Korla Pandit
Korla Pandit | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Roland Redd |
| Also known as | Juan Rolando |
| Born | September 16, 1921 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | October 2, 1998 (aged 77) Petaluma, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Exotica |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Piano and organ |
| Years active | 1940–1998 |
Korla Pandit (born John Roland Redd; September 16, 1921 – October 2, 1998), was an American exotica musician, composer, pianist, and organist. After moving to California in the late 1940s and getting involved in show business, Redd became known as "Korla Pandit", claimed as a French-Indian musician from New Delhi, India. However, Redd was actually a light-skinned African-American man from Missouri who passed as a native of India.
A pathbreaking musical performer in the early days of television, Redd is known for Korla Pandit's Adventures In Music; the show was the first all-music program on television. He also performed live and on radio and made various film appearances, becoming known as the "Godfather of Exotica". Redd maintained the Korla Pandit persona—both in public and in private—until the end of his life.