Rohit H Sivaram recalls sitting on the floor of his childhood home in Hyderabad, strumming hesitantly on an acoustic guitar. “I didn’t enjoy playing back then, but my mother was adamant. She believed it would eventually mean something to me,” he smiles. Years later, standing under the lights at a packed venue and playing music from his critically acclaimed debut album, Unearth Prophecy, Rohit knows Mum was the word. The 23-year-old guitarist, whose work fuses alternative and progressive metal with Indian Carnatic music, is now reaping the whirlwind of success.
Born in Miami and raised in Hyderabad, Sivaram moved to Kansas at 14. The surroundings were new and the only thing that felt familiar was music. He started learning the guitar at a local store, followed You Tubers including Mahalo Guitar and Marty Schwartz, and started playing songs from his favourite bands (Guns N Roses, Dream Theater). Soon, he started playing in the school band. By 2020, Rohit had his sights set on a career in computer science and pharmaceuticals, but a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music changed everything. At Berklee, Rohit discovered a world of possibilities where he worked and learned from musicians like Joe Stamp, Shaun Michand and Tomo Fujita. Some of them also taught Sivaram. He recalls, “Studying under Fujita was transformative. He helped me understand the strength of mastering the fundamentals of playing and instilled in me the importance of individuality in a musician.”
During the pandemic, Rohit formed his own band, Enfierce, through virtual collaborations with bandmate Francisco Moncayo. “We wrote songs over Zoom. When we finally met on campus in 2021, we began rehearsing and performing. It was like pieces falling into place.” Together, the band released two EPs and an album mixed by Grammy-winning producer John Paterno.
Rohit’s music took a distinctive turn when he began taking virtual lessons from Guitar Prasanna, a Carnatic maestro. He recalls, “I felt I was losing touch with my roots, so I cold-emailed him. To my surprise, he responded, and that started my journey into Carnatic music.” A blend of Indian and Western influences is the hallmark of Unearth Prophecy.
Tracks like Nákshatra and Whirlwind traverse the spectrum of alternative metal and traditional Carnatic rhythms, creating a soundscape that’s both fresh and familiar. In the sky, twinkling, shining...Thousand nakshatrams like stars. The song is based on Raag Arabhi and a fusion of Carnatic with rock and jazz. As Rohit tours globally, he reflects on the challenges ahead. “Most of my peers are starting internships or jobs, and there’s pressure. But I know what I’m chasing. Music isn’t just what I do; it’s who I am,” he smiles.