City pianist gives Kannada songs a western twist

A young pianist has gained in popularity online for playing melodious Kannada tunes at top hotels in the city.

R R Nagar-based Vinay Kavi has a knack for giving Kannada songs a western classical touch. “I started learning the piano in sixth grade with Kannada and Hindi film songs, and later went on to learn western classical music. Growing up, I started noticing the influence of western classical music in some Kannada songs, especially the ones by Ilaiyaraaja and G K Venkatesh. I gravitated towards such songs,” shares the 29-year-old.

He currently performs at the Ritz Carlton on Residency Road every evening. “I also regularly perform at other hotels and during events,” he adds.

On average, he performs approximately 100 songs daily — often a mix of western classical, pop and rock. A majority of Kannada songs are played on request. Among the commonly requested songs are ones from Dr Rajkumar and Ravichandran’s movies.

“Two of the most requested songs are ‘Jotheyali Jothe Jotheyali’ (from ‘Geetha’) and ‘Naguva Nayana’ (from ‘Pallavi Anu Pallavi’). These have become anthems of the Kannada film industry. Even non-Kannadigas request these songs,” he tells Metrolife. He recalls the ‘KGF’ craze in 2022. “For almost a year, I’d get requests to play songs from the movie daily. ‘Kooti Kanasugala’ remains a crowd-favourite.”

People from other states are often more upfront about making requests, he notes. “But I’ve noticed that Kannadigas are usually shy and timid. It would be nice if more people requested Kannada songs,” he adds.

Vinay also runs a music school in R R Nagar. It is called Krescendo. 

Check @vinaykavi on Instagram