Vasu The percussionist

Vasudevan a talented percussionist hails from a family of distinguished musicians. His grandmother Kiranoor Jayalakshmi,a renowned artiste of yesteryears was one of the pioneer carnatic flautist among women in India and his father was the legendary dance Guru Sri.K.J.Govindarajan who was a great composer and choreographer. He has had his training under eminent Gurus Sri.K.M.Vaidyanathan, Sri G Harishankar,Sri. Karaikudi R Mani and trained for Ghatam under Sri.A.S.Shanker.He has studied carnatic vocal music under Smt.T.Mukta. He started to perform since he was 12 and has accompanied many great musicians and dancers.He has performed extensively in Europe,N.America,South America, Caribean Islands.,Canada and in India .He has participated in major Festivals like the Caribbean Drum Festival Guyana,with African Drummers,International Drum festival Montreal 1997, INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, Montréal 2000, and Music and Dance festival Quebec city 2000.

He is a graded artiste in ALL INDIA RADIO, New Delhi.He was awarded the ARTISTE OF THE DECADE award in 1986 in New Delhi. He has given command performance for the President of India. He has also played with Jazz musicians and played fusion with musicians from Iran and China,which were well received by the audience and the press.Vasu and his wife Uma (a Professional classical Bharatanatyam Dancer) were featured on Busy Bodies, on the CBC in the year 1996.Vasu has also provided mridangam accompaniment to a number of films made by the National Film Board of Canada like “Welcome to Canada” and “Faces of the Hands” and “Tell Me it is’t true”.

In the year 2001 Vasu performed for Poussieres etoiles produced by Musique Multi Montreal touring the region of Quebec.As a teacher Vasu has created a whole generation of rigorously trained Canadian and Indian drummers in Montreal.He has been active in promoting an understanding of Indian art and culture and also keeping an openness towards other cultures in the true sprit of cross cultural communication.He has given numerous workshops and demonstrations in Schools and Universities like The University of Montreal,Mcgill University, Concordia University and The University of Sherbrooke to educate the younger Canadians in this art.

The most important contribution that Vasu has made to Indian music in Canada is to establish its presence in the larger Canadian mind through tireless efforts continuously made over a period of 15 years. His students have participated in the major festivals in North America and have won prizes. The students range from age 8 to 44 and coming from different cultural backgrounds.

He is the one of the few artiste to recite Konakool or (drum harmonics) and play Mridangam simultaneously.


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