Sumesh Narayanan
Sumesh Narayanan carrying a mridangam on his shoulder beneath trees and open sky

Sumesh
Narayanan

Picture courtesy: Shaunak Gosavi

Sumesh Narayanan on stage at the mridangam under a single beam of light
Picture courtesy: Shaunak Gosavi
About

One foot in tradition. The other on the move.

One of the most gifted and sought after Carnatic percussionists of the current generation, Sumesh Narayanan has trained with Mridangam Maestro ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ Dr. Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam for over two decades and continues to learn from him. Sumesh is a rare combination of a musician who aspires to master the rich traditions of the mridangam oeuvre in the Carnatic style while retaining an open and larger world view which allows him to be part of many innovative and cross disciplinary ventures to which he is a vital contributor and much admired for his ideas and energetic playing.

  1. 2005Arangetram, and accompanying on the concert stage ever since
  2. 2018Here & Now premieres at LA Dance Project
  3. 2019Plays Nandu in Sarvam Thaala Mayam, music by A.R. Rahman
  4. 2020Perumal & Providence, a pandemic album with 30+ classical artists
  5. 2022Spotlight artist in Roysten Abel’s Weaving Voices
  6. 2024Solo act TGID premieres in Chennai
  7. NowTouring the world with Melodies in Slow Motion, with Soumik Datta
Sumesh at his percussion setup under stage lights

At Mahindra Percussion Festival 2025

Solo act

To Groove
is Divine

Live percussion, pre-produced tracks and live looping, made in the moment.

TGID moves across genres and sonic experiments, pulling every influence Sumesh has gathered, from classical to experimental, into one set. At its heart is his signature pairing of cajón and mridangam: deep, round bass beneath the unmistakable voice of the Carnatic drum.

Chennai premiere ↗ Read more Book TGID
Format
Solo performance
Instruments
Mridangam, cajón and hybrid percussion
Technique
Live looping over pre-produced backing tracks
Premiere
Chennai
“The cajón provided me with a rounded, rich bass sound, while the characteristic mridangam sound was kept intact.”Sumesh Narayanan, The Hindu
Read more about TGID

Bio

TGID is a solo performance act by musician-producer Sumesh Narayanan. The show traverses through a variety of genres and sonic experiments that is a mixture of live performance, pre-produced backing tracks, live-looping and just making music on the go!

The show features a unique hybrid percussion setup that is native to Sumesh’s talents and his versatility with which all his influences ranging from classical to experimental come together. With over 25 years of experience with his primary instrument, the mridangam, Sumesh was able to pick up a variety of other percussion instruments and put a twist on it. His signature combination of grooving on the cajon & mridangam is a special highlight and takes center stage.

Vision

  • To be unapologetically unique, bold and push the boundaries of storytelling through sound and light.
  • To be able to completely embrace the pleasure of performance and communicate the passion within.
  • To be able to share the adrenaline around and pull any & every being into the groove.
  • To be oneself, to free oneself.

The show

TGID premiered in June 2024 with the first show on his home-turf in Chennai. With a compact team of 4 people (Audio engineer, Light engineer, Techie & Performer), TGID can get any crowd up & going, leaving a lasting impression. The show aims to bridge musical cliches and sonic experiments with a strong focus on the hybrid percussion setup. This act hopes to demonstrate an intriguing experience of sound & light with a passionate live performer in the middle of it. With an audience that is prepared to indulge and respond, this act will be complete.

TGID is open to bookings from venues, festivals and presenters interested in featuring and promoting it. Write to sumeshnarayanan92@gmail.com.

On tour

Upcoming

  1. Melodies in Slow Motionwith Soumik Datta, Sayee Rakshith & Debjit Patitundi
    Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space, Symphony HallBirmingham, UK
    Tour info ↗
  2. Melodies in Slow Motionwith Soumik Datta, Sayee Rakshith & Debjit Patitundi
    Gloucester Guildhall · 7.30pmGloucester, UK
    Tickets ↗
  3. Melodies in Slow MotionRiverside Ragas, with GemArts
    Sage Two, The Glasshouse · 8pmGateshead, UK
    Tickets ↗
  4. Melodies in Slow MotionMusic at Oxford · box office on the night
    Sheldonian Theatre · 8pmOxford, UK
    Details ↗
Latest releases

