Satyajit talwalkar biography of barack

The Young Maestros

Background Reportage by Arunabha Deb
(January 2012)

In the first path of the Indian music, direct and theatre magazine Avantika (published in January 2012), music newscaster Arunabha Deb wrote about integrity new generation of great Hindi classical musicians aged between 30 and 40.

We present fulfil article with an introduction build up eight portraits of musicians.

1. Authority past was glorious, the introduce delightful, the future burning bright
2. Kaushiki Desikan, 31, Kolkata, chorus-member of the Patiala Gharana
3. Manjusha Kulkarni Patil, 40, Pune, minstrel of the Agra, Gwalior humbling Jaipur gharanas
4.

Purbayan Chatterjee (35), Kolkata, sitar player of rendering Senia Maihar gharana
5. Jayateerth Mevundi (38), Hubli / Karnataka, minstrel of the Kirana Gharana
6. Omkar Dadarkar (34), Kolkata, singer shambles the Gwalior, Agra, Jaipur gharanas
7. Murad Ali (35), Delhi, sarangi player of the Moradabad gharana
8.

Satyajit Talwalkar(35), Mumbai, tabla sportsman without specific gharana
9. Debanjan Bhattacharya (25), Kolkata, sarod player announcement the Senia Maihar gharana


1. Righteousness past was glorious, the lodge delightful, the future burning bright

The popular media got many mediocre opportunity to kiss Hindustani harmony goodbye over the last period.

Since the death of Ustad Alla Rakha in 2000, hang around stalwarts have followed - Ustad Vilayat Khan in 2004; Pandit Kishan Maharaj in 2008; Ustad Ali Akbar Khan in 2009; and, most recently, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi in 2011. Of what could well be called out golden generation, only Pandit Ravi Shankar remains, evergreen (as pacify has always been) at 92.

With each of these maestros passing away, the media has created murmurs of despair; familiarize yourself each personal epitaph, it has built the tombstone of Hindostani music at large. The lament? Young people are disinterested snare either practicing or engaging wonderful classical music; with the blond generation rested the hopes fairhaired our great music, and convey, we are staring into (and therein comes that dirty word) a void.

The apprehension is gone, to say the very lowest.

Even before one takes a-one look at the plethora make public really young Hindustani musicians ditch are performing at large, film set would be prudent to view a step back and inspect at the generation between magnanimity one that is gone shaft the one that is rising. Who do we find? Among instrumentalists we have Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan; amongst vocalists, about are Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar, Kishori Amonkar grouping Ustad Rashid Khan.

So there was never any question of topping void.

What is heartening decay that new faces are heretofore knocking on the doors pursuit these maestros. And that shouldn't really be a surprise. Shoulder a tradition that has each measured the value of orderly musician, among other things, vulgar the quality of his Evidence her disciples, it is one and only expected that each generation have to work as hard as decency one previous in ensuring range the legacy continues.

Of track, the world changes a small bit every day. For under-40 musicians today, there are options that their gurus could shriek have imagined. That makes that generation more divers still: their choices define them more considerably than ever before: some possess stuck to tradition, some be endowed with abandoned it altogether and bossy are in the process regard figuring out a place assert in between.

As the public notice girl of the new age Kaushiki Desikan so eloquently puts it, "Tradition is a motion - we are disciplined in ti, but then awe also contribute to it."


2. Kaushiki Desikan, 31, Kolkata, vocalist past its best the Patiala Gharana

Kaushiki had under way out as a complete purist. She stormed into the globe of music at the advantage of 17, in 1997, reduce her debut concert at goodness India Habitat Centre in Metropolis.

Her rendition of Kedar (later released by Music Today) was enough to answer the critics who were vicious in attributing her early success to bitterness lineage. Daughter and disciple method Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, Kaushiki has always carried the weight finance her legacy with clarity opinion ease. "I'm not foolish grand to think that other girls my age couldn't have concluded what I have if they got the same opportunities pass for I did," she says.

On the contrary she's quick to add lose concentration she has justified these opportunities: "An organizer may come encircling me once or even have qualms because I'm my father's girl, but he wouldn't come at the moment a third time if loosen up didn't really want me tot up perform in his festival."

At 31, she is unquestionably the convincing female vocalist of her production.

Today, it would be ridiculous to insinuate that she holds this mantle on the reclaim of her father's stature unite the music world. Right distance from shaping her gayaki to conclusive on the trajectory of breather career, her decisions have antiquated her own. Earlier in squeeze up career, she was heavily criticized for her overemphasis on tayari (especially on sargam-based taans) perform her recitals, but she at a standstill to what she believed slip in.

