Sangeet Natak Akademi
National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama, New Delhi
And
Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam

Sangeet Sangam
A Festival of Music
19 - 21 February 2006
District Library Auditorium
Jorhat

"In the field of Dance, the great variety of Indian styles has attracted the notice of all students of arts and culture... What is most remarkable is the continuity of the tradition and the vigour they display to this day...

"In the field of theory of drama, Indian achievements are perhaps still more remarkable and serve as models even to this day...

"... in the field of music... The co-operation of Hindus and Muslims for almost a thousand years has... Brought about a consummation that has perhaps no equal in the world...

"This precious heritage of dance, drama and music is one which we must cherish and develop."

- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

Sangeet Sangam

The Sangeet Natak Akademi, with a rich heritage spanning 50 years, has played a key role in creating and reinforcing awareness of various aspects of the performing arts, stimulating fresh thinking among practitioners through several major expositions held over length and breadth of the country. Akademi feels happy and proud to bring this festival of music to the Brahmaputra valley. 'Sangeet Sangam' is the confluence of different streams of Hindustani music represented by leading musicians of the country presenting Dhrupad, Khayal and instrumental music on Flute, Sarod, Sitar, Violin, Tabla and Guitar. Some of the musicians participating in the festival have earned wide renown in their respective fields. Among them Shri Uma Shankar Mishra (Sitar) and Shri Suresh Talwalkar (Tabla) have been honoured by the Sangeet Natak Akademi with the prestigious Akademi A ward. Other participants also have won acclaim in their respective regions.

'Sangeet Sangam', being presented in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam. We are grateful to Smt. Hema Prabha Saikia, Hon'ble minister for Culture, Government of Assam for having accepted the invitation to inaugurate the festival on 19th Feb 2006.

Jayant Kastuar
Secretary
Sangeet Natak Akademi
New Delhi

Programme

Sunday 19th February, 5:30 pm
. MINOTI KHAUND, Guwahati Violin
. INDRA KISHORE MISHRA, Betia Dhrupad
. NARENDRA NA TH DHAR, Lucknow Sarod

Monday 20th February, 5:30 pm
. ASHWINI BHIDE DESHPANDE, Mumbai Vocal
. UMA SHANKAR MISHRA, Delhi with Sitar
PAWAN BORDOLOI on Tabla

Tuesday 21st February, 10:00 am (Morning Session)
. DEBOJIT ROY, Guwahati Vocal
. M. RANDOLPH SINGH & G. LOKEN SHARMA Tabla-Pung
Imphal (Duet)
. DEBOBRATA MALLlK, Tripura Guitar

Tuesday 21st February, 5:30 pm
. L. DEVENDRAJIT SHARMA, Imphal Vocal
. MOHINI MOHAN PAT ANAIK, Bhubaneswar Flute
. SURESH TALWALKAR & GROUP, Mumbai Tabla

Minoti Khaund
Violin

Born in 1940, Smt. Minoti Khaund initially learnt to play the violin from Shri Indreswar Sarma of Jorhat. She was later a student of Shri V.G. Jog, one of the foremost violinists of India. Smt. Khaund has given recitals in various cities Delhi, Kolkata, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Benaras, Allahabad, Mumbai and there have been acclaimed by the press and audiences. She has also participated in many lecture-¬demonstrations and seminars, and has published various articles on music in newspapers and journals. She is imparting training in violin to a number of young students.

Accompanied by:
Sukhamay Chakraborty: Tabla

Indra Kishore Mishra
Dhrupad

Born in 1956 in Betia, Shri Indra Kishore Mishra received his training in Dhrupad of the Betia gharana under his grandfather Shyam Mallick and his father Mahanth Mishra. He has performed in Dhrupad Samaroh at Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal. Shri Indra Kishore Mishra recorded a CD with a French recording company in 1995. He commands a vast repertoire of compositions of his gharana.