New on YouTube

Subscribe All videos ↗
3 Premiered 29 Oct 2026 · Mridangam solo Thisram A new solo built on tisram, the gait of three. Composed and performed by Sumesh, filmed at Offbeat, Chennai.
  1. 13 2 Oct 2026 · SoloPathimoondruTamil for thirteen. Final korvai by Vid. Delhi Sairam.
  2. 8 Aug 2026 · Concert · MaduraiConfessions of a Time-keeperThani avarthanam with Trichy Krishnaswamy, Sayee Rakshith and Vignesh Ishwar.
  3. UruppadiBhairavi 4 Jul 2026 · UruppadiKoluvaiyunnaadaeAditya Madhavan × Sumesh Narayanan · Thyagaraja · Adi
  4. UruppadiBrindavana­saranga 27 Jun 2026 · UruppadiSoundararajamAshwath Narayanan × Sumesh Narayanan · Dikshitar · Chowka Rupaka
Collaborations

Selected work

  • Touring · with Soumik DattaMelodies in Slow Motion

    On mridangam and percussion in sarod artist Soumik Datta’s ensemble with Sayee Rakshith (violin) and Debjit Patitundi (tabla), touring the world.

  • Theatre · 2022Weaving Voices

    One of eight spotlight artists in Roysten Abel’s production, with Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, Pt. Uday Bhawalkar and Deu Khan Manganiyar.

  • Film · 2019Sarvam Thaala Mayam

    Played Nandu in Rajiv Menon’s film about the mridangam, with music by A.R. Rahman.

  • Album · Sound Creed LLPPerumal & Providence I–III

    Co-created as creative director during the pandemic, with more than thirty classical artists.

  • Audio-visual seriesEzhisai: The Reign of Rasas

    Curator and creative director of nine concert episodes, one for each swaram.

  • Dance theatre · 2018Here & Now

    Composer and performer with Mythili Prakash and Aditya Prakash. LA Dance Project premiere, then Dance Umbrella’s Four by Four commissions, UK.

  • Festival · USAIndia in the Artist’s Eye

    A classical presentation with Ustad Shujaat Khan and Vid. Sikkil Gurucharan at the University of California, Davis.

  • App · iOS & AndroidMridangam Studio

    Co-developed with Kalyan Studio Apps: real-time accompaniment, loops and tempo control for students.

Alter ego

SNAX

May the groove be with you

Sumesh’s electronic side: beats, production and groove-led experiments.

Instagram ↗YouTube ↗
Press

In print

Features & interviews

  1. The Hindu2024
    Mridangist Sumesh Narayanan debuts his solo rhythm venture ↗Feature on To Groove is DivineThe cajón provided me with a rounded, rich bass sound, while the characteristic mridangam sound was kept intact.
  2. The HinduMade of Chennai
    Chennai has taught me a lot: SumeshMusician Sumesh Narayanan reflects on his deep affection for the beach and ChennaiWhen I told him, “Thalaivaa, I’m proper Tamil,” his face lit up, and I realised how proud I am of being a Tamil from Madras.
  3. The HinduOctober 2022
    Meet Chennai’s newest percussion duo: SnaxRajashree Das · Sumesh Narayanan and Ramkumar KanakarajanThat’s the beauty. It’s beyond just performance… it is the rapport.
  4. The Score MagazineJanuary 2020
    Sumesh Narayanan ↗Artist of the Month · Interview
  5. Lakshmi Anand26 September 2019
    Sumesh Narayanan’s multi-faceted interests ↗He has taken his love for percussion beyond the classical realmEnthusiastic and cheerful — these words describe multi-faceted Sumesh Seshadri Nath Narayanan to a T.
  6. The Hindu22 December 2018
    Digitally dynamicOn Sarvam Thaala Mayam and InstagramThere’s no such thing as a Carnatic persona — I’m just an inquisitive musician looking to tap into multiple facets of my art.
  7. SrutiIssue 345 · June 2013
    Young Voices: Sumesh NarayananIn conversation with Sushma Somasekharan
  8. Interview12 January 2013
    Sumesh Narayanan, the young MridangistOn family, his guru and his arangetram
  9. Pressc. 2011
    In a Heart ‘Beat’Rehna Abdul Kareem · On the Margazhi season and being a young artist in the cityMy mother is a vocalist herself and I don’t think there has ever been a time when I’ve not been around music.
  10. VaakEssay
    My experiments with the Mridangam ↗Written by Sumesh Narayanan

