Category Archives: Central

Remembering Pt. Nikhil Banerjee—in green rooms, on stage and the musical impact

Told by Prof. Sukanti Dutta
Obtained by Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 29th  December, 2016
Place Paikpara
About the speaker Academician, Musician, Music Connoisseur
Tags Greenroom, Shyam Kalyan, Nikhil Banerjee, Strings, 1981,  Rabindra Sadan, Ravi Shankar, Anindo Chatterjee, Deepak Chouwdhury, Rabin Paul, Dover Lane,  Partho Majumdar, Sitar, Amit Roy, Kaan, Jowari, Hiren Roy, Taan, Sitar, 1980, Vilayat Khan, Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, Zakir Hussain, Amsterdam, Swapan Chowdhury, London, Shyam Kalyan, Pancham Sawari, Kaushik Bhairo, Bhairav, Uttarpara Sangeet Sanmelan, 1980’s,1977, 1978
Language Bengali, English

Prof. Sukanti Dutta speaks :

Verbatim:

??? ???? ?????????? ????????? ??? ??????????? ??????? ???? ??????????????? ?????, ????? ??????????, ?? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ???????? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?? ???????? ???? ????? ???????? ?????? ????, ??? ????????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ????, ??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???’??? ?? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ????????, ???? ???? ?? ???? ???????? ????? ?? ???? ????????? ???, ???? ???????? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?????

?? ??????? ?? ?????????? ????? ???? ????? ????????? ??????????? ???, ???????? ?????????? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????? ?’?????? ??????? ?? ???? ????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ??? ?????????? ?????? ?? ???? ???, ??????????? ?????????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????…????? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ??????? ??? ???, ???? ?????? ?? – ‘???????? ??????? ??? ????? ????’? ?? ????? ????? ???? ???? ???????? ??? ?? ? ??????? ???? ???? ????????? ?? ??? ??? ???????

                            Pt. Nikhil banerjee

?????? ???? ???????? ?????????? ?????????? ????? ????????????? ?????????? ?????? ???? ????? ??????? ????????? ?? ?? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ????? ??? ????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??? ??? ???????? ?????????? ????? ???, ???????? ????? (?????), ?? ???????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??? ????, I will do it on my own? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ???,???? ???, ????? ???-?? ????, ??????, ?? ????? ???? ??????? ??????? ???, ?????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ???’?? ?????? ??????? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ??????? ???’?? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ?????? ??, ?????? ????? ?????? ?????? ??, ????? ???? ??? ???, ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????? ??? ??? (???? ???????) ??????? ??? ?????-‘???? ???????? ???? ???? ??? ??’, ???? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??????, ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ?? ??, ???? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ???????? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????, ?? ????, ??? ????, ???? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???, ????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ???? ????? ??? ???, ??????? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??’? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???, thanks to ill health ???? ??? ???? ????? ?????????? ??? ?? ??????? ??????? ?? ?????? ??- ????? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? (???? ???????)? ??????? ??? ??????? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???????? – ‘??? ?? ?? ??? ???? ???? ????? ?????, ?????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???? ????’?

??? ???? ???? ????????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ?????, ?? ????????? ?????, ????? ??? ??????? ????? ???? without any accompanist? ???? ????? ???? ?? ????????? ???? ???? ?????, ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ????????? ??????? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ??????? ?????, ????? ??????? ????? ??????????????? ???? ???, ????? ??????? ????? ?????? ???? ?????, ???????? ??????????? ?????  ???? ?????? ????? ??????? ???????, ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??????? ??, ??? ???? ??????? ????? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ????? ?????? ???? ???????? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ????? ?????? ????????? ???? ??????, ??????? ????? ??????? ??? ????, ?? ??? ?????

?? ??? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ??????????? ??? ?????? ??? ???????? ?????????? ????? ??????? ???????? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ????? ????????? ???? ?? ????? ?? ????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???? ???? ??????????, ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ?????? ????? ???????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???????? ??????????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ????? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ??????? ???? ???????? ???? ???????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ??????????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??? ????? ????????????? ????? ???? ??? ??? ????

??? ????? ???? ????? ??? ??? ????? ????? ????????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ????? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ???????, ??? ???????, ???????? ????? (??) ??????? ??? (??)? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?????, ????? ?????? ?????????, ??? ??? ??? ????? ???????? ???? ?????? ????, ???? ????????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ????? ????? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ???? ???????? ?????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???????? ?????, ????? ????? ????? ???? ???

Verbatim by: Dr. Suranjita Paul

 Translation:

Pt. Nikhil Banerjee was scheduled to play Shyam Kalyan at a programme, the announcements had been made, but he was yet to fix the strings. The string was to go along the bridge could not be fixed. This was because his eyesight had deteriorated so much and he had just recovered from his stroke. I can vaguely remember the date to be possibly 1981. We were sauntering around, but were not allowed inside.  Rabindra Sadan has two greenrooms; one of them is visible from the Car Park but only if the windows are open.

On a previous occasion, Ravi Shankarji had almost taken a class before a programme, flanked by Anindo Chatterjee on one side and Dipak Chowdhury on the other. We were privy to everything from what he would play to how he would come on to the stage, thanks to Rabin pal, Ravi Shankarji’s organizer. He had kept a window open just a little bit and had told Partha Majumdar, a friend of ours, ‘Stand here and you’ll get to hear everything.’ Partha had taken me there. We two had stood there and seen a lot of how he demonstrated the Taalas.

On this occasion, we had used a similar opening to stand outside pt. Nikhil Banerjee’s greenroom.  Ravishankarji was more conscious about these things, Pt. Nikhil Banerjee more oblivious. So through the open window I could see him having difficulties in fixing the string. Anindo Chatterjee asked him, “Kakababu (he used to call him that), can I have a look at that?” He said, “ No, not at all. I will do it my own.” Hiren Roy’s son, Amit Roy, or Bachchu as he was called, tried to lend a helping hand, but was allowed very little. He fixed the string till making the last kink at the end, allowing him only to fix the last gauge of the string with the left hand tuning pegs. Then he told Amit, referring to Hiren Roy, “Your father has not done the Jawari well this time.” which had been done the previous day.

Nikhilbabu preferred a jawari that was neither too open nor too closed, something in between.  This produced an outstanding sound, and when he performed Taans, there was a singular sound and you could hear just what was being played. I’ll take no names, but there are many taanbaaz Sitarists, who perform Taans at a blazing speed, at 8-times, sixteen-times or twenty-times even, but then the other strings start to respond and there is too much noise. This I had never heard from Pt. Nikhil Banerjee.

After the 80s, he became a bit slow, owing to ill health, but came to terms with that. He had mentioned this to some persons somewhere, while praising Ustad Vilayat  Khan  Sahab, of whom he was a great admirer. While listening to a Taan by Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahab, he lamented, “ Ah, I could have done such taans at a time, but my health has stopped me. I cannot perform them anymore. He had acquiesced not to perform taans beyond a certain Laya himself.

But the greatest thing about him was the sense inherent in his head. He used to travel alone, without any accompanist. I have heard it from people who used to plan his programmes abroad, from many other people including Tejen, that he was scheduled to play, say, at two programmes in Amsterdam with Zakir Hussain, one at London with Swapan Chaudhuri five at sundry locations with Anindo Chatterjee. But they were not travelling together, he travelled alone, and this with a high optical power, resulting from myopia and the surgery on the eye which was affected by the second or third stroke.  I do not know how he did it, but he did so religiously.

             Pt. Anindo Chatterjee

Maybe it was Anindo Chatterjee who reminisced about the time when they were to play in a programme at Paris. They were very particular about the time, about the exact duration of the programme. Ten minutes before the programme, the strings had not been fixed, they kept breaking off repeatedly. But Pt. Nikhil Banerjee was adamant about doing it himself. And after that, he was to play Shyam Kalyan on PanchamSawaritaala, which ran to an hour and a half. But he never compromised about the time, that is to say, if he played Alaap for one hour here, he would do so for an hour abroad also. He was not concerned about what the audience was willing to accept or not, he would endeavour to elevate the audience to his level. This is one instance I remember among many.

Let me tell you about another experience. Nikhil babu played Kaushik Bahiron at the Uttarpara Sangeet Sammelan in the late seventies, 1977 or 1978.  Me and two or three of my friends were sitting in the empty pandal, all the people had left, well after seven in the morning. The reason being, even after the playing had stopped, and the audience had left, the effect of the music lingered on. I can quote many such experiences from my memory if you wish.

 Translated by: Arundhati Banerjee

Picture Courtesy: Google

http://www.stevenbaigel.com/banerjeedoc/introduction.htm

http://www.melbournetablaschool.com/anindochatterjee.html

Edited & Designed: Dr. Suranjita Paul

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

Nikhil Banerjee’s Patdeep—A journey to Transcendence

 

Told by Prof. Sukanti Dutta
Obtained by Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 29th  December, 2016
Place Paikpara
About the speaker Academician, Musician, Music Connoisseur
Tags 1975, Rabindra Sadan, Begum Akhtar, Vishmadev Chattopadhyay, Nikhil Banerjee, Patdeep, Alap, Jor, Jhala, Acoustics, Sitar, Ali Akbar Khan, Darbari Kanada, Classical Music, Swapan Chowdhury, Uthan, Tabla, Kani
Language Bengali, English

Prof. Sukanti Dutta speaks :

Verbatim:

1975 ?, ???? ???????? ????, ???? ???????? ?????? ???????? ????, ?? ???????? ???????????? ?? ????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ?????  ????  ????? ??????????, ??????? ????? ???????? ????????????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?????????? ???, ???????? ???????????? ???, ???? ????????????? ???, ????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ???????? ????????, ???? ?????? ???, ?????? ????? ???? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ????, ?????? ???? ??????? ?????? ????????, ?? ????? ???? ????? ???????????,

Pt. Nikhil Banerjee

???? ???? ????? ??? ???, ???? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ????????? ?????, ???? ???????, ???? ????? ?? ??????? ??? ????, ?? ??????????? ??? ????, ???? ????, ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????????? ?? ???????????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?? ????, ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ??, ?? ????? ??????? ???, ?????? ?????? ?? ???????? ?? ????? ??????? ????, ??????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????????? ???? ???????? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ???????????? ??? ??????, ?? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ???????? ??? ????? ????????, ??? ??? ?? ????? ????? ???? ?????, ??? ?????? ???? ?????????, ??? ?? ????????? ?? ??????????????? ???? ???? ????? ???????, ??? ???  ????? ???????? ????? ????, ??? ??? ????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????????, ?????? ??  ???????? ?? ???? ????, ??? ????? ???????? ???? ?? ???????? ????  ???????????? ????? ?????  ??????, ??????????? ???????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??????, ?? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ????????????????? ?????????, ?? ???? ???? ??? ????????? ???? ???? ?????????????????  ???, ??? ???? ??,  ???? ?? ????????? ???????? ???? ??, ????? ?? ?????? ???? ??????, ????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?????????? ????? ?? ??????????? ????, ?????? ??? ??? ?????? ???????? ?????, ?? ????? ????? ???? ?? ????????? ??? ??????, ???? ?????? ???, ??????? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ???????? ????, ????, ???? ???? ???? ?????? ??????????? ????? ??????? ????? ????, ??? ???? ????? ?? ???????? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????? ?? ?????? ????????, ??????????? ????, ?? ????? ????? ???? ?? ??????? ?????? ??? ??????, ??? ?? ???????, ???? ???? ???? ?????????? ????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ??????, ??? ?????? ?? ???????  ????  ???? ???????????? ????? ????, ??? ??? ???????? ??????, ???? ???? ???????? ?? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ????????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ?????????? ?????????????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ?????????? ??, ??? ?? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ?????????? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ????, ??? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ??, ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ????? ??, ??????? ????? ????? ?????????? ?? ????? ???? ???????, ?????? ?? ??????? ????? ? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ????????? ???? ???? ????? ????????? ????? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ???? ???????

 Verbatim: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

Translation:

In 1975, there was a programme in remembrance of Begum Akhtar in Rabindra Sadan. Nikhil Banerjee and Vismadeb Chattopadhyay were to perform consecutively. People were a bit baffled to hear that an instrument would be played before the vocal. But later I heard that Nikhil Banerjee himself requested it, as Vismadeb was a very senior musician and he should complete the programme. As it was a tribute to Begum Akhtar, Nikhil Banerjee played raga Patdeep. I remembered two things clearly, one was that it took fifty-two or fifty- three minutes to complete the raga with alaap, jod and jhala and it was bewitching.  It was like hypnotism and I remined fixed through the performance with my legs one upon another. Afterwards I couldn’t move my legs but the heavenly tune was still there after the music was over. At that time Rabindra Sadan had one of the best aquistics and his sitar had the best tone and quality. Apart from the technical brilliance the performance was superb. The loftiness or transcendence through music was quite rare. I experienced it four times, I think. Once with Ali Akbar Khan’s Darbari Kanara made this magic. But, this performance in 1978 or 79 it was unique. It was so uplifting one can not express it in words. We use the term transfiguration in literature but transcendence is the best word to express it.

pt swapan chaudhuri

Afterwards I went out for a stroll to relieve the cramp on my legs and also to move away from the performance of Swapan Choudhury who started the tabla with gusto. With full respect to him, he should think about the atmosphere created by the earlier performance and chose his piece well. Anyway, I suddenly spotted a person crying helplessly outside. I thought of some misfortune must had befallen him. But he was also inside and experienced the music which had shaken our soul. Nikhil Banerjee had taken the experience of music to another level and no one could come close to that. This was one of my unique experiences.

Translation by: Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

 

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

Begum Akhtar at the Palace of the Rajah of Panchkot

Told by Pt. Santosh Banerjee
Obtained by Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 5th April, 2017
Place Pt. Santosh Banerjee’s  Residence , Kali Temple Road, Kolkata
About the speaker Renowned Sitar Player, Formerly a Member of Faculty at the Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University. One of the prime disciples of Ustad Dabir Khan.
Tags Panchkot, Begum Akhtar, Bhubaneswari Prasad Sing Deo, Agra, Kashipur, Loudon Street, 1964, 1965
Language Bengali

Pt. Santosh Banerjee Speaks :

Text version:

??? ?? ??? ??, ???? ????? ????? ????????? ????, ?? ????? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ?????? ????? ??????

????? ??? ?? ???? ?????

????? ??? ?? ?????????? ??????? ??? ????

(???? ????? ??? ????????, ???? ???? ????????, ????????? ?????? , ???? ??????? ??????? ????)

?? ??? ????? ??? ???, ??? ?????? ??? ?????, ?? ??? ???????? ?????, ?????? ????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ???????, ????? ???????? ?????? ?????

???? ????? [????-??]
????????, ??? ??? ????, ????? ???, ??? ???, ????? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ???? ????, ??? ??? ?????, ?????? ????? ???? ??? ???????? ????? ??? , ????, ??????? ?????? ????? ????????? ?? ??-???? ????? ???

??? ?????? ???? ?

??? ????? ????????? ???????. ?????? ?/? ????? ???????? ????? ?????. ??? ???? ??? ??????, ?? ???? ??????? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ????? ?????, ??? ???? ??? ??? ????? ??, ?? ?? ??????? ?????? ??? ?????, ??? ????? ???, ? ?????? ??? ?? (???? ?????)?

??? ???????? ??? ?????? ???? ?

? ???…

40’s ?

?? ?? 40’s ??? ???, ??? 64, ?? 67, 68 ????

Verbatim by: Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

Translation:

It happened like this, my student the Raja of Panchkot expressed his interest to listen to Begum Akhtar. Her songs were always being played. This Raja was named Bhubneswari Prasad Singdeo. They had their estate at the village of Kashipur, Panchkot near Agra where their palaces still stand. Anyway, I said I will try and asked Ustadji.

Palace of Panchkote

Ustadji took me to Broadway Hotel where Begum Akhter was staying for a performance. She gladly consented to go and asked about the time. She asked us to send a car at ten p.m. She arrived punctually at the raja’s residence at 2/1 Loudon Street and performed about fifteen of her songs. The only audience consisted of myself, the Raja, Ustadji and a couple of other people. It was a wonderful performance and this was how I got acquainted with Begum Akhtar. She used to take a very costly and aromatic jarda which was heard to come by. I used to consume betel leaf a lot and also used this jarda in a very small amount.  The time frame is around 1964 or 67-68.

Translation by:  Arundhati Banerjee

Picture Courtesy: Google

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b&biw=1366&bih=631&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=1AIRW-GFC4THrQHd77KYBg&q=begum+akhtar&oq=begum+akhtar&gs_l=img.3..0l10.2028468.2031215.0.2031626.12.8.0.4.4.0.186.1260.0j8.8.0….0…1c.1.64.img..0.12.1312…0i67k1.0.iKS7St7eY4Y#imgrc=MDjqBoLkyHORqM:

http://www.indianrajputs.com/view/panchkot

Edited & Designed: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

 

 

 

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

 

Ustad Dabir Khan Saved a Situation

Told by Pt. Santosh Banerjee
Obtained by Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 5th April, 2017
Place Pt. Santosh Banerjee’s  Residence , Kali Temple Road, Kolkata
About the speaker Renowned Sitar Player, Formerly a Member of Faculty at the Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University. One of the prime disciples of Ustad Dabir Khan.
Tags Dabir Khan, Ripon Street, Begum Akhtar, Akhtari Bai, Mujro, 1940, Tabla, Harmonium
Language Bengali

Pt. Santosh Banerjee Speaks :

Text version:

??  ????-?? ???? ???? ???? ????????? (???? ???? ????)? ???? ?????? ???? ???????? ??????. ??? ????  ?????, ??? ?????? ???? ????????? ?????? ????

?????? ??? [????-??]
??????. ??? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??????? ??????? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ? ?????, ????? ???? ?? ?????, ???? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????, ??????? ?????, ??? ???????????, ???? ????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ??????? ???? ?????????? ??? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ????? ?? ????????  ??? ?? ??? ????????? ??????  ??? ???????? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ???, ???? ???? ??? ???, ?? ?? ??? ?????? ?????.

???? ?????? ??????

??????

?????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???, ??? ???????? ??? ???, ????????? ???? ???. ???? ???? ????? ?? ??????

?? ????????????? ??? ???? ?????? ????????? ?

?? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ?????????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ????  ??? ? ???, ?? ?????? ?? ???

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

Ustad Md. Dabir Khan’s Arrival at the City of Joy Calcutta

Told by Santosh Banerjee
Obtained by Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 5th April, 2017
Place Pt. Santosh Banerjee’s  Residence , Kali Temple Road, Kolkata
About the speaker Renowned Sitar Player, Formerly a Member of Faculty at the Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University. One of the  prime disciples of Ustad Dabir Khan.
Tags Dabir Khan, Rampur Sahaswan Gharana, Wazir Khan, Allauddin Khan, Mustaque Hussain Khan, Rampur, Kolkata, 1935, Kesto Babu, Krisna Chandra Dey, Jorasnako Rajbari, Bardhwan  Rajbari, Sagir Khan, Rippon Street
Language Bengali

Pt. Santosh Banerjee Speaks :

Text version:

Ustd. Dabir Khan [1905-1972]
???? ???, ??? ?????? ????????? ?????? ??????. ???? ??? ????? ?????, ??? ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ????, ???? ???, ??? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ????????? ??? ?? ????, ??????? ????? ??? ?? ????, ??? ?????? ???? ?????, ???????? ???? ??? , ???? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ????, ?? ???? ???? ???? ????  ???? ??? ????? ????? , ???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ????? ????????? ??? ??? ???. ??????? ??, ????????? ???? ???? ?????, ????????? ??? ?????, ???????? ???????, ?? ?? ??????? ??? ?? ?????????,????????? ???????, ??? ??? ????? ?????, ??? ????? ????, ??? ?????? ?????? ??????, ??? ??, ?????? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????, ??? ???????? ?????? ?????? ????? ???????? ??????, ???? ????? ???  ?? ????? ???????, ?? ??????? ???????, ????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ????,??? ???? ???????, ???? ? ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??? ??????

????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?

??? ???? ?????????

Verbatim by: Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

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

Pt. Lakshman Bhattacharya and his disciples

 

Told by Swapna Mukherji
Obtained by Suranjita Paul
Date 2nd March 2017
Place 60/2/7 Kabi Bharati Sarani, Lake Road. Kolkata- 700029
About the speaker Swapna Mukherji is a well-known Sitar Player. She is the daughter as well as a disciple of Sri Amiya Bhushan Chattopadhyay [disciple of Pt. Lakshman Bhattacharya].  She was a graded Staff artist of All India Radio, served both in Raipur and Calcutta Station of All India Radio.
Tags Lakshman Bhattacharya, Amiya Bhushan Chattopadhyay, Sukumar Basu, Aparesh Chatterjee, Badal Das, Sitar, Sarod, 1921, 2012, Moody, All India Radio, Broadcast, Garstin Place, Programme, Chetla Conference, Shyambazar,
Language Bengali

Swapna Mukherji speaks:

 

Verbatim:

     Shri Amiya Bhushan Chattopadhyay

?????????? ??, ????…. ??????? ???????????, ???? ???????? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ????? ?????, ???? ???????? ???????????? ??? ??-??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ??????? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ?????, ????? ?????????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ??, ???? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ?????? ??????? ????? ???????? ????-? ???? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?????

?? ????????? ?????? ?????? ?? ??????? ?????, ???? ???? ?????, ???? ?????????? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ?????, ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ????? ???? ??????????? ????? ?????? ??, ??????? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ????

?????? ?????????, ??????? ?????, ??? ?? ???? ????????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ?????????? ???? ????, ? ??????? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ??????, ??? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????, -‘???? ???? ???? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ??’? ???? ????? ??? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ‘????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ???????, ?????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ????’- ??? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ????????? ???????

??’? ??’? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ?????????? ????????? ?????, ????? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ??, ?????? ???? ???? ????? ???, ?????? ???? ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????, ??? ????? ??? ??????? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ??????, ????, ???? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ??’? ????? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???????

?????? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???????? ?????? ????? ???? ????, ???????????? ?????, ???????????? ??? ??????????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ??-??????? ?????? ????? ????? ???, ???? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ??……???? ????? ????? ?????? ????

???? ?? ????? ???? ?????, -‘?? ??? ??? ?? ??’?

??? ??? ?? ??’? – ‘???? ???? ????, ??????? ?????!’

?? ??? ???? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ????? ????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???, ???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ???? ?????

Verbatim by: Dr. Suranjita Paul

Translation:

My father, Amiyabhushan Chattopadhyay, was one of Lakshmanda’s, that is, Lakshman Bhattacharya’s favourite students. I remember the names of a few others because they used to visit my father. For instance, there was Sukumar Basu. There was someone called Aparesh Chattrjee – I had only heard of him, never seen him. There was someone called Badal Das who could play the sitar and the sarod. He was born in 1921 and passed away in 2012.

Shri Lakshman Bhattacharya

Lakshman da was an incredible artist. He was very moody and somewhat apathetic towards worldly interests. He was dead against self-publicity and avoided it at all costs. He had a tendency of disappearing, so his students would take turns to make sure that he stayed put.

 In those days, programmes on the radio used to be broadcast live. My father used to keep an eye on him. Our house was very close to the Akashbani Bhavan. My father would bring him to our house and make him stay there. He would get angry and say, “Why are you following me like this? Don’t keep me under surveillance!” Father would change the subject and say, “We are so fortunate to ahve found a guru like you. The more time we can spend with you, the better it is for us.” And he would make him perform for the radio.

It had happened a few times that Lakkhan da had a programme, but he was nowhere to be found. This happened a few times during the Chetla conference. These are all stories I’ve heard from father. They’d find him at the crematorium. He used to go and sit there. He seemed indifferent about the world. Maybe he liked it att he creamatorium, that’s why he sat there. He was extremely genial and pleasant. He called my grandmother ‘mother’, and referred to my mother as ‘bouma’ or daughter-in-law. He had a tender disposition. I’ve never heard from father anything about his rage. He was like this, but he was also very, very moody. The students would take turns to keep an eye on him.

Anyway, such measures did not prove preventive in the end. He passed away when he was just 39. He was unmarried. He was at his brother’s house in Shyambazar. I don’t know the exact address. He passed away in that house. His nephew came to our house, dressed in mourning. My father was the first person he informed. Father was shocked when he saw him and asked, “What has happened?” Then he said, “Uncle passed away. He had fever for a couple of days!” He paased away at a very young age. I wonder what would have happened had he lived. He had attained such fame at such an young age that even now his name is heard in certain corners. For instance, you have come to ask me about him!

Translated by: Sarbajaya Bhattacharya

 Picture Courtesy:

Smt. Swapna Mukherji, Renowned Sitarist and graded Staff artist of AIR

Note: Shri Amiya Bhushan Chattopadhyay is the father of Smt. Swapna Mukherji – Editor

 

Edited & Designed: Dr. Suranjita Paul

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

 

 

Begum Parveen Sultana: A Lady with Principles

 

Told by Pt. Abhijit Banerjee
Obtained by Suranjita Paul
Date  13th March 2017
Place 5/15 Kalicharan Dutta Road. Behala Chowrasta. Kolkata- 700061
About the speaker Pandit Abhijit Banerjee is a renowned Tabla player of Kolkata. He is a prime disciple of Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh. He has also learned Vocal from Pandit Ajay Chakraborty
Tags Parveen Sultana ,Bombay (Mumbai), Vinayda (Vinay Pathak), Netaji Indoor Stadium, Rajya Sangeet Academy, Deba Prasad Dey, Manas Mukherjee, stage, mood, tabla, principles
Language Bengali

Abhijit Banerjee speaks:

Pt. Abhijit Banerjee mentioned during discussions that the incident took place during 1980’s – Editor

Verbatim:

?????? ??????, ???? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ????? ???????, ?????? ???????? ?? ?????? ?????????? ?? ?????? ?????????? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ????????? ????????? ?? ??? ???? ????????????? ?? ????????? ?? ?? ?????? ???? ??????,- ‘??? ????’? ?? ?? – ‘??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??’ ? ? ?? ?????……?????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ???? ????? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ?? ?? ?????, ???? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?????????? ???? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????? – ‘??…’? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ?????, ?????, -‘?? ???? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?????’? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ????? –‘? ???? ???? ???? ?????’????? ?????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????? ??! ??? ??? ??????

?????? ??? ?????? ??????, ???? ???? ????? ??-‘ ?? ?? ????? ????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ?? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ????? ?? ????? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ?????, ??? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ?? ???? ???? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ?? ???????? ???? ??????? ????? ?? ??????? ????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ????? ????? ????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ?????’?

?? ???? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ????? ??? ?? ?? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????????……?????? ???? ?? ??????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ???  ???? ????? ???? ???????? ??? ????????? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ??????? ???????

Verbatim by: Dr. Suranjita Paul

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

 

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

 

 

Remembering Begum Parveen Sultana’s Unique Gestures

 

Told by Pt. Abhijit Banerjee
Obtained by Suranjita Paul
Date  13th March 2017
Place 5/15 Kalicharan Dutta Road. Behala Chowrasta. Kolkata- 700061
About the speaker Pandit Abhijit Banerjee is a renowned Tabla player of Kolkata. He is a prime disciple of Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh. He has also learned Vocal from Pandit Ajay Chakraborty
Tags Parveen Sultana, Bombay (Mumbai), Kolkata, Rajya Sangeet Academy, 80’s, Manash Mukherjee, Secretary, Netaji Indoor Stadium, Pratush Bandyapadhyay, Sarod, Organisation, Aritra, Kumar Bose, Tajendra Narayan Majumder, Ali Akbar Khan, Dilshad Khan, Buddhadev Dasgupta, Prasun Bandyapadhyay, Tabla, Accompaniment, Nikhil Banerjee, Anindo Chatterjee, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, America, Europe, Newspaper, Criticism
Language Bengali

Abhijit Banerjee speaks:

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

 

Pt. Mahapurush Mishra’s kind gestures towards a budding child artist

Told by Pt. Abhijit Banerjee
Obtained by Suranjita Paul
Date  13th March 2017
Place 5/15 Kalicharan Dutta Road. Behala Chowrasta. Kolkata- 700061
About the speaker Pandit Abhijit Banerjee is a renowned Tabla player of Kolkata. He is a prime disciple of Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh. He has also learned Vocal from Pandit Ajay Chakraborty
Tags Keramatulla khan, Ali Akbar khan, Girija Devi, Mahapurush Mishra, Wellington Square, Tansen Sangeet Sammelan, Kanai Dutta, 1973, 1975,  Kala Mandir, Murari Sangeet Sammelan, Sandhya Mukherjee, Kheyal, Sunanda Pattanayak, Nikhil Banerjee, Kharaj-Pancham Alap, Sarafat Hussein Khan, Shankar Ghosh, Tabla Accompaniment,
Language Bengali

Abhijit Banerjee speaks:

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

 

Vishmadev Chattopadhyay and other stalwarts at Banga Sanskriti Sammelan

 

Told by Pt. Abhijit Banerjee
Obtained by Suranjita Paul
Date  13th March 2017
Place 5/15 Kalicharan Dutta Road. Behala Chowrasta. Kolkata- 700061
About the speaker Pandit Abhijit Banerjee is a renowned Tabla player of Kolkata. He is a prime disciple of Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh. He has also learned Vocal from Pandit Ajay Chakraborty
Tags Banga Sanskriti Sammenlan, Maidan, 70’s, Ananda Bazar Patirka, Buddhadev Dasgupta, Viswadev Chattopadhyay, Whole-night Programme, Shyamal Bose, Tabla accompaniment, Kheyal, Amjad Ali Khan, Nikhil Banerjee, Faiyaz Ahmed, Niyaz Ahmed, Mallikarjun Mansur
Language Bengali

Abhijit Banerjee speaks:

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