Told by	Somjit Dasgupta
Obtained by	Sanjoy Bandopadhyay and Troilee Dutta
Date	14 July, 2015
Place	Residence of Somjit Dasgupta Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, 3/1/1D, Padmapukur Road, Kolkata 700092
About Somjit Dasgupta	Disciple of Pt. Radhika Mohan Maitra. Preserving rare musical instruments including the instruments belonged to Pt. Radhika Mohan Maitra. He plays different instruments like Sarod, Surshringar, Mohan Veena, etc.
Tags	Jnanendra Prasad Goswami, 1934-38, Radhika Mohan Maitra, Suresh Chakraborty, Bhismadev, Vishmadev Chatterjee, Amiya Nath Sanyal, Deba Prasad Garg, Vishnupur, Mallick Bazar Telephone Exchange, Atta Hussein Khan, Fayyaz Khan, Rathin Chattopadhyay,
Language	Bengali

Somjit Dasgupta speaks :

Verbatim:

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Verbatim: Dr. Suranjita Paul

Translation:

And at par was Gyanendra Prasad Goswami …

At par with what needs to be told.

Kazi Nazrul Islam or that period which is 1935, 1936, 1940 that time. The work period of Jnanendra Prasad Goswami was before the year 1938. Means 1934 -1938 around that time.  Also stating the reason that is around 1938 he had developed a feeling that he is not doing good music anymore. And if he wants to improve his music then he has to do it with God.  In the manner, just joining hands in front of the people wearing shawl and silk Punjabi is not enough and nothing is happening in his life. This he said to Radha babu and Suresh babu, Suresh Chakraborty, both of them …..

Radha babu means here Radhika Mohan Moitra?

Radhika Mohan Moitra and Suresh Chakraborty ……

Which Suresh Chakraborty is this?

Suresh Chakraborty about whom I am saying, he is not the musicologist Suresh Chakraborty. He was  the disciple of Viswadeb Chattopadhyay and Amionath Sanyal , Suresh Chakraborty. He went to these two people at  Debiprasad Garg’s house , he did not enter the house – “ See, I don’t like to enter such houses and do music” and he started crying. He said , “ When did I sing in my life? I could not do music”.

After that in 1938 he said, “ I will not return to Kolkata anymore. I am moving to Bishnupur, I will stay there.” And  everyone in that temple were members of the royal family of Bishnupur. He said,

“ I will stay there and sing to Radha Madhav .” He did not return anymore.

Where was the house of Debiprasad Garg?

The house of Debiprasad Garg was at the behest of Mallick bazaar. Now, it is the telephone exchange.  Ata Hussain Kha was of same age at that time. And Faiyaaz Khan used to stay. Ata Hussain Khan and Radha babu then developed themselves as artists by taking training. At that time Rathin Chattopadhyay were good friends with  Ata Hussain and Radha babu.  They used to stay there at that time. He used to call Rathin babu his ‘son’ and he used to also call Ataa Hussain ‘son’ .

Who?

Faiyaaz Khan sahab. His recording, helping voice everything were Rathin  Chattopadhyay and Ata Hussain, both. And for tabla he would always say that Aye Bhattacharya played a lot with his name Jnanbabu, Nimai Bhattacharya’s father… so when this was said it was the year 1938. Then he had left and used  tocome to  Kolkata only once a year, where Bishnupur kings had a monument in Bagbazar, he used to sing in that house. In Gokul Chandra Mitra’s house.  He used to sing in that place only on the day of Saraswati Puja and never came to Kolkata for the rest of the year. He died in 1945. And from 1938 – 1944, he used to come to Kolkata once a year during Saraswati Puja. Jnan babu was the director of Gramophone Company during that time.

Whom are you referring as Jnan babu?

Jnanendra Prasad Goswami.

 

Translated by: Snigdha Mishra

Picture courtesy: Google

http://www.itcsra.org/TreasurePast.aspx?TreasuresId=12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3toi1gZq7k

http://www.surgyan.com/faiyazkhan.htm

 

Edited & Designed: Dr.Suranjita Paul

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