Master Musicians

Amaan Ali Khan

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia (born 1 July 1938) is an Indian classical flautist, who plays the bansuri, an Indian bamboo 

Anoushka began training on the sitar with her father Ravi at the age of seven. As part of her training, she began accompanying him on the tanpura at his performances from the age of ten, soaking up the music and becoming acclimatised to the stage.

Natarajan Ganesh Kumar, very popularly and affectionately known as Kanjira Ganesh has undeniably immortalized the Kanjira, a tiny frame drum from South India and placed it on the pedestal that it belongs.

On the eve of his 53^rd birthday, we decided to ask him what his 5 decade long journey looks like from his own perspective.

Q : At what age did music ‘happen’ to you ?

Being the son of one of the most renowned Lavani exponents, Vijay Chavan was born with music in his blood. The beats of the Dholki reached his ears way before he was even born. His mother Sulochana Devi has been one of the foremost lavani singers in India. Vijay has been playing the Dholki for over 3 decades and over various folk compositions in Maharashtrain culture. Some include lavani, powada, bharud, gondhal and others.

Ram Narayan born 25 December 1927, often referred to with the title Pandit, is an 

Remembering Manna Dey in his 98th birth year ! 

For this week’s #MasterMusicians, we bring to you a legendary musician who was lost in the pages of the illustrious history of an eminent family.

The story begins as a daughter is born in a musical family and has had her training on a string instrument that no woman had ever attempted playing. Her life reached a high point when she reached the zenith of her professional and personal life at once. But suddenly gave up her celebrated career for the bliss of family life.

Rabindra Shankar, the son of a barrister and a singer, the brother of a dancer and a theatre artist, always appreciated the duality of human nature.

Hence, at the age of 18, he decided to give up a career in dance and firmly stuck to his decision of following his lifelong passion, that of music.

This week, in Master musicians, we celebrate the maestro of Sitar, who not only inspired us by his music, but also his spirit that said its never too late to follow your dreams ! 

This week for #MasterMusicians, we bring to you, the Shehnai Maestro, Ustad Bismilah Khan.

When he was born, his grandfather was so delighted that he uttered the words Bismillah and the rest, is history ! It is so heartening to know that Bismillah Khan's place of practice was the Vishwanath temple on the river Ganga under the watchful eyes of the Goddess Saraswati who he had considered his Guru.

Ustadji was famed to have had a humble persona and a rare sense of humor.