Ananda Gopal and his tabla have
all these characteristics in abundances. Born in a music-loving
family settled in Uttar Pradesh, Ananda Gopal is a world-renowned
tabla player today. He was initiated to music by his
father late Radha Gopal Bandopadhyay, an amateur vocalist.
At an impressionable age of nine he went to learn tabla
at the feet of his guru late Pt. Mahadev Prasad Mishar,
a respected, Sangeet Natak Academy and ITC Award winner
maestro of thumri and tabla belonging to the famous
Beneras Gharana. Besides tabla Ananda Gopal could not
help learning the finer nuances of thumri singing and
that is how his guru scripted the beginning of a brilliant
career of this sensitive tabla player. This relationship
lasted till the last breathe of his loving guru.
At the tender age of eighteen Ananda
Gopal won the first prize in tabla in the all India
Radio Competition - in those days a matter of prestige.
Traversing a long distance since then, he is a Top Grade
Artiste of the AIR & Doordarshan and is a valued
member of their Audition Board Committee today. He became
a successful soloist as well as a sought after accompanist.
He handles recordings with equal ease. As a result he
has numerous cassettes, albums and CDs of classical
music to his credit. His popularity took him to places
including World Youth Festival (Berlin), Festival of
India (Maryland), Boston, New York, San Francisco -
to name a few. The Emperor of Ethiopia presented his
the Gold Medal - a rare honour extended to a musician
from a foreign land.
Apart from his busy schedule
as a performer he was also associated with many prestigious
organisations like the Song & Drama Division, Delhi;
Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, University of Delhi;
Amir Khusro Society, Chicago, USA. At present he is
a Senior member of Faculty, ITC Sangeet Research Academy,
Kolkata. |
