Ranjan Vasudevan

Dr. Ranjan Vasudevan (aka Guitarnatic) is the UK’s leading performer of traditional Carnatic music on the electric guitar. Ranjan has performed in London’s Darbaar festival, Indian Raga Festival London, Raaga Room UK, Gaanabhaarati Mysuru, Chennai SaMaa Arts Swagatham Festival 2023 December, in addition to numerous other public and private venues in the UK, USA and India. He places utmost importance on maintaining classicism in his playing technique.

Having been a student at Cambridge University and now a community member, he collaborates with current students and visiting musicians through the Cambridge Carnatic initiative and was a founding committee member of the London Carnatic Foundation. He regularly performs with the Cambridge University Indian Classical Music Society (CU ICM Soc) and the Cambridge University South Asian Arts Society.

As a self-taught guitarist, Ranjan brings a fresh perspective on bringing the techniques of the guitar, veena and other stringed instruments together to deliver an authentic Carnatic sound on the guitar. He has been fortunate to learn Carnatic music from many teachers including his mother, Dr. Ramamani Vasudevan, uncle Dr. B. S. Srikanthan, London's Sri Balu Raguraman, Dr. Sidharth Kumar and many others.

In addition to Carnatic music, Ranjan plays rock, blues and jazz acoustic/electric guitar in various ensembles, including regular performances with Cambridge local legends Dr. Lee Charles Phillips (in their duo, The Lightwaves), Johnny "Magic Boy" Wright (in their duo popular around Cambridge), and has contributed Carnatic guitar to the album "Purple Kittens" by Lee Cave-Berry and Kimberley Rew (Eurovision UK winner 1997 and legendary British songwriter).

Awards and Recognition

• 2020 Winner – Indian Raga Festival London, Individual Artist, Instrumental, Senior
• 2020 Winner – Grand Prize, SaMaa Arts, Online Competition, Krithi Instrumental, Senior

Key Collaborations