Biography
A Vocalist , Multi Instrumentalist , Composer , Director Filmmaker , Innovator, Motivational Speaker and Traveller .
Dr. Prakash Sontakke perform various genres of music as well as performing Classical and Fusion on the Hawaiian Slide Guitar and various other instruments .
His concerts are marked with a unique sense of creativity and exploration.
Lineage Gharana and Music Education
Dr. Prakash Sontakke is a Phd in Music and belongs to the illustrious Gwalior Gharana . His father Dr RB Sontakke is one of the senior most disciples of Pt Omkarnath Thakur and his mother Dr Mani Sontakke is the disciple of Pt Lalmani Mishra. Both Dr R B Sontakke and Dr Mani Sontakke were Educators in Benaras Hindu University for well over 40 years. Dr R B Sontakke and Dr Mani Sontakke established the Hindustani Sangeet Vidyapeeth in Bangalore where they coached hundreds of students who are also busy performers in the field.
Present Production
Collaboration on slide guitar with D Imman for the super hit song “Kannana Kanne ” and also featured in the video which had more than 140 million views on the YouTube.
Theatre Connection
Theatre Connection – He has composed and directed music for several plays and productions and the work has been appreciated largely. His music for Charandas Chor and Girish Karnads “Yayati ” were critically acclaimed.
His music for the play “ Crossing to Talikota” written by Girish Karnad and directed by Arjun Sajnani got appreciated widely and won critical acclaim.
Collaborations
Featured in ECM records on the album “MERCURIAL BALM” as a guest with the duo “FOOD” also featured are Thomas Strønen, Iain Ballamy, Nils Petter Molvær, Eivind Aarset and Christian Fennesz.
Featured in the fusion album “THUNDER” with Narada Michael Walden Drummer – Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston
Collaborated with Peru-born guitarist CIRO HURTADO one of the finest performers of traditional Latin music for his albuM “AYAHUASCA DREAMS”
Featured in the Coke Studio Season 2 @ Mtv with the rocking directors of Bollywood Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa .
His TEDx Talks was very well received.
His concert at NAMM ( National Association of Music Merchants of America ) with Salar Nader was very well received.
Performer, Producer, Director, Innovator Dr. Prakash Sontakke has also been a Judge for the “Idea Rocks India” Reality show.
The Bollywood Connection – One can hear Dr Prakash Sontakke Guitar as well as voice in over 300 movies in Bollywood , Tollywood Sandalwood industries apart from Malyalam Bengali , Assamese , Oriya Gujrati , Punjabi and Malay .Recent popular movies were RAM LEELA , BANGISTAN , HAMARAY PYARE PRIME MINISTER
Awards
Associated with 2 Grammy award winning albums as a Co-Composer , Vocalist and Guitarist on the Grammy Winning Album “WINDS OF SAMSAARA” and more recently with ” DIVINE TIDES” as a song writer. He is the only one to have won the Independent World Music Awards, USA and the Nashville Award for composers where his composition was chosen over the maestro Illayaraja.