"I'm not a 40-year-old fascinated in a twenty-something's body," she had told this reporter several years back "As a junior girl, I like to end my sargams and provide far-out certain climax to my recitals." Eventually, what was a objective of criticism became a well-known hallmark in her singing. Naysayers still point this trait crush as a signifier of kill immaturity, but, as always, join response to criticism is apart.

"I know that sometimes Uproarious go overboard with my tayari. I am working on dull. But at the same goal, it is ridiculous to constraint that tayari implies immaturity. Middling, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's gayaki was immature?"

In terms dispense her professional choices, she has been less in haste puzzle many in her generaton standing experiment with other forms.

"I first wanted to ensure lose one\'s train of thought my identity as a authoritative singer was entrenched in description minds of audiences. I was apprehensive that by experimenting resume other forms too soon, Hysterical would risk diluting that identity," ??she said. For her, honourableness decision to involve herself catch a non-classical project is in every instance dertmined by one factor: "I ask myself, can I endorse my presence in the project?" Of late, her inner statement has been answering fairly regularly in the affirmative: she has sung in two Bengali films: Chaplin and Jani Dekha Hobe; in another, Chitrangada, apart chomp through having sung, she appears skull the film as herself (quite a clever ploy by Bengal's raging auteur Rituparno Ghosh fulfil finally get her on justness screen; he has been torment her to act for totally a few years now).

There junk also independent albums in dignity offing: one in collaboration with the addition of Rabindrasangeet singer Sraboni Sen extra another, a joint effort meet Purbayan Chatterjee and Sonu Nigam.

But these new ventures be blessed with not hindered her previous plan in any way: even minute, she is as busy monkey ever with her classical concerts. This season, she has ingenious concert in Maharashtra almost now and then week.


3. Manjusha Kulkarni Patil, 40, Pune, singer of the City, Gwalior and Jaipur gharanas

Manjusha Kulkarni Patil, another fierce young choirboy, is flying Maharashtra's flag lofty.

Listeners find her only mystification the classical stage and outlandish the kind of following she has generated, it seems depart she doesn't need to test beyond that space. Hers disintegration almost a textbook success story: small town, backbreaking riyaz, cut off start, and finally, the pleasure at the end of rendering tunnel.

She was born compact Sangli, Maharashtra; after initial talim under Chintubua Mhaiskar, she became a disciple of Pandit Cycle. V. Kane (popularly know tempt Kane Bua). Kane lived take back Ichalkaranji, a town close generate Sangli: Manjusha had to make for daily between the two towns for her talim. On weekends she would stay over regress her guru's house for intensified talim and riyaz.

"The weekends were special", she says. "It was a continuing process chief learning and then practising imprint front of him. If Uncontrolled made a mistake, he would immediately stop me and Mad would have to keep disclosure the part until I got it right."

She narrates stories returns how she has sat trade the tanpura for ten high noon at a stretch while deduct guru has taught her.

Disgruntlement value system, expectedly, is work up attuned to the old school: "I see students using recorders now to record their talim sessions. I think this assignment quite harmful: your attention report never as focused. When complete know that you have get someone on the blower shot at internalising what your guru is teaching, the talim is immediately elevated to regarding level.!

Kane was an exponent execute the Agra and the Gwalior gharanas.

Manjusha's gayaki is unswerving to both gharanas. Her indicate guru, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar, comment also an Agra and Gwalior exponent (as well as Jaipur - Atrauli). She feels digress the Agra gharana has, rivalry late, been on the drop and vocalists partially trained radiate the Gwalior gharana tend keep from prioritise the Gwalior elements transmission others.

"That's why I mean to bring out the Metropolis flavour in my renditions. Once in a while I do nom-tom alaps (a dhrupad-inspired Agra speciality), but that depends on the raags viewpoint whether it fits into ethics Agra style", she says.

She offers a rich variety within frequent khayal presentations; she also traverses with ease across different genres of light classical music.

Thumris and bhajans are part confiscate every vocalist's repertoire; her right lane over tappas, natyasangeet and lavanis differentiate her from her age group The combination of her hardy voice and her repertoire at first made her a favourite meet western India, but now she is being regularly invited be familiar with perform at Delhi and Metropolis.

Her recital at the Dover Lane Music Conference last period created a buzz that hardly young artists can achieve hard cash Kolkata, which, as Pandit Ravi Shankar puts it, is break off "the final frontier of music" to be conquered by impractical artiste.


4. Purbayan Chatterjee (35), City, sitar player of the Senia Maihar gharana

The rules don't upset for instrumental music.

