11-Year-Old Maya Neelakantan From Chennai Mesmerises Judges of America’s Got Talent With Carnatic Music and Heavy Metal Fusion

11-year-old Maya stole the show as she auditioned for america's Got Talent. Her guitar fusion made her receive a standing ovation from the judges.

Clad in red-orange ombre shade banarasi lehenga and a beautiful long bindi on her forehead, Maya bewitched the audience, the judges and everyone else with her exemplary guitar skills as she auditioned for America’s Got Talent. Maya played a beautiful rendition of Papa Roach’s “Last Resort,” and delivered a spectacle of a performance. The audience and judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel were left awe with their jaws dropped. Her audition video is already going viral and has got the internet talking.

Hailing from India, the little prodigy will probably beat you with her knowledge about rock music. Spellbound by her magnetic fusion of Carnatic Music with Heavy Metal, people couldn’t believe how it started with a soulful slow note and went on to be a high-octane metallic number.

“You know what I love about this audition, you just weren’t expecting this. You were so shy, and you’re 10! And then you turned into, like, this rock goddess,” said Simon Cowell.

Watch Maya Neelakantan’s stellar audition 

Howie Mandel, a fellow panelist, precisely predicted, “I think you just picked yourself up a viral moment,” and guess what, his words come true.

All About Maya Neelakantan

11-year-old Maya hails from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She has her own YouTube channel. This little guitarist has several feathers in her cap. She stunned Tool’s guitarist Adam Jones in 202 with her rendition of 7empest. Later in March, she was called upon the residence of Gary Holt of slayer/Exodus who even presented her his signature guitar.

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A post shared by Maya Neelakantan (@mayaneelakantan)

Her Instagram account is filled with several of her feats. She continuously uploads renditions of different music, genres and songs adding her own twist to it.

Maya is the student of pioneer R. Prasanna, who plays Carnatic music on guitar. Lauding her student, Prasanna explained the intricacies of Maya’s performance on his social media and mentioned, “While Maya played an improvised version of “Last Resort” by Papa Roach, she played an authentic Carnatic Natabhairavi Raga Intro and her solo in the later sections had several Carnatic gamakas along with the Metal, Rock and Blues phrases! When I started playing Carnatic music on the guitar years ago, I could have never imagined Carnatic guitar playing would be on display on a World stage like America’s Got Talent! @mayaneelakantan Maya Neelakantan has opened the doors for everyone! To see a 10 year old girl (she was 10 when this was recorded) play guitar like that is so inspiring for me and I am sure for everyone! This is great talent and a beautiful warm personality blessed with divine grace! I maybe her Guitar teacher but I am her biggest fan!😀 MAYA rules! (sic)”

Anand Mahindra Hails Maya Neelakantan

Chairman of Mahindra Group, who is known to be active X user with an eye for talent, shared a video of Maya and wrote, “Oh My God. Maya Neelakantan is only 10 years old. 10! Yes, Simon, she’s a Rock Goddess. From the land of Goddesses. We have to get her back here to do her stuff at.” He also mentioned how she must play at the Mahindra Blues Festival.

Oh My God

Maya Neelakantan is only 10 years old. 10!

Yes, Simon, she’s a Rock Goddess.
From the land of Goddesses.

We have to get her back here to do her stuff at the @mahindrablues !@jaytweetshah @vgjairam pic.twitter.com/sRNHPBondg

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) June 29, 2024

Today, she stands as an inspiration to several other kids out there. It is amazing how Maya is already on her way to achieving her dreams!