T M Krishna

T M Krishna (b 1976, India) is a vocalist in the Carnatic tradition, activist and author. As a public intellectual, Krishna speaks and writes about issues affecting the human condition and about matters of culture. His groundbreaking book A Southern Music: The Karnatik Story was a first-of-its-kind philosophical, aesthetic and socio-political exploration of the genre. For this, he was awarded the 2014 Tata Literature Award for Best First Book in the non-fiction category. His 2018 book Reshaping Art asks important questions about how art is made, performed and disseminated and addresses crucial issues of caste, class and gender within society while exploring the contours of democracy, culture and learning. In 2017, Krishna received the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for his services in promoting and preserving national integration in the country. In 2017, he also received the Professor V Aravindakshan Memorial Award for connecting Carnatic music with the common person. His latest book, Sebastian and Sons, traces the history of the mridangam maker and the mridangam over the past 100 years.