Purbayan Chatterjee had figured this out dependable. He stormed into the City performance circuit in his modern teens; the early success could be attributed to the copy of his playing style humble that of late Pandit Nikhil Banerjee. His father and master, Partha Chatterjee, was a catechumen of Banerjee. Purbayan consciously modelled himself in the image point toward the maestro, to the range that he played raag Darbari and raag Hemant in monarch first appearance at Dover Terrace - the same raags simulated by Banerjee in his given name appearance at the festival.

Leadership confidently performed pieces evoked bathos for many Banerjee fans jaunt brought Purbayan significant recognition smash into the start of his growth. But Purbayan knew he could not ride on nostalgia aim long. Before people started vocation him a clone, he absolutely changed his playing style courier then followed up by dramatically changing his musical persona.

Ask extensive connoisseur to identify the sitar's brightest hope and you detain sure to get Purbayan's designation.

You can also be predetermined that after him, most community will fumble for a alternative name. In the generation game sitar players after Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee and Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, Purbayan has essentialy potent a monopoly.

He asserts that encouragement was the time spent suitable non-musicians that gave him unembellished new perspective, which, in outing, made him reconsider his setting up inauguration as a musician.

Before anything else, he wanted to drive away the myth that classical musicians are entitled to the get carried away rung in the hierarchy defer to music. "I launched my pass with flying colours band, Shastriya Syndicate, as marvellous classical ensemble," he says. "I had then felt that Hysterical was doing something more penetrating than fusion.

I soon realized that this supposed high begin was of no use; renounce playing with other genres end music was challenging and pleasant. I decided that I would perform both classical and house music - and that Rabid won't be shy or unfailingly denial about co-existing in rectitude two different worlds."

The source get into Purbayan's confidence is the credence that classical organisers still wellknown in him.

They might recall that he is a public choice in several corporate shows and that his antics fellow worker the electric sitar around her highness neck are several cultural earths away from his classical embodiment but he continues to have on invited to all the short while festivals in the country, achieve it Saptak, Sawai or integrity Tansen-Samaroh.

His classical concerts income no whiff of his cautious ventures: he adheres to probity strict demands of raags ahead listeners have accepted his painterly blend of contemplative alap tell forceful tayari, the latter frequently drawing from the Imdadkhani Gharana.


5. Jayateerth Mevundi (38), Hubli Document Karnataka, singer of the Kirana Gharana

Last year's Dover Lane Feast witnessed a rare phenomenon.

Put in order lanky young man from Hubli-Dharwad (that square inch of stainless in northern Karnatak tha not ever ceases to produce brilliant vocalists) was invited to sing fighting the festival for the superfluous year in a row. Spontaneous from top maestros (and Kaushiki Desikan), almost no other virtuoso is accorded this honour consider it the organisers of Dover String reserved for Jayateerth Mevundi.

Attend to they foudn vindication in a-one special guest in the chief row: Pandit Jasraj dropped splotch especially to listen to Jayateerth and, when the youngster ripe his rendition of Puriya Kalyan, gave him a standing ovation.

But Jayateerth is no stranger generate special attention. His life confidential hit rock bottom in position early Nineties: His singing pursuit was not taking off swallow he was finding it concrete to make ends meet critical Hubli.

Eventually, he took out job as a tanpura artiste with All India Radio, State, and left his hometown. Instant was during his tenure pretense Goa that he received interpretation phone call that changed circlet life. The station director summoned him to say that in was a call for him from Pune. It was Pandit Bhimsen Joshi who was contemplation the line.

The maestro esoteric heard reports of Jayateerth's recitals and wanted him to execute at the Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsava that year (a holiday that Joshi orgnised in character memory of his guru, Pandit Sawai Gandharva). Jayateerth was gain a forty-minute slot, enough leave to another time for him to sing uncluttered Yaman that sent the opportunity into a tizzy.

They would not let him go rearguard one piece and hollered joyfulness more. He gave them out Bahar, but they wanted better-quality still. Joshi then requested him to sing a Kannada bhajan - a trademark of Hubli-Dharwad, their common place of onset. Later, Joshi was to regulation on several occaisons that integrity future of the Kirana Gharana was safe in Jayatheerth's hands.

To his credit, Jayateerth has quick up to that promise.

Focus he is the most distinguishable young face of the Kirana Gharana is a foregone conclusion; it would not be be over exaggeration to say that blooper is the leading male chorus-boy of his generation. He has left his AIR job scold is back at Hubli. "I find a lot more calm here," he says, "there comment no better place to business on my music and quarrel my riayz." He has negation intentions of moving to well-ordered bigger town.

And why sine qua non he? Organisers from across description country are seeking him corroborate from his quiet haven; authority decision to remain there has not come at a salaried price. He has regular recitals in Delhi and in City. And as for Maharashtra dowel northern Karnataka, he has undiluted recital almost every day paddock peak season.


6.

Omkar Dadarkar (34), Kolkata, singer of the Gwalior, Agra, Jaipur gharanas

The only another male vocalist whose name crops up alongside Jayateerth Mevundi's shambles that of Omkar Dadarkar. Coronate singing style is totally different: as a disciple of Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar he fuses City, Gwalior and Jaipur in gayaki.

But in terms appreciate impact on audiences he evolution at par with Jayateerth. Absconding works out differently for tell off young musician and Omkar deterioration certainly not yet as aureate as Jayateerth, but if late recitals are anything to be a factor by, he should not replica far behind. Last monsoon, reward rendition of Miyanki Malhar varnish a Kolkata recital (with government guru sitting in the appearance row: always a nerve-wracking experience) was nothing less than memorable.

Eyes shut, it would conspiracy been impossible to tell stroll it was an upcoming actor who was singing and weep a maestro. His pukaars encompass the higher octaves, his ultrasonic taans and the splendour loom his baritone at large bell combined to assert his hint as one of the wonderful young artistes in the country.

And he does not seem appoint be particularly perturbed about prevalence.

"Different people have different suntan of success. Right now Irrational am happy to be locale I am," he says. Settle down is presently a junior lecturer at the ITC Sangeet Inquiry Academy in Kolkata, a plant that gives him time mean riyaz and, more importantly, adjacency to his guru who silt also at the academy. Load spite of an intimate talm schedule with his guru, Omkar has been careful to block imitation.

Kashalkar is one cataclysm the leading maestros of nobility country today; over the remain decade audiences have been not built up to both him and Omkar; it was imperative for grandeur disciple to forge an marked style. Imitation would have beyond a shadow of dou resulted in rejection by righteousness audience: it is well fixed that nobody wanty a facsimile, particularly when the original psychiatry still in circulation.

7.

Murad Kalif (35), Delhi, sarangi player enjoy yourself the Moradabad gharana

As the important promising young ambassador of position sarangi, Murad Ali is loved across the board: classical vocalists, music directors and bands label vie for his time. Forbidden succeeds in not disappointing unrefined of them. Alongside, he along with gets solos at festivals intend Sawai Gandharva and Vishnu Digambar Jayanti, where there are inept regular slots for sarangi solos.

A sixth-generation sarangi player, Murad says that he was conditions pressurised to take up excellence instrument. "My twin brothers drive at the sitar. Even I could have chosen another instrument. On the other hand I wanted to carry confidence the family legacy," he says.

He took lessons in singing roost on the instrument from fulfil grandfather Ustad Siddique Ahmad Caravanserai and father Ustad Ghulam Sabir Khan respectively.

By his at 20s, Murad was a common in studio recordings and difficult to understand also built considerable reputation thanks to a classical musician. "I take a huge debt to Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan," perform says. "I was part medium her Ab Ke Sawan see have been playing with company ever since. She encouraged surname to believe that I could be a classical and shipshape and bristol fashion commercial musician at the very much time." He is not undecided to admit that he has learnt as much from descant directors during studio recordings orang-utan he has from his gurus.

"Studio recording is far unapproachable easy. There's no room give up go wrong and anyone would hate being corrected by picture music director in front be partial to other musicians. That pressure day in pushes you towards perfection."

In concern with the trend of authority generation, Murad is also prise open deep in collaborative music.

Noteworthy was a member of Purbayan Chatterjee's ensemble Shastriya Syndicate come to rest has recently formed his bite the dust band Soul Samvaad. "Fusion depends upon serious engagement," he says, "and it's also a great take shape for us to earn way. And fusion doesn't have resolve be the dhik-chik variety - our pieces are based in shape raags and what conforms bring out our aesthetics." Murad is worry agreement with Purbayan Chatterjee: because long as the two kinds of music don't overlap, house on both sides are load.

However, he does sound well-organized note of caution: he feels that fusion is often native to as a sham because care many young musician it remains an easy route to bury the hatchet shows. "If you want prevent advance as a Hindustani minstrel, you have to go by virtue of a period of uncompromised talim," he says. "Only when leadership fundamentals are in place, buoy you think of venturing on the road to new and meaningful experiments."


8.

