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Indian Instrument making: A legacy

Told by Mangla Prasad Sharma
Obtained by Dr. Suranjita Paul
Date 14th September 2016
Place 128/1A, Raja Ram Mohan Roy  sarani (Amherst Street), Kolkata – 700009
About the speaker Mangla Prasad Sharma is a renowned manufacturer and exporter of Indian traditional musical instruments.
Tags Keshab Prasad Sharma, Artist, Raj darbar, Instrument making, technician, North, South, Banaras State musicians, Tradition, Heritage, Inch, Tape, Musical instrument, Veena, Temple, Dhrupad, accompaniment ,Classical, Semi classical, Nibaddha, Anibaddha, Sanskrit culture, Upanisad, Veda, Rudra, Scale, Faiyaz Khan, Dabir Khan, Tanpura, Vocal cord, Musical notes, rudra veena, Sarangi, Tritantri, Zia Mohiuddin Khan Dagar, eight Strings, Asad Ali Khan ,  seven Strings, bridge, Measurement, Workshop, Gaze
Language Bengali, Hindi, English

Mangla Prasad Sharma speaks:


 

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.

 

Angry Artist and the expressive listeners

Told by Pt. Anindya Banerjee
Obtained by Sukanya Sarkar
Date  9th March 2015
Place 50/1A Purnadas Road, Kolkata-700029
About the speaker Pt. Anindya Banerjee is an eminent Sarod and Sursringar player from Maihar gharana
Tags Temperament, artist, Kala Sangam, Malkauns festival, Vilayat Khan, Alap, Playing sitar, Riyaz, Balcony, Practice, Compliment, Salam, Irshad Khan, apology,  Allauddin khan, Early 2000, Kishan Maharaj, Organiser, Ali akbar Khan, 8pm, Varanasi, 1am, Green Room, Alap, Gat, abartan, Tanpura, Sharan Rani, Kalamandir
Language Bengali

Pt. Anindya Banerjee speaks:

It appears that the year of the Malkauns festival as stated in the anecdote requires a review. We are working on it. — Editor


 

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.

 

All India Radio, Kolkata—A few Inner Stories

Told by Pt. Anindya Banerjee
Obtained by Sukanya Sarkar
Date  9th March 2015
Place 50/1A Purnadas Road, Kolkata-700029
About the speaker Pt. Anindya Banerjee is an eminent Sarod and Sursringar player from Maihar gharana
Tags Radio, Karamatulla Khan, Instrument, Baya Tabla, Puti, Torch, Batteries, Chhot, Recording Room, Recordist, Recording tape, Magnetic tape, Mother (Aradhana banerjee), Studio, Manager, Calcutta AIR, Garstin Place, Ghost, Book, experience, People
Language Bengali

Pt. Anindya Banerjee speaks:

 

A few words on Pt. Ranadhir Roy

Told by Pt. Anindya Banerjee
Obtained by Sukanya Sarkar
Date  9th March 2015
Place 50/1A Purnadas Road, Kolkata-700029
About the speaker Pt. Anindya Banerjee is an eminent Sarod and Sursringar player of Maihar gharana
Tags Ranadhir Roy, Esraj Player, 3 days Conference, Musician, Anindya Banerjee, Sursringar, Sarod, Mian-ki-Mallar, Tilak- kamod, Shyam, Hammir, Concert, Ram Krishna Mission, Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, Khan Saheb, Gurjari Todi, Sarangi Nawaz Bundu khan, Santiniketan, Workshop.
Language Bengali

Pt. Anindya Banerjee speaks:

 

 

Organizing Music Concerts—Money Matters!

Told by Pt. Anindya Banerjee
Obtained by Sukanya Sarkar
Date 9th March 2015
Place 50/1A Purnadas Road, Kolkata-700029
About the speaker Pt. Anindya Banerjee is an eminent Sarod and Sursringar player of Maihar gharana
Tags Ramakrishna Mission, Golpark,  M.S. Gopalakrishnan, 18000/-, 19000/-, Artist, Organiser, Ulhash Kashalkar, 5000/-, 8000/-, vocalist, Tabla player, United States, Concert, Samta Prasad, Reception, Lahara, Disciple, 1977, Audiences, All night concert, Ali Akbar khan, Vilayat Khan, Duet, Girija Debi, Nikhil Banerjee, Netaji Indoor Stadium, Allauddin Music Circle, Stage
Language Bengali

Pt. Anindya Banerjee speaks:

Verbatim:

I had a very odd experience while organizing concerts for Ramkirishna Mission, two or three I’ll mention, one is, it’s basically based on monetary things,

M.S.Gopalkrishnan

Once M.S.Gopalkrishnan refused to take some extra money, what happened, he was suppose get rupees eighteen thousand  or rupees nineteen thousand or  something, but instead in order to make it round off  and we wanted to pay him rupees twenty thousand, but  he refused to take that, and we said that we have  made this voucher so we can’t cancel it,  but he said no no, he was adamant, he said you make a new voucher and then I’ll accept it. So we had to give him the exact amount. Which is a very rare thing because in most of the time the artists want to grab as much as money from the organizers.

