Kings, demons, Elonmuskand Marktwain

32, is the greatharat Prabhath,

Dasa, one of grandson of Venkanna

These were tradithe great haridasas. in

who performed tional storytellers Pradesh,

Karnataka, Andhra what are now Maharashtra .

and

Tamil Nadu, Telangana involved singing,

of Their art form, a bit

g, often with philosophisin of dancing and enacted tales

in. They typically humour thrown “But

I have myths and epics.

a kings and demons, performed my great-grandfather

says. also heard that Vivekananda, ” Prabhath onswami gives us an idea

early 1900s. This

“This was in the

then.” were even back of how open people contemporise

trying to

Prabhath is now and retains

sure it is authentic while making

that its essence . but

since he was 19,

He’s been performing watched a

so “I have never wasalready 2009, was performed

in the way it performance

“The style I have Prabhath says. my back in the day,” descriptions from

is based on addiincorporated and my own and scholars, on

go father, teachers every time I

like a newborn tions.istill feel

and stage.” annada, English

performsink

Prabhath He draws

up on his Sanskrit.

Hindi, and is brushing Dasa

and music of Purandara

also from the devotional Tamil, but

in Marathi and ancient poetry

songs. orawrites his own extempore

he breaks into

Between songs, or Mark Twain; might quote Socrates

time tion. Here, he as finding struggles such

in talk about everyday Musk, the war

discuss Elon to go to the gym; communism.

of and the decline

Ukraine, terrorism attention through

the audience’s

This helps hold a func

he says, serving performance, of a traditional tradition: that

existed in this tion that has long- deviate

is traditional to or subplot. “It out of the upakatha jolt people

stories, just to unconnected to A their reverie.” a joke.

just borrows Sometimes, Prabhath Sherlockholm es

and one in which what favourite is the asks Watson

camping. Holmes docDr Watson go them. The good

night sky above thehe sees in the on astrology,

an elaborate take does tor replies with “What

place in the universe. ology and Man’s

he finally asks. it say to you, Holmes?” replies. “What

it idiot,” Holmes

“Watson, you stolen our tent!”

someone has tells me is that