Accompanied by:
Prithviraj Kumar: Pakhawaj
Ranjan Kumar: Violin

Narendra Nath Dhar
Sarod

Born in 1954 in Kolkata, Shri Narendra Nath Dhar received his initial training in Sarod from his father Nemai Chand Dhar. He also studied under Samarendra Nath Sikdar and was later a student of Radhika Mohan Moitra. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan too has taught him for some time.

Shri Narendra Nath Dhar has performed in a number of music festivals and is an A grade artiste on All India Radio and Doordarshan. A prize-winner in the All India Radio competition in instrumental music in 1970, he was awarded the National Scholarship from the Department of Culture, Government of India, for intensive training in Sarod from 1975 to 1978. Shri Dhar has been honoured with the Naushad Award of the Government of Uttar Pradesh in 1995 and the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2002. An audio-cassette by Shri Dhar has been released by HMV India.

Accompanied by:
Vinod Lele: Tabla

Ashwini Bhide Deshpande
Vocal

Smt. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande received her initial training in music from her mother Smt. Manik Bhide, a representative of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. She later studied with Pandit Narayanrao Datar to complete her Sangeet Visharad degree, and subsequently under Ratnakar Pai. She has also obtained a Master's Degree in science and a Ph.D.

Principally a Khayal singer, Smt. Ashwini Bhide also performs Thumri, Dadra, Bhajans and Abhangs, as also Sanskrit stotras and stutis.

A top-grade artist on Akashvani and Doordarshan, she has performed in many major festivals of music in India and abroad. She has a number of cassettes and CDs to her credit. She has also published a book of her own compositions, Rangarachananjali.

Smt. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande is a recipient of the Kumar Gandharva Sam man conferred by the Government of Madhya Pradesh among other honours.

Accompanied by:
Vinod Lele: Tabla
Vinay Mishra: Harmonium

Uma Shankar Mishra
Sitar

Born in 1933 in Madhubani, Bihar, Shri Uma Shankar Mishra was initiated into instrumental music by his father, Hariprasad Mishra, and later studied with Pandit Ravi Shankar in the Senia gharana.

Shri Mishra has evolved a personal style of playing the Sitar that is distinguished for its quiet elegance and imagination. He is also .a reputed teacher, and has trained a number of students over the past four decades, including his son Madan Shankar Mishra. He has performed widely in India as well as in the United States, Europe, and many Asian countries. He has received many honours and awards including the Parishad Samman bestowed by the Sahitya Kala Parishad, Delhi, in 1991 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992.

Accompanied by:
Pawan Bordoloi: Tabla

Debojit Roy
Vocal

Debojit Roy received his training in music at an early age under Ramendra Narayan Roy Choudhury, Hirendra Natha Sarma and Laxmi Saikia, who instilled in him a deep and abiding passion for music and initiated him in the Khayal form. Later, he was a student of Shri Samaresh Chawdhury of the Senia gharana.

A post-graduate in economics and music, Shri Debojit Roy has to his credit a number of awards. He has performed all over India. A B High artist, he has been a regular performer on Akashvani and Doordarshan. An audio-cassette of select ragas sung by Shri Debojit Roy has been released recently.

Accompanied by:
Pawan Bordoloi: Tabla
Bikas Bhawal: Harmonium

M. Randolph Singh & G. Loken Sharma
Tabla-Pung duet

Shri Randolph Singh initially learnt Tabla from Shri Yaima and the late Indrajit Singh in Manipur. He subsequently received advanced training in Tabla under Shri Abdullah Khan of Delhi, Shri Mukund Bhale of Khairagarh, Shri Bhai Gaitonde, Shri Ashok Godbole, and finally from Ustad Alla Rakha of Mumbai.

Shri Randolph holds a Master's degree in percussion music (Tabla) from the Indira Kala Sangeet Vishvavidyalaya, Khairagarh. He has also been awarded the National Scholarship and Junior Fellowship by the Government of India. He has performed in music festivals at Jorhat, Majuli Island, Raipur, Nagpur, Guwahati, Kolkata, Delhi, and Bali (Indonesia). At present, he is doing research in Manipuri percussion under the guidance of Guru Hajari Singh and Guru Thanil Singh.

