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Draft:Navneeth Sundar

Navneeth Sundar
Background information
Birth nameNavneeth Sundar
BornDecember 18, 1983
Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India
Genres
Occupation(s)Composer, Pianist, Music Producer, Geoshred Artiste, Singer, Live Performer & Collaborative Musician
Instrument(s)
Years active2009–present
WebsiteNavneeth Sundar

Navneeth Sundar (born December 18, 1983) is an Indian composer, music producer, keyboardist, iPad musician, and performer renowned for blending traditional Carnatic music with modern technology. He has collaborated with high-profile musicians such as A. R. Rahman, Ilaiyaraaja, Amit Trivedi, Harris Jayaraj, and Yuvan Shankar Raja. Navneeth is active in the Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema industries, with notable film compositions in these languages. Starting as a musical prodigy at the age of eight, he has developed a distinctive approach to classical-fusion music and is recognized for being the first to perform Carnatic music using an iPad, a feat acknowledged by the Limca Book of Records.[1]

Early Life and Education

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Navneeth Sundar's musical talent was evident from a very young age. At three, he began playing TV commercial jingles on toy keyboards. He pursued a degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Sathyabama Institute of Technology, Chennai. Before fully dedicating himself to music, Navneeth worked for 3.5 years at Infosys, a multinational Indian IT company.

 
Navneeth Sundar holding his Limca Book of Records award for the first ever iPad Carnatic concert at Hotel Clarion in Mylapore, Chennai.

Career Highlights

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Navneeth made history as the first musician to perform a pure Carnatic concert using an iPad. His performance of Desh Thillana on the iPad was shared on social media by A. R. Rahman in 2015, which skyrocketed him to fame [2]. At 20, he was awarded the title of "Sangeetha Bhaskara" at Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai, for his excellence in Classical Carnatic music. He was nominated for the award of "Best upcoming music director (Malayalam)" in Radio Mirchi awards, 2014, for his composition "Kadalil Kanmashipole" from the film Buddy. His "Madhavi" serial title song "Kadhaloru Maayama" was rated the second-best television serial title song of all time by Kumudam magazine (as of 2009). Navneeth scored for audio-visual spectacles in iconic government sports events, including the 44th Chess Olympiad in 2022 and Khelo India in 2024. He also scored for an audio-visual epic act for the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet in 2024.

Film and Music Contributions

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Navneeth began his film composing career in 2012 with "Chandrachooda" from the Malayalam film Karmayogi.[3] He followed this with Buddy in 2013[4] and made his Telugu debut with Guppedantha Prema in 2016.[5] His Tamil debut came with Pattampoochi in 2022.[6] Navneeth also composed the IIM B Anthem for the Golden Jubilee of IIM Bengaluru and the music for the web series Paani Poori (2023), which was praised for its engaging storyline and well-composed background score that aligns seamlessly with the narrative. His upcoming projects as composer are "Ticket" starring Raaghav Ranganathan & "Lucky" produced by Disney hotstar starring G. V. Prakash Kumar.

Collaborations with Prominent Musicians

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Navneeth has worked with great musicians like A. R. Rahman, Ilaiyaraaja, Amit Trivedi, Harris Jayaraj, G. V. Prakash Kumar, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Santhosh Narayanan, and James Vasanthan. He has collaborated with singers such as Shankar Mahadevan, Karthik, Vijay Prakash, Srinivas, Sujatha Mohan, Unni Krishnan, Shweta Mohan, Haricharan, Vijay Yesudas, and Saindhavi. Notably, he has worked with Bombay Jayashri on multiple projects that blend classical and contemporary styles.[7] He has also performed with Rajesh Vaidhya, a prominent veena player, combining traditional veena music with modern elements.

