North Kolkata Calling !!

  Pt.Jyoti Goho (Harmonium) with Pran Gopal Bandopadhyoy (Tabla) at Chatu Babu Latu Babu's Thakurbari.NATMANDIR.Org: Saibal Deb.             Before the guests took their seats.

Ramdulal De is well known for his pioneering jobs with America.When America gained independence from British rule few Indians were eager to do business with this newly independent country.An important merchant from Bengal ,to create Trade & Commerce relation with America, was Ramdulal.In fact he is known as the Pioneer in Indo-American Trade Relation. Among his two sons, named Chatu Babu and Latu Babu-Chatu Babu (Ashutosh Deb) is also known as first Bengali Sitarist. Saibal Kumar Deb, a descendant of the renowned family is also a musician. He organises programs in Classical Music. His elder brother Ptd. Sandip Deb is well known in Classical Music World for Tabla (Benaras Gharana). Pt Ravishankar

I was around 27 years old when I first started the Basant Utsav along with my friends. I was very interested in music and took my first lesson in Rabindra Sangeet from my cousin brother. He usually organised Tagore's dance drama  such as Shyama, Tasher Desh etc. I also took my lesson in Indian Classical Music from a descendant of Jadu Bhatta.                          Basanta Utsav to be held at          Chatu Babu Latu Babu Bari

           

I suddenly found myself in a quiet place. It was surrounded by rows of trees and bushes and had a very desolate look. As  far as l could see there was the same desolation. It was a kind of inspiration or rather an encouragement to bring out my inner emotions. In fact a perfect ambiance to practice my most loved passion- my Music ! Soon l  immersed myself in an Alaap in Raag Bairagi.My eyes were closed as the mood demanded. Around 30 minutes later l opened my eyes to find a little boy of ten standing before me. He seemed to be following my Alaap  very attentively. Wherefore did he come? thought l. The little boy requested me not to stop and carry on. For another 10 minutes l continued and the boy stood there with the same interest  and concentration. I stopped the Alaap and asked him whether he could understand my music. To my great surprise he sang the same Raaga in Drut Tentaal. For 15 minutes he sang along with Taans and Sargams including Chakradhar, Tehai etc....

There was a time when Artists and their audiences used to be nearest to each other. They knew each other through their common interests. The Artists immediately recognised their listeners and no communication gap was felt!  (Vilayat Khan, Imrat Khan & Alla  Raka in Calcutta's Chhatu Babu  Latu Babu's Thakurbari) 

I am really at a loss to understand why certain thoughts invades me for no known reason.  Today while I was sitting on the balcony of my son's flat in Hyderabad I was suddenly  overpowered by such bizarre thoughts. Bizzare in the sense that there was no immediate situation that could provoke such unimaginable sense of emotion. However it prevailed and I was simply carried along with the waves that beckoned- further and further-away from the realities of the present world. I thought  but failed to connect myself - wonder why ?  I suddenly remembered a Tagore song sung by Babul Supriyo while casually watching the TV. 'Tumi kon kanoner ful   Kon gogoner tara' The song engulfed me completely and kept on and on reverberating within me with a strange consistency. Being a musician myself with sufficient knowledge of Indian Classical Music as well as Rabindrasangeet I failed to come to  a reasonable conclusion to my predica...

                                             Organized by Saibal/Mausam Deb. Sohini Sinha Majumder-Kheyal & Thumri. Arindam Chakraborty-Tabla. Ramprappana Bhattachary-Sitar. Arindam Chakraborty-Tabla.

Katthak Dance Sitar

Shastriya Sangeet / Hidustani Sangeet or Indian Classical Music was previously patronized by  Maharajas ,Rajas & Zamindars. Artists came from far and wide to perform and those who showed excellence in their fields were fabulously rewarded.With the advent of time things have now changed and we are aware of the present state of affairs.                            Roshan Kumari performs at Chatu Babu Latu Babu's Thakurbari with Samta Prashad (Tabla) Fakir Mohammed (Pakwaj). On stage : Bade Gulam Ali Khan,Vilayet & Imrat Khan. On front row: Ali Akbar Khan, Karamutallah Khan,Amanath & Fathe Ali.                                                      The tradition continues at Chatu Babu Latu Babu's Thakurbari !         ...