Second thing happened also with Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar. He agreed to sing with five thousand rupees, but he we had fund so gave gave him,eight thousand rupees, three thousand rupees extra, which he also refused, he said “no, I can’t take that extra money and on top of that this is a very religious institution, I can’t take extra money from them”. So there were two other musicians, one very famous vocalist, who took first class air fare, he did not come and he used the ticket, and he never talked about that thing and never returned that money, which is very bad. Same thing also happened with one very famous Tabla player who resides in U.S.A. He didn’t come and next time he said last year while coming to this concert I had to pay so much extra money, so please give me that money. But actually he didn’t come and didn’t spent any kind of money but we had to sent because he was such famous artist. So in organizing concerts, this kind of things happens.

It happened with Samta Prasad ji also, we organized a concert with three very famous Tabla player’s solo, again in Ramkrishna Mission, so Samta Prasad ji came two years earlier than the concert and he stayed at Ramkrishna Mission guest house, he thought that this guest house is like a hotel, So he used to call at the reception at a very late night and asked for Paratha and Boti Kabab or something like that, and though it was prohibited but he used to have drinks there, then one day he fell sick, actually he fell sick after playing his Lahara, then we found that he consumed almost two k.g.s of Kaju Badam ( Cashew Nuts) and we came to know that from his disciples that their Guruji consumed that amount of Cashew Nuts, so we had a big problem in cleaning the room and so these things also happens organizing concert.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Ustad Vilayet Khan

We also had a big fighting with the audience in 1977. We organized a night long concert of Ali Akbar Khan Sahab and Vilayat Khan Sahab duet, and also Girija Devi and Nikhil Banerjee at Netaji Indoor Stadium. We had a music circle called Allauddin Music Circle, on behalf of that we organized that concert. You know that the stage there is oval shaped and so everyone could not seat in front, because all tickets were sold out so many people were seating at the back side of the artists, which they didn’t like, and they kept on shouting that ‘you have to turn, you have to turn’, which couldn’t be possible and as we were the part of organizers wearing batches so people can find us and they started abusing us and somehow we have announced on the stage that it is not possible so please bear with us and just listen them playing but they kept on shouting that no we want to see them too and not only listening we also want to see their face and mood and expressions of the artists, so we were almost beaten up by the audience but somehow we were rescued so this is another part of organizing a concert.

Verbatim by: Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

Picture Courtesy: Google

http://www.sruti.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=6&product_id=339

 : https://www.google.com/search?q=Ali+Akbar+Khan+Vilayat+Khan&client=firefox-b-ab&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:Cc7PoWHJDf43IjisxNeXoRJK-scTnfMi3xDjcqTilByHbevErH3XcVCY4Hx5hAb8JJvF6Aymb1zhdVcxwY7jGJMg1ioSCazE15ehEkr6EZ9Ui4oVctaXKhIJxxOd8yLfEOMR1Zbu4tUeh5kqEglypOKUHIdt6xEEzOLUczC0yioSCcSsfddxUJjgEfJ5W2UkAI53KhIJfHmEBvwkm8URbh308-pNm3oqEgnoDKZvXOF1VxGthIdLisaoqCoSCTHBjuMYkyDWEZqWrJZtciwv&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjy2ay0wr7bAhVDfisKHaBDAukQ9C96BAgBEBs&biw=1366&bih=631&dpr=1#imgrc=zs-hYckN_jdZlM:

Edited & Designed: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee 

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University

 

 

Steps to write on ‘Performances’ in the city

Writing from the already published anecdotes

Basic Areas – PERFORMANCES

Major sub-areas:

  • Part of Kolkata/Calcutta
  • Period

Method:

  1. Choose an anecdote
  2. Create the reference on your computer in MS Words using References Tab.
  3. Listen to the anecdote.
  4. Listen again and jot down the key points under the following categories:
    1. Society
    2. Event
    3. Persons in the anecdote
    4. Concert/Baithak logistics
    5. Others
  5. Start writing by paraphrasing what you heard under the same headings, i.e.,
    1. Society
    2. Event
    3. Persons in the anecdote
    4. Concert/Baithak logistics
    5. Others

 

Repeat this process on other anecdotes.