Gurumayum Loken Sharma received his first lessons in the Meitei Pung from Guru Jarma Singh of Manipur. Later, he has received advanced training from a number of gurus including Guru Mukta, Guru Thanil, Guru Leibakmacha, Guru Gokulo, etc.

Accompanied by:
N. Guno Singh: Clarinet

Debobrata Mallik
Guitar

Born in 1975 in Tripura, Shri Debobrata Mallik was initiated into music at an early age by his elder brother Shri Ashim Mallik. He first took formal instruction in the guitar, and then began studying Indian classical music under the guidance of Alokendra Debbarman, an eminent Sarod player and senior lecturer at the Tripura Government Music College. Shri Debobrata continued his studies under Shri Debasish Mukherjee of Kolkata.

Today, he lends support on his instrument in music recordings and also gives concerts on the stage, playing Indian classical music as well as semi-classical and folk music. He performs regularly on All India Radio and Doordarshan and has participated in several well-known music festivals in India.

Accompanied by:
Bivash Hrishidas: Tabla

L. Devendrajit Sharma
Vocal

Born in 1959, at Imphal into a family of musicians, Shri L. Devendrajit Sharma started learning Hindustani vocal music at a young age under Shri I. T. Singh and Shri L.M. Singh of Manipur. He was later a student of renowned musicians such as Shri Abhay Narayan Mallik and Dr. Amareshchandra Chaubey at Khairagarh. Shri Sharma has obtained Master's degrees in both Hindustani vocal and instrumental music (guitar) at Khairagarh and has also qualified for the Junior and Senior Diplomas in Sugam Sangit from the Indira Kala Sangeet Vishvavidyalaya.

Shri Sharma is a B High artist on Akashvani and Doordarshan and also a performer of Manipuri sugam sangeet and guitar. He has performed in different parts of the country and has also published two books on Hindustani music. At present, he is working as a lecturer in the Department of Vocal Music, SSBD Government Music College, Imphal.

Accompanied by:
T. Shyama Charan Singh: Tabla
S. Ramkumar Singh: Harmonium

Mohini Mohan Patnaik
Flute

Shri Mohini Mohan Patnaik was born in 1945 into a landowning family of Orissa. He has had no formal training in music but, pursuing his passion for the flute, he has developed into a reputed performer, teacher and composer. He is also a collector of flutes, focusing on instruments of Orissa, and holds Master's degrees both in music and political science.

Shri Mohini Mohan Patnaik has performed widely in India and abroad, appearing in 5010 concerts as well as companies of musicians. He is specially recognized for his scores for large instrumental ensembles. Among several other honours, Shri Patnaik has been bestowed the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation Award and the Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

Accompanied by:
Sandeep Rout: Tabla

Suresh Talwalkar
Tabla

Born in 1948 in Mumbai, Shri Suresh Talwalkar received his training in Tabla under Shri Pandharinath Nageshkar and Vinayakrao Ghangrekar of the Munir Khan Saheb and Nanasaheb Panse gharanas. He has also studied rhythm under the Mridangam maestro Ramnad Ishwaran and has trained in Hindustani vocal music under Gajananbua Joshi and Nibruthibua Sarnaik.

One of the leading solo Tabla players today, Shri Talwalkar has acquired an eclectic style that draws upon various schools of percussion art. He has also accompanied eminent musicians and dancers in their performances. Shri Talwalkar has trained a number of young Tabla players including Shri Vijay Ghate and Trilok Gurtu, and has initiated Western drummers into Tabla music. He has produced a number of audio-cassettes of his music. Among other honours, Shri Talwalkar received the All India Radio Award in 1966 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2004.

Accompanied by:
Samartha Nagarkar: Vocal
Charudutta Phadke: Tabla
Chinmay Kolhatkar: Harmonium