NDTV Interview of LEHERA winning the IMA award

Jugalbandi of Vid Mysore Nagraj and Prakash Sontakke

The Great Indian slide story

One can say the "The Indian slide guitar" has gone through a long and interesting journey .Long enough to write books or maybe but short enough to even go unnoticed .

The Saga

The first few instances of Slide guitar being heard in Indian music was early 4os when it was used predominently in film scores in the great Bollywood . It can be heard very clearly in the movie "MAHAL" starring the debonair Ashok Kumar and one of the most beautiful starlet to have hit the screen MADHUBALA .
Let me point out that the Indian music scenario was ,is and will always be ruled by the Vocal faculty that is the Singer . In Indian Film background scores have rarely made any meaning to the listeners . Countinuing on what I said the slide guitar could be heard very clearly in the movie cause the movie had a haunting background score .The mood was suspense , melancholic and somewhat dark . In all these desriptions the Slide guiatr fitted very well .

As time passed it was once again used rather liberally by none other than SD Burman in his combination with the enigmatic GURUDATT in most of his productions especially PYASA

Dr Suma Sudhindra and Prakash Sontakke

Prakash Sontakke and Dr Suma Sudhindra at the Gokhale institute of Public affairs .A unique jugalbandis of 2 artistes who are very contemporary in their approach.

The Raagas were Hamsadhwani, Hamsanadi, Charukeshi and Krishna Nee Begani Baro

Open Skies

An ode to the environs ?

Will our children have these beautiful skies when they grow up ?

With Maestros and freinds

With Kartick Mani at Radio
City Interview






With Balkan Guitarist Nemanya,






With Elen Mclweine , Cassius Khan and International trio Lehera





With Pt Ravindra Yavagal






With Vidwan TAS Mani




"the traveller has to knock at every alien door to come to his own" - Tagore

Swar Veena First official recording at the Dattatreya Temple Bangalore

The Swar Veena recording with the Ensemble where 3 Tablas, A Ghatam and a Morsing supported by the Talas .Accompanying melodic instruments like the Keboard for ambience and the Jalatarang add to the flavour of this Group popularly known as NADA.

My Invention the Swar Veena

The Swar Veena
C & P prakashsontakke
A combination of the Swar Mandal and the Vichitra Veena on the Indian style and it also produces sounds closer to the Dulcimer , Resophonic Guitars and the Dobros and the King of all the Lap Steel .I have been greatly inspired by musicians like Guitarist Jeff Beck , Bob Brozman ,Joe Wright , Ben Harper , Stacy Phillips and off course Pt Vishamohan Bhatt and Pt Debashish Bhattacharya

PRAKASH SONTAKKE WITH VIDUSHI PUSHPA KASHINATH AT THE FAMOUS ISKCON TEMPLE BANGALORE
A JUGAL BANDI OF KARNATICK MUSIC AND HINDUSTANI ACCOMPANIED BY TABLA , MRIDANGAM, GHATAM AND KEYBOARD

PRAKASH SONTAKKE WITH KARTICK MANI GROUP