Collaborations with Anoop Sankar

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Navneeth has collaborated extensively with Anoop Sankar on various projects:

  • Music Carnival (title song)
  • Limelight (title song)
  • Chandrachooda (song)[8]
  • Music Mojo (covers)
  • Ayyane (song) with P. Jayachandran
  • Jai Mata Ambe (song)[9]

Filmography

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Malayalam

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Telugu

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Tamil

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TV Series

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  • Paani Poori (Tamil - 2023)[13]

Iconic Projects

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TV Title Songs

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Bands and Ensembles

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Navneeth leads his band "Navneeth Sundar Ensemble," performing his original compositions and rearranged popular songs.

Albums / Independent Productions

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  • Jungle Book (2009) [Indo-western dance ballet]
  • Dhik Dhik Ena Adikkum with Vandana Srinivasan (2012)
  • Chinnanchiru Kiliye with Shweta Mohan (2013)
  • Navneeth Sundar Ensemble Music Mojo Originals - Album (2014)
  • Ready Go - Sound of Swan with Punya Srinivas (2015)
  • Paper Boat - Theera Mazha / Naalum Kulirkaalam (2016)
  • Vande Bharathambe with Trichur Brothers (2017)
  • Shiv Thandav with Trichur Brothers (2017)
  • iPad Kutcheri (2018)[15][16][17]
  • Kanavile with Aalap Raju (2018)
  • Ayyane with P. Jayachandran (2019)
  • Quintet Kutcheri (2019)
  • Ezhundhu Vaa / Roothi Hui with Shashaa Tirupati (2020)
  • Lullaby Mashup with Abby V (2020)
  • Hanuman Chalisa with Trichur Brothers (2020)
  • Appavin Peranbile (2021)
  • Ganesha Ganesha (2021)
  • Sagaaptham Aagiren (2023)
  • Queen Madalasa's Lullaby (2023)
  • Iraivi (2024)[18]
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Contributions to GeoShred

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Navneeth is an endorsee of the iPad app instrument "GeoShred," created by Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater. He shared his GeoShred preset "Navneeth Carnatic," which he used in his popular Swagatham Krishna cover. This preset allows users to experience Carnatic Electronica, blending traditional Carnatic music with modern digital technology. Sundar continues to innovate in the field of music, using apps like GeoShred to reach new audiences.[19]

Recognition and Feedback

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Navneeth's pioneering work has earned him widespread recognition. He is a TEDx speaker[20] and has delivered talks at prestigious platforms like INK Talks[21][22], sharing his journey and insights on merging technology with traditional music.

Personal Life

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Navneeth resides in Chennai, where he continues to influence the music community through his performances, compositions, and educational initiatives.

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References

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  1. ^ "A Different Tune: Navneeth Sundar's iPad Music Journey". The Week.
  2. ^ "AR Rahman shares about Navneeth's carnatic music on iPad". Facebook.
  3. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's Chandrachooda". YouTube.
  4. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's Buddy Music Review". Times of India.
  5. ^ "Guppedantha Prema Music Reviews". Musicaloud.
  6. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's music in Pattampoochi". Behindwoods.
  7. ^ "Navneeth Sundar collaboration with Bombay Jayashri". The New Indian Express.
  8. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's Chandrachooda". YouTube.
  9. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's Jai Mata Ambe". YouTube.
  10. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's Buddy Music Review". Times of India.
  11. ^ "Guppedantha Prema Music Reviews". Musicaloud.
  12. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's music in Pattampoochi". Behindwoods.
  13. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's music in Paani Poori". Talks of Cinema.
  14. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's BCM for Tamizh Mann". YouTube.
  15. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's iPad Kutcheri". The Hindu.
  16. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's iPad Kutcheri". DT Next.
  17. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's iPad Music Journey". The Week.
  18. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's Iraivi with Navya Umesh". Prime Music.
  19. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's Geoshred preset for Carnatic Music". Moforte.
  20. ^ "Navneeth Sundar's Carnatic on iPad". YouTube.
  21. ^ "Navneeth Sundar at INK talks".
  22. ^ "Navneeth Sundar: From ideas to iTunes - INK Talks". YouTube.
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