mandolinesque intrument. And he's hitting every single microtonal note. That's mad chops to me. The kid is cutting a wide swath through the thickets of musical dogma. He's a young master. He's contributing to the evolution of world music. Brave soul, intrepid young musician. May he prosper in his art.
Cminor7sus4 3 years ago 8
This has been flagged as spam show
thats not the real sound of a mandolin come on..its an amplified instrument thats made to sound like a sitar. even my bird can play like this
vincenz55 3 years ago