 | drshiva | | actor | | director | | singer | | composer | | conductor | | biography | | resume | | headshots | | rashtravani_home | | art-east | | pictures | | audio | | video | | links | | contact | | news | | reviews | | bookings | Biography Contact: Studio Art-East Unit13-1330 Midway Blvd Mississauga ON L5T 2G8 Canada Postal address: POBox 72606 Greenwin Postal 345 Bloor St E Toronto ON Canada M4W 3S9 Email: dr_shiva@hotmail.com Height:5 feet 9 inches Hair:Black Eyes:Brown Weight:175 lbs Ramier Siva-Nandan (Dr. Shiva) has been an active singer and musician both on stage and studios since childhood. Hailing from a family of singers and musicians, he acquired Carnatak classical Indian music training early in childhood from the Shanmukananda Sangeeta Sabha. During his teens he acquired enormous experience in playing instruments like the Ghatam, Mridangam, Tabla, Dholak, Dhol, Ganjira, Congas, Bongo, Thumba, Djembe and the jazz drums along with the guitar, harmonium and keyboard. Educating himself on Western score reading and completing theory examinations in Western music from the Royal Conservatory of Music, enhanced his understanding of Western harmonizing techniques. He was introduced to the famous music director, Satish Bhatia at All India Radio and Television, Delhi, India, with whom he had the opportunity to learn Hindustani classical music and light music (including folk songs, geet, ghazals and thumri styles of vocal music), as well as choir conduction and arranging. With music directors like Satish Bhatia, Anil Biswas, Raas Dutta, and MB Srinivasan to name a few, Shiva has recorded for over 150 films during a ten year period for the Films division of India, Delhi, Television films and All India Radio. During this period he was involved in rhythm arranging, playing, singing, choral music conduction, music composition, arranging and recording. In Kuwait subsequently, he has composed, arranged and conducted several Vadyavrinda (symphony of Indian classical instruments) and Vrindagaana (choral music with Indian style harmony) presentations blending over 50 musicians and singers with western pop and jazz. “Discovery of India” which was presented for the Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru centenary celebrations, in 1989 at Kuwait, was one such symphony. This has already been digitally mastered and is in the process of release from Bombay soon. A year after immigrating to Canada in 1995, he established the “Art-East studio and Academy” in Scarborough, Ontario with high quality digital equipment and state-of-the-art computer controlled recording devices for music production. Art-East is already actively involved in the production of radio jingles, full-length musical scores for Television films and compositions for dance ballets since the beginning. In November 1995, Dr. Shiva, the director of Art-East, composed and presented two world premiere compositions of Classical Bharatanatyam dance ballet music namely “Surya” and “Moods of the Rhythms” for the Janak Khendry Dance Academy at the CBC Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto, Ontario. Dr. Shiva has given vocal support to Padmashree Raja and Radha Reddy for their Kuchupudi performances abroad. Art-East has in 1998 launched “Rashtravani”, a South Asian Choral group to present original compositions in Light, Folk and Classical Indian music. Shiva has presented ‘Rashtravani’ in three of his world premiere productions in 1999, 2000and 2001. In August 1996, Art-East released its first audio CD album entitled “Anjali”, a compilation of devotional Indian music written, composed, arranged, played, sung and recorded by Dr. Shiva. Between 1997 and 1999, Dr. Shiva successfully recorded four more, namely “Heart to Beat, NAD, Mala, and Discovery of India” which were released recently. He also directed two music videos in 1999 for “Heart to Beat”. Dr. Shiva’s sixth album ‘Bahu-Rang’ was released during the Multimedia show “Bahu-Rang” (colors) on Sept 29th 2001 at the Hammerson Hall, Living Arts Center, Mississauga. Dr. Shiva has also been active on stage as an actor and recently was cast in Mira Nair’s “My Own Country” shot in Toronto. Incidentally Shiva is an experienced Graphic Artist and Multimedia Design/Developer and designs all his CD covers and brochures. creative arts -food for the soul! | drshiva_home | | actor | | director | | singer | | composer | | conductor | | biography | | resume | | headshots | | rashtravani_home | | art-east | | pictures | | audio | | video | | links | | contact | | news | | reviews | | bookings | |