U. Srinivas

Uppalapu Shrinivas (Telugu: ఉప్పలపు శ్రీనివాస్; Tamil: உப்பலப்பு ஸ்ரீனிவாஸ்; 28 February 1969 – 19 September 2014) was a virtuoso Indian mandolin maestro, trailblazer and composer belonging to the classical Carnatic musical tradition of Southern India. He is recognized worldwide as a colossus and the rarest of musical geniuses. A prodigy, he made his debut in 1978, at the age of nine, and came to be popularly known as Mandolin Shrinivas. “Eddie van Halen, eat your heart out,” George Harrison reportedly said in 2001, having stumbled upon one of Shrinivas's albums. Over the next four decades, he toured across the world, and collaborated with John McLaughlin, Michael Nyman, and Michael Brook.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1998 by Government of India, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2009. He was a follower and devotee of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and had performed before him on several occasions.

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