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Dr. Mahadevan Ramesh graduated from IIT Kanpur and later obtained a Ph. D from the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA. While living in Pittsburgh, he was touched by the excellent musical climate there and exposed to several eminent musical personalities – teachers, performers and critics.

This primer evolved as an attempt to educate the curious, but musically-challenged about the basics of Carnatic music, without getting to be too formal or pedantic. First published as an Internet webpage, it was received very well the world over.

This is not a book of the “Carnatic music for dummies” variety, though it successfully takes the uninitiated step by step through a fascinating voyage of discovery of the great south Indian system of classical music, codified and developed in the last few centuries into a highly sophisticated tradition of concert music. The author uses the piano keyboard of Western classical music to introduce the basic concepts of Carnatic music. The book explains raga and tala through a crystal-clear style of narration, and easy-to-understand examples. Its treatment of the melakarta scheme of ragas is both eminently readable and comprehensive. A primer from which both the neophyte and experienced listener of Carnatic music can benefit.

Ramesh is now based in Chennai, India. He is an Engineering and Management Consultant and an Adjunct Professor of Management at the SSN College of Engineering, (Anna University), Kalavakkam, Tamil Nadu.