The Hindu : National : Benny goes places

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Wednesday, Aug 04, 2004

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National

Benny goes places

By K. Satyamurty

Benny Prasad outside the Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE, AUG. 3. As a teenager he was written off as "good for nothing." But he will play his unique guitar at the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympics this month.

An international talent-search company, More Than Gold, engaged to organise entertainment events during the Olympics, spotted him performing in Europe and the United States and invited 28-year-old Benny Prasad.

"The performance at Athens will set off my 16-nation tour of Europe," the guitarist from Bangalore says. Benny has gone through more difficulties caused by poor health than most other people go through in a lifetime. A chronic asthmatic as a boy, Benny was on steroids for 15 years. This upset his entire system. "Change of fortunes was almost sudden; he attended a spiritual meeting for youth and found hope.

At the age of 19, he started learning the guitar and practised for seven hours a day. He was selected to study music in New Mexico, U.S., specialising in the guitar.

The guitar he will take to Athens is custom-made, incorporating a pair of bongos. The rhythms are special, as listeners found at a demonstration here today.

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