K-1 Brings in DJ Ravi as Musical Director

From K-1:

DJ Ravi Producing Show's Musical Score - Performing Live at K-1 on Sept. 8

Tickets on Sale Now through Ticketmaster.com

Los Angeles, CA - With the K-1 Rising U.S. Grand Prix Championship just nine days away, the renowned "DJ RaviDrums" is just as excited as any of the K-1 kickboxers for the first bell to ring. Ravi is K-1's Musical Director and along with Craig Dobbin, he is part of the "THE LA DRUM CARTEL," and is responsible not only for the show's entire production score, but also for performing live drums and working as the event DJ and live remixing the entire night. To say he is ready is an understatement, he's in shape, he's been preparing the last ten weeks, and just like the fighters he's planning to give the fans a knockout.

"From the big opening number that bridges the old K-1 with the new K-1, all the way to the last guy to exit the ring, I've got this show to perfection and it's gonna be as spectacular as the knockouts," said Ravi from his home in Los Angeles. "Next Saturday, the music and video production at the LA Sports Arena is going to rock fans out just as much as the fights, and that's gonna be the whole theme of the night."

A huge star in the live music world, Ravi originates a hip, epic musical movement and invented the simultaneous process of live drum playing and live remixing. He's performed everywhere from such elite and notorious private residences as the Playboy mansion to the most exclusive red carpet events for Michael Jordan, Nike, HBO, Nintendo and FOX. His credentials in show business are endless. It's safe to say DJ Ravi is unstoppable, but somewhere along the line all of this got started. And if it weren't for the daily newspaper business, DJ Ravi may have never come to be.

"I wanted a drum set, actually I had wanted a drum set my whole life, since I was three. It is my earliest memory, banging on drums in a department store when we lived in New York," Ravi explains. "Finally when I was twelve my Dad told me, 'look if you want a set of drums then go earn the money to buy it.' We had moved to Texas by then, and we lived in a neighborhood so I got a job doing a paper route. With the money from that, and a few other odd jobs, I bought my first real drum set."

It turns out the paper route taught Ravi almost everything he needed to know about succeeding in business. It taught him work ethic, that sacrifices are necessary, and most importantly the discipline of waking up every morning to do something that people counted on him to do."

"It was one of the hardest jobs I ever had because I had to be up at 5:00 a.m., which meant I couldn't do sleepovers or go on camping trips with my friends," he recalls. "I had to wrap up all the newspapers and load them on my bike and try to hit the mark every time I threw them. I learned everything about working doing that route."

Within months of setting up his first set of prized drums, the family moved to South Florida. Ravi came across a local "International Night" culture show at the University of South Florida, where people performed acts unique to their culture. Ravi was to represent his heritage, the country of India, so he recruited one of his friends and the pair performed a drum duel.

"It was insane and the crowd went crazy," Ravi said, his voicing rising with a hint of laughter. "About a 1,000 people were there, and I just remember feeling like, finally....I'm doing this. I felt like I was behind schedule on the drums, like I should've been doing it for ten years already."

Ravi performed an encore the following year at the show and as with any future rock star, he soon outgrew the local music scene and stage.

"I connected with the drums and I just kept going with them in these bold new directions and more and more people paid attention," he explains. "I've been successful as a composer because it is very natural for me. Drums are the core of music, they are the foundation of it and really set the pace and the structure."

With his passion and his talent and the fact that he uses his hands and his feet to pound out a living, Ravi could easily be compared to Randy Blake, Rick Roufus, Dewey Cooper or Xavier Vigney when it comes to his day job.

"Yeah, I can identify with the fighters," he agrees. "I'm a solo act, too, and playing the drums is violent and intense and I'm out there doing it all alone. Not to mention, I am only as good as my last performance. I have to really take care of myself, but push myself at the same time."

The K-1 U.S. Grand Prix Championships are taking place in his hometown and Ravi marvels that K-1 is actually coming to Los Angeles.

"I think it's incredible that K-1 is in LA, in the same arena where they shot the original Rocky. It is a total dream come true, and it is really amazing that K-1 is back."

Check out a demo of DJ RAVIDRUMS at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pauBvsWpikg&feature=relmfu

Tickets for the K-1 Rising U.S. World Grand Prix Championships on Saturday, September 8 live from the LA Sports Arena will go on sale this Friday, July 27 at 10:00 a.m. PT.

Tickets are available for purchase through www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-866-448-7849. Tickets are also available at the LA Sports Arena Box Office located at 3939 S. Figueroa Street in Los Angeles or by calling (213) 748-6131.

Doors for the K-1 Rising U.S. Grand Prix Championships on Saturday, Sept. 8 will open at 4:00 p.m. PT; first bout starts at 5:00 p.m. PT. Main card goes live at 6:00 p.m. PT.