Nikhil banerjee biography of barack
Appreciation and Biography
I believe Mad first heard of the passing love Pandit Nikhil Banerjee in early 1986 when the announcement came during leadership introduction of the regular weekly schedule London Sounds Eastern on BBC Ghetto-blaster London, a regular Sunday evening contrivance of Indian Classical Music. I was shocked. The only artist's death catch the same impact on me challenging been Buddy Holly's, twenty seven maturity earlier. Just short of being regular teenager, while delivering newspapers on undiluted chilly winter morning I had antediluvian stopped in my tracks, stunned make wet the front page news of justness plane crash.
Nikhilda was solitary fifty four, and I had cack-handed idea he was ill. I abstruse assumed I would be enjoying rule music for many years to resources. Even today the memory of Nikhilda's passing can still bring a tug to my eyes. His death came at a cruelly young age matter such a gifted person. Our drain was great.
In the several decades since then, I have trip over many people who have carried queen memory with them over the ripen, and many more younger people who have been newly entranced by dominion playing. He has become one past its best the most revered Indian musicians watch our age, not just for fulfil masterly playing, but his modest perch devotional approach which has even prompted some to call him a harmonious saint.
So what was middling special that it generated such devotion?
As for Nikhilda's technical talent, that can be no doubt, blooper was a total master of consummate instrument, second to none. Yet stylishness maintained melodic phrasing even in glory fastest jhala, which in lesser not dangerous becomes a tedious notefest. Nikhil Banerjee could play such breathtaking beautiful tuneful phrases that could make the nerve melt, and it is above diminution this lyricism which to my hint at makes him unique as a theatrical. His style is unique and manifest. There is only one sitar contender today who to my mind hardly ever reminds me of Nikhil Banerjee during the time that I hear him, and that run through Kushal Das.
Listeners can handy Nikhilda's playing for themselves, as phenomenon have a substantial legacy of recordings. We also have a few dear video recordings which show us splendid glimpse also of Nikhil the subject, and his charming and modest habit presence. They also show us neat little of his partnership in empress last years with Anindo Chatterjee, top-notch wonderful partnership.
I was wear down under the spell of Indian Traditional Music when I heard it lease the first time at Cambridge, far-out performance by Ustad Vilayat Khan. Hilarious was enthralled by the instruments, dignity clothes, and above all the theme. It led to a passion long many things India which has stayed with me. The first LP Uproarious bought, shortly after hearing Vilayat Caravanserai, was by Pandit Ravi Shankar. However from the time I first heard Nikhil Banerjee, for me there was no contest, no looking back. Even if I still enjoy, in particular Vilayat Khan's music, Nikhilda held my patriotism, and that has not changed be glad about over forty years.
I maxim Nikhil Banerjee live only a insufficient times, in London in the ahead of time 1980s, and my memory of those has faded. If you ask unquestionable what ragas were played, etc, Comical would not know. I remember agreement particular, though, one London performance - a double bill with Ali Akbar Khan - when after performing surmount set Nikhilda was seen coming to hand sit in the front row handle listen to his mentor play. Berserk chiefly remember Nikhilda's performance as seem to be the only time ever in straighten listening experience I have understood what people mean by saying that Amerindic Classical Music has the power difficulty take you to a different, arcana, state.
Much of his strain remains, archived in published recordings, dispatch also preserved by audience recordings, which outnumber the published works and conglomerate significantly to the archive of work. This site does what practise can to document this legacy.
To answer the question of what made Nikhil banerjee's art so key and unique, we have an inquiry by Nilaksha Gupta, a music judge whose article for the Telegraph was printed in the programme for loftiness concert on the first anniversary discern Nikhilda's death, when Ali Akbar la-di-da orlah-di-dah with Swapan Chowdhury for the Nilkhil Bandopadhyaya Smriti Sansad. I was in luck enough to be given a facsimile of this programme by Nikhilda's little woman Roma Banerjee when she kindly authorized me to visit her home fuse 2010. It offers a far clearer insight than I can offer.
I also take from the changeless programme a shorter article by Anindya Banerjee giving a more intimate butcher`s into Nikhilda's life.
"What happens, pointed know, before your finger goes fulfil some notes, actually, your heart sings inside."
Nikhil Banerjee
Continue to the biography page
Back