Jankaar Beats 2023: A Journey on Musical Waves

Anandan Sivamani - known to his fans as just Sivamani - is an electrifying performer and one of the leading drummers of India. His work blends classical drumming styles - he studied with Carnatic master S.P. Balasubramaniam - with jazz and world beats to create a propulsive sound that pulls in many instruments and traditions.

As a child, he says, he drummed on pots and pans in the kitchen, and that exuberance has never left him - he's an enthusiastic ambassador for the drum around india and the globe. Sivamani has collaborated, notably, with: Youssou N'Dour, tabla player Zakir Hussain, flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia, percussionist Elvin Jones, and A.R. Rahman, the multi-Oscar award winner and composer of Bombay Dreams. Last winter, he released his first solo album, Mahaleela, featuring his own compositions. One of Sivamani’s cherished experiences is sharing the stage with Billy Cobham for a concert in Mumbai’s Rang Bhavan. From then on there was no looking back, as he continued to  experiment and collaborate with renowned musicians.

Having carved out a niche, distinct identity and style of his own, Stephen Devassy is a performing artist who transcends all genres, amazing audiences across globe. A youth icon of modern music, Stephen has explored different avenues, onstage and in studios. Both acoustic and electronic sounds have influenced him and his capacity to exhibit new techniques and sonic possibilities has made him an acclaimed artist.

His followers on social media run into the millions, unprecedented for any young pianist or keyboard performer. Though only 35, Stephen Devassy is already credited with a record number of performances - approximately on 2,000 stages in over 60 countries - an unparalleled feat by anyone in the world. Rated as the fastest keyboard player, Stephen is fondly known as ‘Flying Fingers’ and ‘Prince of Piano'.

Naresh Iyer is a playback singer from Mumbai, India, born into a Tamil-speaking family from Mumbai. Naresh Iyer has rendered film songs in several Indian languages and has several chart hits to his credit. His rendition of "Roobaroo" from the movie Rang De Basanti composed by A. R. Rahman topped the music charts for many weeks in 2006 and won him the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer. He also won the Filmfare award in the R.D. Burman Musical Talent category. He is one of the few playback singers to have won both a Filmfare Award and a National Award in his professional debut singing year.

Seethalakshmi rose to fame when she won the extremely popular show “Top Singer” on Flowers TV (one of India's top Malayalam channels). At just 18 years of age, she has already been compared to many great female playback singers the country has produced. She has recorded over 20 songs in Malayalam and done multiple shows in India and abroad.  Seethalakshmi has a huge fan base across the world among the Malayalee and Tamil audience.

Steven Samuel Devassy is a child prodigy with acclaimed skills in both singing and drumming. His energy-packed performances on stage are acclaimed as electrifying and unbelievable by masters in the industry. Recognised as the fastest child drummer, Steven has been invited to leading music academies in USA. He is a brand ambassador for world-famous manufacturer Zildjian Cymbals and the youngest to ever receive such an honour. Steven is also the youngest in the world to complete Trinity College of London's Grade 8 drums exam, with record scores.