We had the good fortune of connecting with Shivaraj Natraj and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Shivaraj, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I am someone that thinks hundreds of times before taking a risk. I end up taking calculated risks in my life. Leaving my stable job as an SAP TM consultant in India, having worked for 3 years after completing my Mechanical Engineering, in order to pursue a career in music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA was one of the biggest risks I took.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My name is Shivaraj Natraj, but I’m better known as The Konnakol Beatboxer. I come from Bangalore, located in the southern part of India. I’ve gained international recognition as a vocal artist with a unique style. What sets me apart is my ability to combine beatboxing with the traditional South Indian vocal percussive art form known as Konnakol. I’m not only a beatboxer but also a trained Carnatic vocalist and a skilled Mridangam artiste. In fact, I serve as the lead vocalist and co-producer of the band Project Mishram.
Music runs in my blood as I was born into a musical family. At the young age of 5, my father, Mr. Natraj Pushpavanam, began training me in Carnatic vocals. My early schooling took place in Muscat, Oman, where I had the opportunity to showcase my talent alongside my fellow beatboxers from school and even won Muscat Festival’s Got Talent. Throughout my musical journey, I’ve also received training in Mridangam, a Carnatic percussion instrument, from Vid. PK Ram Mohan. For the past 8 years, I’ve been fortunate to study under the guidance of Kalashiromani Mridanga Vidwan A V Anand, one of India’s most respected Mridangam Gurus.
I was invited to “La Voce Artistica”, a world vocal conference in Ravenna, Italy in 2017 to represent India amongst a conference of vocal artists and voice doctors from all over the world. I have completed 2 successful UK tours with my band Project Mishram in 2019 and 2022. I have performed live with 3x Grammy (R) winner Ricky Kej as lead vocalist in various shows, as a beatboxer with Grammy winner Vijay Prakash, and have recorded for two feature films in the South Indian film industry. I had the pleasure of working with star producers Rob Lewis and Ash Rodriguez, performing live with Tigran Hamasyan, and also performing at the stellar MGM Hall in Fenway, Boston. I had the honor of meeting Robert Downey Jr. as part of making the music for the opening of a bionic arm research center in MIT.
I took the path of mechanical engineering before diving into full time music. It wasn’t necessarily because of my parents’ push, I wasn’t convinced of my own level skill, that would be enough for a career in music. I have three years of work experience as an SAP TM Consultant as well. In the meantime, my music was also riding on full throttle as I started gaining more recognition both solo and with Project Mishram. Gigs started clashing with my office timings and I realized after COVID and a year of work-from-home that music was actually my calling. I gave Berklee a blind shot just to see what would happen, but here I am, in my 7th semester! My parents would try to show that they were supportive of whatever decision I would take with my career, but also were at the same time, wary of the risks and make sure I was not choosing Berklee over a whim.
Getting a loan in India for this course wasn’t easy. Banks are way more judge-mental over the career path. They almost denied me the loan despite having collateral, saying music is not going to pay back loans. Luckily, the branch I applied in had a manager that appreciated the arts and debuted supporting music degree loans with my application. There was a huge rush for visas to the USA as this was the batch just after COVID lockdown bans were slowly being lifted. I am lucky I was able to get a visa appointment in time. After coming here, it isn’t easy settling in from a country which has a lower buying power. The stars definitely aligned for me such that I had supportive roommates from the Indian diaspora, as well as the support from the Berklee Indian Ensemble where I work as a student employee.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being in Boston, I know all the great-tasting Indian kitchens in the area, ahahaha! Vaanga, Madras Dosa Company, Veggie Crust, Maharaja, Surya Kitchen and many others. I’d take my friend on a harbor cruise from the Seaport, a walk by the Charles River, the Commonwealth avenue, cycling using BlueBikes across the city, clubbing near Seaport and Downtown, and most importantly a tour across Berklee College of Music.
Boston is great during the end of spring and summer. Fall is also visibly beautiful with different hues of leaves. 401 Park at Fenway which has Turnout Boston, a plaza of restaurants with great food is a must-visit. There’s ice-skating during the winter here.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are a bunch of people that I would like to dedicate this shoutout to. My supportive parents are the first people that this goes to, as it’s not easy being a middle-class family, and yet supporting the decision of your child to completely shift careers into a less stable one which is music. My father, Natraj Pushpavanam has also been my first Guru, teaching me Carnatic (South Indian Classical) vocals, and my mother, Parvathi Natraj who helped me a lot in academics. The next is Swami Swatmaramananda, monk of Sri Ramakrishna Math, South Africa, who was the warden in the hostel I stayed in during my high school. It was here that I learnt discipline in life, and also where he sparked my identity as The Konnakol Beatboxer. My Mridangam (South Indian percussion) Gurus, Kalashiromani Vid. A V Anand and Sri P K Ram Mohan taught me the little rhythm sense that I have today. The members of my Carnatic progressive fusion band Project Mishram, are till today, my backbone in life that I can always count on. Every person that identified and valued my talent enough to invite me to perform with them, deserve this shoutout. Annette Philip, the director of the Berklee Indian Ensemble, under whom I work as a student employee; and 3 time Grammy (R) winner Ricky Kej, who I have been performing with as a vocalist also deserve this shoutout!
Website: https://www.thekonnakolbeatboxer.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekonnakolbeatboxer/
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/shivaraj-natraj
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekonnakolbeatboxer/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheKonnakolBeatboxer