| Told by | Bishoke Kumar Sil |
| Obtained by | Suranjita Paul |
| Date | 29th September 2016 |
| Place | 84A, Ahiritola. Kolkata- 700005 |
| About the speaker | Bishoke Kumar Sil is an eminent Sitar and Rudraveena player of Seni gharana |
| Tags | Subarnabanik Samaj, Mijrab, Mizrab, Ganesh Avenue, Lal Bazar, 1985, 1986 |
| Language | Bengali |
Bishoke Kumar Sil speaks:
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
| Told by | Bishoke Kumar Sil |
| Obtained by | Suranjita Paul |
| Date | 29th September 2016 |
| Place | 84A, Ahiritola. Kolkata- 700005 |
| About the speaker | Bishoke Kumar Sil is an eminent Sitar and Rudraveena player of Seni gharana |
| Tags | Kacher Mandir, Glass Temple, Baranagar, 2004, 2005, Pakhawaj, Vivekananda society, Maniktala, Veena, Pakhawaj, Tanpura, Harmonium, Sarat Ghosal, Sudip Pal, Maya Vasant, Kafi, 2006 |
| Language | Bengali |
Bishoke Kumar Sil speaks:
Translation:
It was a unique experience I want to share. I went to perform in a glass temple in Baranagar in 2004 or 05. The pakhwaj player wanted atta (wheat flour ) to put in his instrument and they gave him some. But a little while later he did not feel the desired effect and it was quite oily, so we asked about the flour and they answered that it was dough made for luchi. So we had to remove all oil and then put the correct flour and then perform.
Another experience was that I was playing veena in Vivekananda society in Maniktala in 2004-05. It was a hurriedly assembled lot of musicians, a tanpura, harmonium and pakhawaj player was their own. Sarat Ghoshal in pakhawaj, Sudip Ghosh in tanpura and I can’t remember the harmonium player’s name. I play in G sharp scale, it was quite high but the other instruments collided and kept a lower scale. I played raga Maya Vasant and recorded it on my own player. I came home and replayed it and I heard Raga Kafi was being played. I did not play that raga. I know it but I did not play it. So, I heard quite keenly and still it was raga kafi. Because of the scale difference the other instruments became prevalent and I played with their scale and I played raga Kafi.
Translated by: Arundhati Banerjee
Picture courtesy: Google
https://cityseeker.com/kolkata/402173-kancher-mandir
Edited & Designed: Dr. Suranjita Paul
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
| Told by | Pt. Manilal Nag |
| Obtained by | Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay |
| Date | 12 February, 2015 |
| Place | Residence of Pt. Manilal Nag, 13G Gobinda Mondal Lane, Kolkata 700002 |
| About the speaker | Manilal Nag is a renowned sitar player and an exponent of the Bishnupur Gharana of Bengal. His sitar recitals have been featured in many National Programmes of Music & Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan since 1954. He is a recipient of several prestigious awards including Sangeet Natak Akademy Award in 2001 and
Government of West Bengal’s Highest Civilian Award, Banga Bibhushan in 2015. |
| Tags | Laya, accusations, frog, north Calcutta, fighting, abusing, Vilayet Khan, Rais Khan, knife, Tarun Sangeet Sammelan, Sanatan Mukherjee, Alla Rakha, Jog, Tarapada Chakraborty, Sunanda Patnaik, 1964, 1974 |
| Language | Bengali |
Pt. Manilal Nag speaks:
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
| Told by | Irfan Muhammad Khan |
| Obtained by | Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay and Troilee Dutta |
| Date | 27 September, 2016 |
| Place | Residence of Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, 3/1/1D, Padmapukur Road, Kolkata 700092 |
| On Irfan Muhammad Khan | Irfan Md. Khan is an established Sarod Player. The scion of Lucknow Shahjanpur Gharana Sarod player. He represents the Lucknow-Shahjahanpur Gharana which has produced eminent Sarod players like Ustad Enayet Khan (1790-1883), Ustad Asadullah Khan Kaukab (1852-1919), Ustad Karamatuilah Khan (1848-1933), Prof. Sakhawat Hussain Khan (1875-1955), also his illustrious father Ustad Umar Khan (1916-1982) and his uncle Ustad Ilyas Khan (1924-1989) the famous Sitar player of Lucknow. |
| Key-words | Ali Akbar Khan, Umar Khan, Jodhpur, Dagar, daraspiya, inspiration, shagird, R.D. Burman, Joydev, Roshan of Bombay, Begum Jabbar, Palm Avenue, morning concert, 1960, Bilaskhani todi, Dover lane, 1970, Puriya |
| Language | Hindi |
Irfan Muhammad Khan speaks:
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
| Told by | Irfan Muhammad Khan |
| Obtained by | Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay and Troilee Dutta |
| Date | 27 September, 2016 |
| Place | Residence of Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, 3/1/1D, Padmapukur Road, Kolkata 700092 |
| On Irfan Muhammad Khan | Irfan Md. Khan is an established Sarod Player. The scion of Lucknow Shahjanpur Gharana Sarod player. He represents the Lucknow-Shahjahanpur Gharana which has produced eminent Sarod players like Ustad Enayet Khan (1790-1883), Ustad Asadullah Khan Kaukab (1852-1919), Ustad Karamatuilah Khan (1848-1933), Prof. Sakhawat Hussain Khan (1875-1955), also his illustrious father Ustad Umar Khan (1916-1982) and his uncle Ustad Ilyas Khan (1924-1989) the famous Sitar player of Lucknow. |
| Key-words | Waliullah Khan, waliulla, Manjh Khamaj, Majh, Metiaburuj, Nawab of Jalpaiguri, 1840, Begum Jabbar, Umar Khan, Roxy Cinema, Basushree, Sree Cinema Hall, Basusree, 1953, Marris College, Illiyas Khan. |
| Language | Hindi |
Irfan Muhammad Khan speaks:
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
| Told by | Ustd. Irfan Muhammad Khan |
| Obtained by | Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay and Troilee Dutta |
| Date | 27 September, 2016 |
| Place | Residence of Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, 3/1/1D, Padmapukur Road, Kolkata 700092 |
| On Irfan Muhammad Khan | Irfan Md. Khan is an established Sarod Player. The scion of Lucknow Shahjanpur Gharana Sarod player. He represents the Lucknow-Shahjahanpur Gharana which has produced eminent Sarod players like Ustad Enayet Khan (1790-1883), Ustad Asadullah Khan Kaukab (1852-1919), Ustad Karamatuilah Khan (1848-1933), Prof. Sakhawat Hussain Khan (1875-1955), also his illustrious father Ustad Umar Khan (1916-1982) and his uncle Ustad Ilyas Khan (1924-1989) the famous Sitar player of Lucknow. |
| Key-words | Asadulla Khan, Kaukab Khan, kaukabh, Pratibha Devi, Debi, Karamatullah Khan, sangeet sabha, Motilal Nehru, 1908, Paris World fare, broken sarod, Banjo, Dwarkin, Kaukab patent Banjo, Betel. Calcutta, |
| Language | Hindi |
Ustd. Irfan Muhammad Khan speaks:
Verbatim:
???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ??????????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ?????
– ??? ??????? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???????
– ??? ??????? ???? ??????????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ????????? ?? exact location ???? ????? ?? ????? ?? but I don’t remember it. ?? ??? ?????? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?? ??????? ?????? ??? ?? ??? ????????, ??????????? ??? ????? ??? ?? ???…???? ???? ?? ?? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ???
– ???? ??? ?????
– ????????? ??? ???? ?? ??????????? ???? ….To represent India? ??????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?????????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ?????????? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ????…?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ?? ???????? ????? ?????? ?? ???????? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???????? ?????…shave off the frets ???? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??? ????? ???? ????????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?? ???????? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ??? ?? ???????? ???? ??????? ???????? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ???????? (Dwarkin) ????? ?? …??????????? ????? ?? ? ??? ?? ????? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ???????? ???? ??? ?? ?? ?????? ???
– ???????? ????????…?
– ???????? ???????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ???????? ??????? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ?????…??? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ?? ?? ???????? ?? ?? ??????
Verbatim by: Dr. Suranjita Paul
Translation:
– After the death of Kaukav Khan, Pratibha Devi called Karamatullah Khan.
– Tell us something about Pratibha Devi.
– Pratibha Devi was the daughter-in-law of Rabindranath Tagore. She had opened a music school. I think it was in Bhowanipore, or maybe somewhere in North Kolkata. My father had told me where it was, but I don’t remember it. There he was the teacher. In the meantime, what happened was, when Kaukav Khan was teaching, Motilal Nehru took him to Allahabad. Before that, Motilal Nehru had sent the two brothers to the Paris World Fair in 1908.
– Who were the two brothers?
– Kaukav Khan and Karamatullah Khan. They had been taken to represent India. They went to Paris and the Great Exhibition. There is a very interesting anecdote. Kaukav Khan’s sarod had broken. Now who could build him a sarod in Paris? He was very upset. The concert was just after two days. So he asked around whether there was anyone who could build him a sarod. As he was roaming around, he spotted a banjo. He bought the banjo and shaved off the frets to make it plain. And he played the banjo in place of his sarod at the concert, like the Sarod. Since then, the banjo became his signature, like his patent. Here in Kolkata, there was Dwarkin Shop owned by Gyan babu’s father. Banjos were available there. The banjo had become his patent. They even called it ‘Kaukuv patent banjo’.
– ‘Indian Banjo’?
-That’s what they wrote on the records. If someone went to the shop to buy it, they’d say, “I want the Kaukab Patent Banjo.” He has seven or eight records where he has played that banjo.
Translation by: Sarbajaya Bhattacharya
Picture Courtesy: Google
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVFb1zP_n0k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHOJJZJ-1S0
Edited & Designed: Dr. Suranjita Paul
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
| Told by | Ustd. Irfan Muhammad Khan |
| Obtained by | Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay and Troilee Dutta |
| Date | 27 September, 2016 |
| Place | Residence of Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, 3/1/1D, Padmapukur Road, Kolkata 700092 |
| On Irfan Muhammad Khan | Irfan Md. Khan is an established Sarod Player. The scion of Lucknow Shahjanpur Gharana Sarod player. He represents the Lucknow-Shahjahanpur Gharana which has produced eminent Sarod players like Ustad Enayet Khan (1790-1883), Ustad Asadullah Khan Kaukab (1852-1919), Ustad Karamatuilah Khan (1848-1933), Prof. Sakhawat Hussain Khan (1875-1955), also his illustrious father Ustad Umar Khan (1916-1982) and his uncle Ustad Ilyas Khan (1924-1989) the famous Sitar player of Lucknow. |
| Key-words | Imdad Khan, Tarab strings, taraf, Puriya, haren Sheel, Sil, Kaukab Khan, Kaukabh, Marwa, Mand, Surbahar, 1910, Marwari Hospital, Jorasanko |
| Language | Hindi [also include some English and Bengali sentences.] |
Ustd. Irfan Muhammad Khan speaks:
Paraphrase:
This is an embarrassing story, a tongue in cheek situation that happened in the house of Haren Sil. It was probably 1910 or 1912. Haren Sil’s house was on Chitpur Road, near Jorasankho Thakurbari that is now famously known as Rabindra Bharati University. Haren Sil’s house was like a sanctum where legendary musicians regularly visited, so almost every day Baithakis took place.
In this Sil house, once an incident happened with Imdad Khan, the legendary Sitar and Surbahar player. Imdad khan used to tune his Surbahar in all 12 notes so that he could randomly access any Raga in a bit moment. Actually he had a very rare power to start from any note. If he could take Tibra Madhyam as his first note, then Bhairavi would come very naturally. He always in a very modest way asked his audiences to request him any Raga of their will. Then he could immediately start that Raga very effortlessly. That was his unique technique, his charisma to mesmerize listeners.
One day in a very casual mood Imdad Khan was playing Puriya and asked his audiences for any raga. Kaukabh Khan, the legendary Sarode player was present at that time before Imdad Khan in Sil house. He told Haren to request him for Marwa. Now that was the most difficult situation for Imdad to turn on Marwa from Puriya. So he very calmly started playing Maand. Kaukabh Khan felt very insulted and began to scream on him that he had asked for Marwa and not Maand. He also scolded Imdad Khan that he should not brag of playing any Raga instantly when he could not do such things in reality. But Imdad Khan went for a tricky answer. He politely stated Khan Saheb that Maand came as his heart’s choice. Kaukabh Khan was very short tempered person. He immediately ordered Haren Sil to snatch his Surbahar and Haren Sil silently obeyed his order. Kaukabh Khan kept that Surbahar for three to four days and after he calmed down he asked Haren to return back that one to Imdad Khan.
This is one of the several stories that buried in Haren Sil’s house, North Kolkata which is now a Marwari hospital.
Paraphrased by: Dr. Suranjita Paul
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
| Told by | Sri Rajeev Goenka |
| Obtained by | Prof Sanjoy Bandopadhyay
Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee |
| Date | 27th September, 2016 |
| Place | Ashoka Road,Alipore,Kolkata -700027 |
| About the speaker | Rajeev Goenka is a noted connoisseur of Indian Classical Music and is a passionate music collector. He is the founder and protector of The Rajeev Goenka Music Academy at Dundlod, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. He is closely attached to Kolkata’s music scenario. |
| Tags | HMV,Gramaphone, Evening Raga,Casset , Godhuli, Morning Raaga, 1990-92, Darbari,Yaman, Bageshree, Long Playing Records, Kishori Amankar, Roshanara Begum, Records, Shyam Ganguly, Rasoolan Bai, Sidhweswari Devi, Bismillah Khan, Extended Play Record, EP, Ravishankar, Ali Akbar, Nikhil Banerjee, Indian Classical Music |
| Language | English |
Sri Rajeev Goenka Speaks :
A small video clip
Text Version:
I was associated with the gramophone company. They took me as an adviser of classical music, so I gave them various concepts, like I asked them to take evening Ragas and we titled the cassette, at that time there were cassettes, there were four cassettes in one box, so I titled the compilation ‘Godhuli’, and on the box we wrote the details, that what is ‘Godhuli’ and what are the Ragas of Godhuli, then I made a cassette called morning Ragas, then I made the cassette of evening Ragas.
The approximate time frame if you could also mention of the release of these cassettes of ‘Godhuli’ and the morning ragas and others?
Yes, ‘Godhuli’ is the evening time.
No when did you produce it? The publishing year? Approximately?
It would be 1991-92, then I took the major Ragas, like Darbari, Yaman, Bageshree, in which I gave all old long playing records, because when I took over, long playing records were off, and cassettes had come, and H.M.V have not published the LPs into cassettes. So the conversion also took place, and the artists of 1940’S, and 50’S, came on the cassettes, so like when I did Bageshree, I gave the Kishori Amankar’s LP in that cassette, I gave Roshanara Begum’s Bageshree in that cassette, so like that the four cassettes pack would have eight pieces, a two cassettes pack would have four pieces, then I made, I mean in my personal collection, I had those Eps, those extended play records, which played for seven minutes each side, so those extended play records,
I took my own records to H.M.V and transferred them to tape, so like Shyam Ganguly of Kolkata, Rasoolan Bai, Sidhweswari Devi these extended records were not on the roster of H.M.V, so they got those seven minutes recordings, Bismillah Khan Sahab, Ravishankar ji, Ali Akbar they had also made, Nikhil Banerjee they had also made these seven minutes records, which were not there in the market, in the publicity domain, I mean the old connoisseurs who had these records but that by then those record players were been extinct. So therefore those records were not available, so I brought it in cassette so my library also became up to date, and preservation of those extended play and 78rpm records came to good use and revival of classical music happened.
Verbatim: Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Picture Courtesy: Google
Edited & Designed: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
| Told by | Sri Rajeev Goenka |
| Obtained by | Prof Sanjoy Bandopadhyay and Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee |
| Date | 27th September, 2016 |
| Place | Ashoka Road,Alipore, Kolkata -700027 |
| About the speaker | Rajeev Goenka is a noted connoisseur of Indian Classical Music and is a passionate music collector. He is the founder and protector of The Rajeev Goenka Music Academy at Dundlod, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. He is closely attached to Kolkata’s music scenario. |
| Tags | G.D.Birla, G.D. Babu, Jamuna Prasad, Jaman, Birla House, Gangadas Jhawar, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Raag, Teensaptak Taan, Lower Octave, Third Octave, 1954-55, Gurusaday Dutta Road, Violin, Melody. |
| Language | English |
Sri Rajeev Goenka Speaks :
Verbatim:
Another two incidents I’ll tell you, we were very close the Birla family. So Mr G D Birla, liked my father very much. So G D Babu would ask my father, my father’s name was Jamuna Prasad, but his nickname was Jaman. So he would tell, that Jaman, who is a good singer today. So my father was like his son, he said Kakoji, it depends , if somebody likes somebody. He said I want to call somebody in Birla House, so Babuji told that, and at that time Gangadas Jhawar, was the music adviser to the Birla family,
So my father told G.D Babu that you ask Gangadasji, and why not call Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahab. So the Ghulam Ali programme was arranged at Birla House, G.D.Babu phoned my father saying,’ Tumne to bola tha, ghulam alia a rahe hay, ajana shunne ko’, to mujhe bhi mouka mil gaya uske sath jane ka, so G.D. Babu asked “who is this?” I touched his feet, and my father just introduced me, then asked – ’Tum Gatey ho kya, raag ka kuch pehchan hai?” then I was just stood looking at down, and then he said seat, he was seating on the sofa, so I sat near his feet. Then Ghulam Ali Sahab sang, and Gangadasji started doing Ishara, to Ghulam Ali Khan Sahab, that he was famous for teen saptak ki taan, because he wanted to impress G.D.Babu, that this artist.
So one or two isharas then Ghulam Ali khan Sahab did one of those tanas.After the programme was over, G.D Babu told Gangadasji and my father , he told Gangadasji that “why are you doing those isharas” and thenG.D.Babu wanted to know and learn, so he asked my father that – ”Jaman what was that up down?” so babuji explained. Then he said – “don’t you think that in the lower octave it was besura, and in the third octave it was shrieking, “ G.D Babu didn’t know classical music, so he was asking my father, what do you think of this three octave business.
-What was the time; can you tell us the time? Approximately?
-It 1955 or 54.
– And the Birla House is at?
-Gurusaday Dutta Road.
-Thank You this is wonderful, you are talking about Jog Sahab as well.
-Again at Birla House, there was another programme of V.G.Jog. So after the programme was over G.D.Babu told my father that – “ I don’t know much about music, but it is pleasant to the ears, I have not heard much of a Violin, but Jog Sahab’s finger seems to be very harsh. There should be melody.
Verbatim by: Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Picture Courtesy: Google
Edited & Designed: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
| Told by | Sri Rajeev Goenka |
| Obtained by | Prof Sanjoy Bandopadhyay and Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee |
| Date | 27th September, 2016 |
| Place | Ashoka Road,Alipore, Kolkata -700027 |
| About the speaker | Rajeev Goenka is a noted connoisseur of Indian Classical Music and is a passionate music collector. He is the founder and protector of The Rajeev Goenka Music Academy at Dundlod, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. He is closely attached to Kolkata’s music scenario. |
| Tags | Kolkata, Music Programme, Maniram A. Kanan, Debu Chowdhury, Manilal Nag, Performance, Baithak, Muktaram Babu Street, 1950-60, Jasraj, Goenka House, V.G. Jog |
| Language | English |
Sri Rajeev Goenka Speaks :
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.