My Music Diary

An Article by Sri Abhik Mukherjee . The days Ram ( Ramprapanna Bhattacharya ) and I spent with Guruji (Kashi Jethu and Jethuma) were memorable. Pt. Ji teaching Sri Abhik Mukherjee Jethu used to give us some difficult patterns of tans to practice. Ram and I, both very young at the time, got bored with the continuous practice. It was winter time in the district of Birbhum; the air was fine with blue sky and bright sun. We wanted to find any pretext to slip out of Jethu’s house. At one point, our return -journey reservations on the train were not confirmed.  That became our excuse to get out of the house every day after 11am. We would then return during the lunch time and have the delicious dishes cooked by Jethuma. We thought we were smart, but Jethu saw through our plans. A couple of days after the same incident was repeated, Jethu, with his subtle humor, announced at the breakfast table that from now on morning time would be for listening to music and playing alaaps s...

Will conduct Sitar Workshop @ Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, London on 16th & 17th June. Sitar Performance in Purley, Surrey area on 16th. Small Lec-Dem come interview on 17th June. Any one interested to attend the concert on 16th June Evening, please give a ring @ +44 7404 554 923. Will be back to Glasgow on 18th June.

An evening of Indian classical music with Sitarist Ramprapanna Bhattacharya & Vijay Kangutkar on Tabla  and Vocalist Urvashi Shah & Hardeep Deerhe on Tabla. Ramprapanna Bhattacharya (sitar),  Vijay Kangutkar (tabla),  Urvashi Shah (singer) and  Hardeep Deerhe (tabla)  Date Sat 19 May 7pm–10pm Location: The Augustine Church, Edinburgh Ticket: 0141 357 2175 £10 (Children free if accompanied) The Augustine Church 41–43 George IV Bridge Edinburgh, EH1 1EL Phone: 0131 220 1677 Email: auc@augustine.org.uk Website: www.augustine.org.uk

Disclaimer: Original article published here: https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/interview/story/19771215-my-father-excelled-in-simplicity-i-excel-in-complicated-music-ustad-vilayat-khan-823924-2014-09-19 This is posted here only for archival purpose. Many people across the globe refer this blog site for their research work on Sitar and Etawah Gharana. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Even his worst critics concede Ustad Vilayat H. Khan, 50, a place among India's two sitar players (along with Nikhil Banerjee). Like his father Inayat Khan, who was much criticized, but also much imitated, and who was a hit with his audiences, Vilayat Khan has been a controversial trend-setter. His most significant contribution to Indian music is the gayaki ang, in which the style of vocalists is reproduced on the sitar. This is achieved by deflecting strings sideways. Today the Ustad lives, away from musical politics, in Clement Town a ...

Welcome This evenings concert is hosted by Tabla Alba, a Scottish charity dedicated to the    teaching and sharing of Indian Classical Music. Ramprapanna Bhattacharya comes from an illustrious musical background in Kolkata. Trained by his father Sri Ram Udar Bhattacharya, himself a noted Sitarist, from the age of six he benefited greatly from a musical atmosphere within the family. Ramprapanna's style and musicality led him to the great Guru Pt. Kashinath Mukherjee from whom he learnt since 1997. Presently Ramprapanna is a learning from Pt. Arvind Parikh who had a 60 year association with the great Sitarist Ustad Vilayat Khan of the Imdadkani-Etawah Gharana. Ramprapanna is one of the younger generation of Sitar players who is establishing himself as a promising dedicated artiste, his performances have received much praise in India. For more information please visit www.ramprapanna.webs.com Vijay Kang...

Pt. Arvind Parikh speaks on Ustad Vilayat Khan My association with Ustad Vilayat Khan saheb is 60 years old. I first met him in 1943 and he was kind enough to accept me as his student. I had actually come to Bombay from Ahmedabad to audition for All India Radio since I had learnt the sitar for a couple of years. It was sheer chance that, as I got off the train, I bumped into a friend who told me Ustad Vilayat Khan was coming to his house. I was a great admirer of Khan saheb and told my friend I would love to meet him. When Khan saheb heard I was going to audition for the radio in a few hours, he asked me to play for him. He knew I was going to fail because I was just no good. But he still taught me a few compositions. He even phoned the radio station and told them, 'I am sending one of my students. Look after him.' If I had any kind of merit, I should have passed. But I had absolutely no merit whatsoever. Yet, as far as I was concerned, the trip to Bombay was fru...

Respected Khansaheb: Two days ago, at midnight, my brother, Satish, called up to say that you are travelling on a flight to freedom, a one-way journey as the sole passenger with no accompanists. My heart ached to realise that your rare appearance by choice has now become a no-show hereafter. Every one who visits this earth has to take this journey mandatorily with no exception even if that person happens to be a great artiste called Ustad Vilayat Khan, “whose music did not merely regale the ‘kansens’ spread across the globe but made their otherwise mundane journey of life comfortable, soothing and filled with pure joy and love”. You seem to be a little surprised as to who this person is, who is writing to you, despite not having met you ever. Khansaheb, the issue is not whether you know me but the fact that there are countless hearts like mine who know you for your munificent gift of melody through your eagerly awaited private and public appearances. This communication to you ...