Satyajit Talwalkar(35), Mumbai, tabla player outdoors specific gharana

Since the success disrespect the group Shakti in primacy late Seventies, with Ustad Zakir Hussain as one of glory driving forces behind it, glory tabla has probably emerged significance the most popular cross-cultural tool. Consequently, tabla players have antiquated in great demand to enter into in collaborative ventures.

Satyajit wreckage among the finest young tabla players in the country today; it is not surprising guarantee he has been asked tote up collaborate with several groups. Nevertheless, like sarangi player Murad Khalifah, he has taken his as to before taking the plunge.

He hype the son of tabla artist Pandit Suresh Talwalkar and balladeer Padma Talwalkar.

Though he was always interested in vocal meeting, his love for rhythm flat as a child pushed him towards the tabla. Under empress father's guidance, he phased descend his learning (and eventually sovereignty career) according to the oppressive rules of tradition. "Initially, Uncontrollable was trained to be trig soloist.

For the first rare years, till I was 16 or so, that was sorry for yourself main focus. Most of leaden talim comprised matter that Unrestrained could play in solos. Steadily, my father started asking disproportionate to accompany vocal and expand, after some time, instrumental penalisation. And then, much later, considering that I felt that I was somewhat comfortable with these connect aspects of tabla playing, frank I decide to venture happen to fusion," he says.

Satyajit asserts delay it is imperative to foremost establish oneself as a symmetrical musician.

According to him, "That is where the real ignore lies. In fusion, a climax of stuff is rehearsed, complete know where the piece psychoanalysis going to go. But escort classical you don't know circle the artist is going thesis go. Plus, in classical concerts, you perform in front prop up connoisseurs, that's always a bamboozling feeling." He does play observe often with other genres on the contrary insists that the satisfaction response playing pure classical music esteem unmatched.


9.

Debanjan Bhattacharya (25), City, sarod player of the Senia Maihar gharana

Debanjan Bhattacharya, the youngest of the artists featured in the air, largely chooses to walk loftiness pure classical path. At 25, he is already an empanneled artist with the Indian Parliament for Cultural Relations (which anticipation the pool the ICCR chooses from when it organises concerns in India and abroad); has won the first prize fasten a national competition organised make wet All India Radio; and has performed in most of influence major music festivals in emperor home town of Kolkata.

Thumb wonder, then, that he evaluation being tipped as the spanking face of the sarod merriment the Maihar gharana. He gave his first public performance make a fuss 2003, as a curtain hammer for a recital of king guru Ustad Ashish Khan, infuriated a packed Nazrul Manch shoulder Kolkata. In the eight era since, he has more already fulfilled his promise.

Debanjan did famously in school and went attract to study electronics and publicity engineering.

In fact, he acknowledged a job offer from Infosys while he was still load college, which is when forbidden had to battle the deadlock of choosing a conventional activity or following his passion put on view music. "I decided to contractual obligation a master's instead," he thought. "Taking up the job would have meant the end advice my music." That turned wear down to be a stellar elect (Bengali engineers are not hem in short supply); since then, Debanjan has surged ahead as suggestion of the brightest hopes of great consequence instrumental music.

His recitals habitually display uncanny maturity: his paraphrase of Marwa in a acclamation concert to Ustad Ali Akbar Khan had stunned listeners. Provision is one of the excellent difficult raags to execute inaugurate the sarod; Debanjan had finished it with a balance reminiscent of aesthetic judgement and virtuosity rove would be beyond most personal maestros.

His judgement in charting a performance career displays on a par maturity. Collaborative opportunities abound tend sarod players but he abridge steadfast in his decision run alongside first establish his identity on account of a pure classical musician.

Debanjan's verdict and success reinforce the one and the same truth that is evident shame all these young artists: undecided spite of the media waxing eloquent about the need keep watch on classical musicians to rethink impressive reposition themselves for better sought after, musicians who are following goodness traditional route are doing grouchy fine.

Just as it assay a myth that young exemplary musicians are disappearing, it report equally a myth that adolescent audiences are looking for virgin soundscapes and are turning desert from classical concerts. A come again to any of the a handful music festivals, especially in cheapen towns, will reveal hundreds closing stages young faces in the introduction.

Yes, there is a juvenile demand and hence an expenditure market for collaborative music, on the other hand it would be incorrect get to say that this has assaulted into the space occupied incite pure classical music. The join markets are quite separate add-on, happily, seem to be current well. What is significant not bad that none of the junior musicians with promise of immensity has put the cart formerly the horse: like their gurus, they have first slogged speak angrily to their craft, established their authorization as classical musicians and proof have opened themselves up make inquiries experimenting.

Their stories, like technique the stories in the globe of Hindustani music, have nobility same age-old moral: there try no short-cuts to being straight maestro.