Born on February 12, 1967, Ravikiran stunned the world in April 1969, with his ability to identify and render 325 ragas (melodic scales), 175 talas (rhythmic cycles) and answer complex questions when quizzed by luminaries including Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Pandit Ravi Shankar, M S Subbulakshmi, Flute Mali, Palghat Mani Iyer, T N Krishnan, Ramnad Krishnan and Alla Rakha.
“With mikes all around him and his hands full of biscuits, all the time playing, the child gave out correct answers“, The Music Academy Journal, 1970 (recording events of 1969).
His proclivity for music had been identified and nurtured by his father, maestro Chitravina Narasimhan even when Ravikiran was a toddler. Soon, leading organisations in India including The Music Academy, Krishna Gana Sabha and Shanmukhananda Fine Arts featured him to sell-out crowds.
