Originally from Sri Lanka and blind from birth, percussionist Ghow Ratnarajah is an expert with mridangam and kanjira drums – the primary rhythmic accompaniment in Carnatic music ensembles, he also sings in both Tamil and occasionally Hindi.  We’ve worked with Ghow a number of times, including on shows in the UK and in India, and last year on our documentary project Our Journeys for the London Borough of Culture 2020, so it’s great he’s now part of Orchestra of Samples.

Ghow’s performed at a number of prestigious venues in the UK and abroad, including the Southbank Centre in London and the Royal Opera House Mumbai and in 2014 was presented with the Tamil Disabled Persons Achievement Award at the UK Tamil Awards.  He’s also a member of the Inner Vision Orchestra, the UK’s only blind ensemble, a number of members who we’ve also recorded, including its music director Baluji Shrivastav OBE.

Ghow learned music as a small child in Sri Lanka before continuing his studies in the UK in the 90’s, and since 2000 he’s also run his own company Braille Translations serving corporate clients, councils and individuals translating text into braille – his clients have included the House of Commons, Odeon Cinemas and the Prince’s Trust. Always rasing awareness of issues of the visually impaired and disabled, Ghow also hosts Turning Point, a weekly show on RTV Tamil International interviewing a multitude of guests.

These 2021 sessions are kindly supported by Arts Council England.