Impacts of Indian Classical Music told by a listener

Told by Ashim Kanti Karmakar
Obtained by Suranjita Paul
Date 25th August 2016
Place 183E, Nabarun Co-op Housing society, Thakurpukur, Kolkata -63
About the speaker Sri Ashim Kanti Karmakar is a hardcore listener of Indian Classical Music and a regular visitor of Musical Concerts of Kolkata
Tags Zakir Hussain, Tabla lahara, ’80, ’90, Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Flute, Dover Lane Music Conference, Radio, Recorded Music, Classical Music
Language Bengali

Ashim Kanti Karmakar speaks:

 

Music wins over Electrical Failure : Ustd. Amjad Ali Khan at Rabindra Sadan

Told by Ashim Kanti Karmakar
Obtained by Suranjita Paul
Date 25th August 2016
Place 183E, Nabarun Co-op Housing society, Thakurpukur, Kolkata -63
About the speaker Sri Ashim Kanti Karmakar is a hardcore listener of Indian Classical Music and a regular visitor of Musical Concerts of Kolkata
Tags Rabindra Sadan, Amjad Ali Khan, Sarod, Zakir Hussain, Tabla, 3 hours, 1980, Stage, auditorium, silence, Break, amplification off, elctrical failure
Language Bengali

Ashim Kanti Karmakar speaks:

Touch down the inner nuances – Pt. Asit Banerjee

Told by Pt. Asit Kumar Banerjee
Obtained by Suranjita Paul
Date 27th   August 2016
Place 62/36/1 Hari Pada Dutta Lane, Kolkata- 700033
About the speaker Pt. Asit Kumar Banerjee is an eminent Rudra veena player and representative of Dagarbani Dhrupad in Kolkata
Tags Seven notes in one note, anataratma, bahiratma.
Language Bengali

Pt. Asit Kumar Banerjee speaks:

This recording presents a good example of many colors in one note, where Pt. Asit Banerjee unveiled a glimpse of the deep rooted traditional knowledge. – Editor

Verbatim:

???, ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????, ?????? ????????? ????? ?????, ?????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ??? ???????????? ?? ?? ????? ??????, ????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ????????? ??? ???? ???? ???, (??? ?????? ????????? ?????????), ?????????? ??????, ???? ?????????? ?? ?????????? ?? ????????? ?????, ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????-(?????????)????? ??????- (?????????, ? ???? ???? ???????), ???? ?? ?? ‘?’, ‘?’ ???? ?????? ?? ???????, ??? ‘?’ ‘?’ ??? ?????? ???? ?????????????? ????? ????-(?????????), ?????,  ??? ?? ?????, ??, ??, ?? ?? ??? ????? ???? ???, ?? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ? ??????????? ????? ??? ?? ?? ???????, ?? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ???? ???, ???? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ??????? ‘?’ ??? ??????, ????(?????????)???????  ?????? ????? ???? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????????  ‘?’ ??????? ???,  ??? ?? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?? ? ? ? ? ?? ??, ?? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ????? ????, ?? ?????? ?????? ???  ???? ??????? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??????

Verbatim:  Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

Translation:

Suppose we are presenting this   raga,   Now just from Sa to Re we are taking the strain,  It covers a small stretch, but within that there are seven notes where it can be put. Wait, I’ll just show you (Demonstrated ). Malhar, for instance. Or this m?. When I am playing Gandhar, I can’t go back with ga ma. For example… (Demonstrated). You see? (Demonstrated). Now, what is happening is, s? rere has many variations. The note re has seven other notes. G? has other variations. In Gandhar (Demonstrated), one has to find the seven notes from the inside and come to the outside.Like Antaratma and Bahiratma so the m? is later transformed to (Demonstrated). This is different. First this (Demonstrated) The tanpura will help you, and these will help you from the inside, then you’ll get m?. You can’t play the note directly. Everything has this peculiarity. S? re g? m? p? dh? ni s?, s? ni dh? p? m? g? re s? – there are seven notes. Now if each of these seven notes have seven notes each, then, can you tell me how many times I have to be born to be able to master them all?

Translated by: Sarbajaya Bhattacharya

Edited & Designed: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University

 

 

The legacy continues – My Disciples

Told by Pt. Asit Kumar Banerjee
Obtained by Suranjita Paul
Date 27th   August 2016
Place 62/36/1 Hari Pada Dutta Lane, Kolkata- 700033
About the speaker Pt. Asit Kumar Banerjee is an eminent Rudra veena player and representative of Dagarbani Dhrupad in Kolkata
Tags Jibak Chatterjee, Radio, Conference, Piyal Bhattacharya, Dagar Gharana, Karnatak Veena, Bhimadev Chatterjee, Ansuman Singha Roy [Kaustav], Veena, Vocal, National Programme, Gopal Chandra Paul, Arati Banerjee, Prabir Setari, Ganenbabu, Rabindra Bharati University, Koustav Singha Roy, Germany, Veena, 1980, Zia Mohiuddin Khan Dagar, Asad Ali Khan, Asit Kumar Banerjee, The Way of Music – The Book with Cassette
Language Bengali

Pt. Asit Kumar Banerjee speaks: