Guru Mani was well known as 'Master Mani' down south, wherein he has shared the stage and performed with many local artists and won many rewards and gold medals
Guru Kaaraikkudi Mani is a professional percussionist based out of Tamil Nadu. He started learning Carnatic music at the age of three. Very soon, he realized that his special interest was in percussion and he switched over to mridangam. He was eight-years old when he performed for the first time on stage. He has played with some of the finest artists in the Carnatic industry as a teenage musician. Mani achieved his first national award at the age of 18 from the then-President of India, Dr Radhakrishnan. Master Mani has also received the national award from Sangeeth Natak Academy by the President of India at the time, Mr RK Narayan. Guru Kaaraikkudi Mani has performed with many international artists like Paul Grabowsky of Elio Marchesini La Scala percussionist, Eero Haemmeneimi of Finland Naada group, Australian Art Orchestra, and Paul Simon of USA, Livio Magnini of Italy, and with Finland Philharmonic Orchestra. He has done a jugalbandhi with the famous Zakir Hussain as well.