Basanta Utsab organizer     Mausam Deb says a few words !

Indian Classical Music, which had been the taste of Mughals,Maharajas, Rajas & Zamindars -has probably lost its flavors with lesser forms of music !!  Times have changed and hence the craving for modern forms of music.  Should we take it- that Indian Classical Music has no takers ?  

By Saibal Kr. Deb.         Email: allbengalmusic34@yahoo.com All Bengal Musical Conference's first session was held at Calcutta University Senate Hall in the year 1934 in the presence of Rabindra Nath Tagore.It was patronized by Nabab Bahadur of Murshidabad, Maharaja of Kashimbazar, Maharaja of Burdawan, Maharaja of Natore, Gouripur Raj & Birla family members etc. Legendary artists who performed :- (Vocal).Alladiya Khan, Abdul Karim Khan,Faiyaz Khan,Mustak Hussain Khan,Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Kesribai,Girija Shankar Chakraborty, Bhismadev Chattopadhay,Sachin  Dev Burman,Tarapada Chakraborty, Amir Khan etc. (Nritya).Uday Shankar, Gopi Krishna, Birju Maharaj, Roshan Kumari, Damayanti Joshi,Shambu Maharaj, Jay Kumari etc. (Sangat: Tabla & Sarangi).Abid Hussain, Ahmad Jan Thirakwa,Kanthe  Maharaj, Parvat Singh,Hiru Ganguly, Anokhelal Misra,Samta Prashad, Alla Raka,Keramut Alla Khan,Kishan Maharaj, ...

Org: Saibal Deb & Mausam Deb 

The puja begun by Ramdoolal De (Deb).. around 1780. It still continues at the same building with pomp and splendour.On the Ostumi Day all family members, along with their relatives and friends, enjoy the Maha  Bhog together at the ancestral Thakurbari, built by Ramdulal De(Deb). A music adda (mainly Classical Music) is also held at Chatu Babu's House  at  Beadon Street by Saibal & Mausam Deb. It is said that Chatu Babu was the first bengali sitarist who took his lessons from Raza Khan a descendant  of Tansen . Chatu Babu and Latu Babu were sons of Ramdoolal De(Deb). It may be noted that Ramdoolal Sarkar, Ramdoolal De or Radulal Dey is the same person.He is known for his  pioneering job in building up Indo-American  Trade Relation.                                         

It sounds rather awkward-to some extent even amusing-when someone asks a retired person to explain his activity. Especially to a person who has married away his children to respectable families and consider them well settled with full dignity and ,of course, financial & social securities. The frequently asked question circulates around 'how do you spend your time?' Well, here is an attempt to give a brief description of Mr. Blog's daily activity which might, finally ,do  justice to the above question. Mr.Blog gets up early in the morning, have a cup of hot tea and settles down with his laptop for an hour.It is all about surveying Market and finding out various company's business trends. Next he takes a morning walk which includes a bit of interacting with friends and acquaintances. Of course, a visit to a nearby market  to buy some daily requirements,is always a possibility. Back at home Mr. Blog takes ano...

A platform for young artists pursuing Indian Classical Music. Saibal Kr. Deb (Secretary)         Few Programmes & Workshops Mausam Deb (Convenor) Dhrupad- Prof. Arun Bhattacharjee. Pakwaj-Apurba Lal Manna Kathak- Amita Dutt Kathak- Bidisha Auddy  Sitar- Ramudar Bhattacharya. Tabla-Mausam Deb   Sitar- Ramprapanna Bhattacharya. Tabla-Arindam Chakraborty Vocal- Archi Deb. Tabla-Sandip Chakraborty Vocal- Surela Deb (Ghosh), Tabla-Dibyendu Bhattacharjee Sitar-Subhranil Sarkar. Tabla-Abhijeet Ghosh       Sitar-Saptarshi Hazra. Tabla-Abhijeet Ghosh Vocal-Saunak Chattopadhyay. Tabla-Arindam Chakraborty    Vocal- Mitali Sengupta. Tabla-Bivash Sanghai Kathak Anurekha Ghosh   Sitar- Sujoy Bose. Tabla-Arindam Chakraborty Adrija Pal                               ...