Concert reviews

  1. The Hindu · Friday ReviewMusic Academy
    Worth the long waitRevathi R. · Bombay Jayashri’s Tyagaraja Aradhana concertBoth Sumesh and Krishna were in sync with the vocalist throughout the concert and during their solo time in the tani avartanam, they displayed their skill with robust and energetic playing.
  2. The Hindu15 November 2018
    Shujaat Husain Khan brought out the best in the Imdadkhani gharanaGowri Ramnarayan · The Hindu November FestHis comradeship with Amit Choubey (tabla) and Sumesh Narayanan (mridangam) created a sense of unity.
  3. The Hindu25 January 2016
    It’s raining music in PuducherryAnnie Philip · Wind Song, Bombay Jayashri and Pt. Ronu Majumdar, Auroville
  4. The Hindu13 January 2016
    Melodious and spiritualRajalakshmi Padmanabhan · Bombay JayashriSumesh Narayanan on the mridangam performed a variety of beats during the tani with good partnership from Gopalakrishnan on the kanjira to win a big round of applause.
  5. The Hindu · Friday Review26 June 2015
    Their imagination took flightLalithaa Krishnan
  6. Times of Oman12 April 2015
    Indian classical music moves audienceSaamagaana, Al Bustan Palace Hotel, Muscat
  7. The Hindu2015
    Heralded in three octavesCharukesi · Abhishek Raghuram, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Cultural Festival
  8. Carnatic DarbarJanuary 2015
    A delightful convergenceSudha Jagannathan · Sangamam, Bombay Jayashri and Pt. Ronu Majumdar
  9. The Hindu · Friday Review12 December 2014
    Across the globe with music as companyLakshmi Venkatraman · Crossroads, Brahma Gana Sabha
  10. Concert review
    Confident approachV. BalasubramanianSivan’s ‘Balakrishna Padamalar’ provided ample scope for young Sumesh Narayanan to display his rhythmic skills in his arudis and nadais.
  11. The Hindu · Friday ReviewNovember Fest 2012
    Enchanting blendWind Song, Bombay Jayashri and Pt. Ronu Majumdar, BengaluruThe ensuing perfectly coordinated and extempore exposition by the percussionists, Ajeet Pathak (tabla) and Sumesh S. Narayanan, was absorbing and ebullient.
  12. The Hindu · Friday ReviewNovember 2012
    Reed and ragaWind Song, CoimbatoreSumesh exemplified the exuberance of youth (he’s just 20!)
For promoters, press & presenters

Press kit

PDF · 3 pagesArtist profileDownload

Short bio

One of the most gifted and sought after Carnatic percussionists of the current generation, Sumesh Narayanan has trained with Mridangam Maestro ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ Dr. Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam for over two decades and continues to learn from him. Sumesh is a rare combination of a musician who aspires to master the rich traditions of the mridangam oeuvre in the Carnatic style while retaining an open and larger world view which allows him to be part of many innovative and cross disciplinary ventures to which he is a vital contributor and much admired for his ideas and energetic playing.

Full bio

Sumesh Narayanan is one of the most gifted and sought after mridangam artists of the current generation. He has trained with Mridangam Maestro ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ Dr. Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam for over two decades, and continues to learn from him. Sumesh is a rare combination of a musician who aspires to master the rich traditions of the mridangam oeuvre in the traditional Carnatic style, while retaining an open and larger world view. This multifaceted approach allows him to be a part of many innovative and cross-disciplinary ventures to which he is a vital contributor, and is much admired for both his novel ideas and energetic playing.

Born on 20 May, 1992 in Palakkad, Kerala, to Chitra & Dr. N. Seshadri Nath, Sumesh hails from a traditional music family of Thiruvilwamala, with its’ own legacy of producing many connoisseurs like Ghatam Vilwadri Iyer, Chenda Konthai and Venkichan Swamy (popularly known as “Maddalam Venkichan”). He is currently based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Sumesh is coveted for his deep grasp over the instrument as well as a mastery over both rhythm & melody. He has been performing for well over a decade in the city’s prestigious sabhas and also frequents many other cultural hubs across the country. Sumesh holds the privilege of having played alongside veterans like Pt. Ronu Majumdar and Vid. Bombay Jayashri Ramnath in their Jugalbandi venture - “Windsong” across the world. His eloquent playing enables him to continue sharing the stage with eminent performers from across the classical realm in the country. He also has to his credit, the experiences of collaborating with a number of contemporary musicians in many global cross-disciplinary ventures performed across world stages. Owing to the same, he has been featured in prestigious print such as Open magazine, Provoke and Sruti on a number of occasions apart from newspaper reviews and articles.

Based in
Chennai, India · available worldwide
Book for
Carnatic concerts · TGID solo show · Dance & theatre scores · Studio sessions & production · Workshops
Bookings
sumeshnarayanan92@gmail.com
Listen & watch
YouTube @rudranym ↗
Contact

Let’s make
something

Concerts, collaborations, TGID bookings and production.

Instagram@rudranym ↗ YouTube@rudranym ↗ SNAX · Instagram@snax_beats ↗ SNAX · YouTube@worldofSNAX ↗