My Life


Childhood :


 


I wonder what the world would have been without rhythm as I relate to it only through rhythm. Born on 2nd January 1953 into an illustrious family of musicians, I am thankful to my father, the renowned vocalist Late Gouranga Saha who had encouraged my fascination and passion for rhythm. My father’s recommendation and subsequent fortunate tutelage under the guidance of legendary maestros like Late Ustad Keramutullah Khan and Late Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh enabled me to carve a niche for myself in the world of Indian Classical Music.

I was an artist of “Children Programme” of All India Radio in 1962. I was approved in B grade in the year 1975 and then upgraded to B-High in the year 1977. In 1986, I was upgraded to ‘A’ grade. Moreover after 18 years of service with central government and finally joined the All India Radio, Kolkata as a staff artist (Instrumentalist) in the year of 1991.


Degrees and Awards :

 

My strong passion for rhythm was further enforced with academic discipline which earned me the following degrees and awards:

  • Sangeet Visharad (Bachelor in Music) in Tabla from Prachin Kala Kendra
  • Sangeet Bivakar (Bachelor in Music) in Tabla from Bangiya Sangeet Parisad
  • Sangeet Vaskar (Master in Music) in Tabla from Bangiya Sangeet Parisad (Awarded Silver Medal for second rank)
  • Sangeet Praveen by Prayag Sangeet Samity, Allahabad, UP (Awarded gold for first rank)

Currently I am an external examiner of Rabindra Bharti University and Kolkata University.

 

Accompaniment :


 

I have regularly provided Tabla accompaniment at National Program of Music of All India Radio with Smt Malabika Kanan, Pt Dinanath Mishra, Pt. Amiya Ranjan Banerjee, Smt. Sanchayeeta Chowdhury, Smt. Sumitra Guho, and recently (June 2003) with Sri Kamal Mullick. I have also performed with Smt. Sumitra Guha at the Radio Sangeet Sammellan in the year of 1992 and 1998 other than many Tuesday night and Sunday concerts.

I consider myself fortunate for having the rare chance of Tabla accompaniment with internationally acclaimed artists under different streams of Indian Classical Music

Vocal : Pandit Vimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Ajoy Pohankar,Pandit A. Kanan, Smt. Girija Devi, Pandit V.G. Jog, Pandit V. Balsara, Ustad Rashid Khan, Pandit Amiya R. Banerjee, Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, Smt. Malabika Kanan, Smt. Bina Sahasrabuddhe, Pandit Pravakar Karekar, Pandit Manas Chakraborty,  Late Latafat Hussain Khan, Pandit Chinmoy Lahiri, Smt. Laxmi Sankar, Late Pandit Vishmadev Chatterjee, Pandit Dinanath Misra, Pandit Ulhas Kesalkar, Ustad Gulam Mustafa Khan, Pandit Samaresh Chowdhury, Pandit Arun Bhaduri, Smt. Padma Talwalkar, Smt. Sumitra Guha, Ustd.Nisar  Hussain Khan, Ustd. Hafiz Ahmed Khan,Ustd. Nasir Ahmed Khan ,Pt. Dinanath Mishra,, Sm. Purnima Chowdhury, Sm. Purnima Sen .,Sm. Tanima Thakur,, Arati Anklekar, Shruti Sadolekar, Sanjib Abhyankar, Santanu Banerjee, Smt. Subhra Guha, Smt. Gauri Guha.

Shenai : Ustad Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan

Piano : Pt. V. Balsara.

Violin : Pt. V.G.Jog. Smt.Sisir Kana Dhar Chowdhury.

Sarangi : Ustad Sagiruddin Khan, Pt. Mahesh Prasad Mishra, Pt. Ramesh Mishra.

Sarod: Ustad Bahadur Khan, Pt .Buddhadev  Dasgupta

Sitar : Late Ustd.Mustaque Ali Khan, Pandit Debu Chowdhury,Pt.Monilal Nag,Pt. Indranil Bhattacherjee, Pt. Subrata Roy Chowdhury, Smt. Kalyani Roy.

Harmonium :  Pt. Muneswar Dayal, Pt. Mantu Banerjee, Pt. V.Balsara

There are many more renowned artists whom I have accompanied at various concerts and festivals all around the globe. Please visit my photo albums where I have tried to capture some of these special moments.

 

Festivals and concerts :


 

Besides being an 'A' grade Atrist of All India Radio, Kolkata, perform regularly over television, radio programmes and various music conferences, festivals like Radio Sangeet Sammelan, National Programme of Music, Tansen Sangeet Sammelan, Sadrang Sangeet Sammelan, Surdas Sangeet Sammelan, Dover Lane Music Conferences, Sradhanjali Music Conference, Uttarpara Music Conference, Barrackpore Music Conference, Srirampur Music Conferenc, Alankar Music Conference, Dakshini" Sangeet Sammelan, Sangeet Research Academy(ITC) Conference. I was invited to USA several times and also to different citiesof America, Germany, Holland, and Switzerland where I won great accolades as a performer. I was invited to the 'India Festival' in Switzerland and was a member of the Indian Delegation to Canada under the auspices of Indian Council for Cultural Relation.

 

My Music :


 

My tryst with Tabla has now seen years of hard work, struggle and glory, but the rhythms of my childhood summer noon kept haunting me, I knew some day I'd have to do some thing that would realize a fraction of my childhood dreams, inspired as I always was, I composed Taal Bichitra, a composition from the roots of Indian rhythm, I tried to use all the age old traditional percussions that are now a part of our history, our present, the legends, our devotions and almost everything we are. I have used Pakwaj, Dholok, Bangla Dhol and Srikhol with household instruments that are used mainly in religious offerings like Kansor, Ghanta and Sankha, and traditional and tribal percussions like Madal, Dafli, Khanjira. I also used western Aquastic Drums for the blending with these all instruments. To maintain the purity of my music I have drum for the blending with these all instruments based my composition purely on the worth of Indian Taals.
There are around 25 young talents who participate in my orchestra. To give my orchestra a touch of completeness I blend my percussions with vocals, the voice bring in a dash of sweetness and melody to the rhythmic nature of my composition, these voices are rendered by five young girls trained in Indian Classical Music.

 

Cassettes/ CD / Records Released :


 


I have already release three Tabla Solo Albums. The titles are

  • The magic touch
  • The Magic Moments
  • A Touch of Class
  • Creations

Moreover I have accompanied several famous vocalist and instrumentalist in their cassettes and CD recordings.

 

Guru/Gharana:


Basically from "Farukabad Gharana" But love to play the Compositions of other Gharanas. A disciple of Late Ustd. Keramatullah Khan & Late Pandit Jnan Prokash Ghosh.

 
 
Powered By : http://www.calcuttayellowpages.com