Ruchira Panda Hindustani Classical Vocal Concert

https://www.ruchirapanda.com/

Ruchira Panda - Announcement Bio
Kotali Gharana rose from the riverine fields of undivided Bengal. This is music that is intellectually rich yet as emotive and alive as the soil that it came from. A musical tradition that is also steeped in fine arts and literature―the unmistakably Bengali notes of aesthetics, the tunes of experimentation and the beats of creativity. The compositions from the house of Kotali are exclusive. Beyond the khayals, thumris, tappas and tap-khayals, its treasure chest includes some near-extinct classical-based sub-genres of India, like Bundelkhandi Pasar ke Geet, Patjhar, Jaad ke Geet and phaag etc. etc.
Ruchira Panda, is the global face of Kotali Gharana, the only gharana originating from today’s Bangladesh and one that was instituted by her Dadaguru, Sangeetacharya Tarapada Chakraborty. Ruchira received twenty five years of exclusive taalim from her guru, Pandit Manas Chakraborty. This shaped her unique gayaki, raagdari and finesse. Her voice happens to have a signature deep-timbre, raw power and flexibility. She is a guru herself and her disciples are already performing in conferences, in All India Radio and Doordarshan.
Ruchira has been performing in the major Classical Conferences for the last three decades in India, USA, Canada, UK, South Asia and Central Asia. Some notable venues in India were Tansen Samaroh, Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan, Dover Lane Music Conference, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Shastriya Sangeet Mahotsav, Ustad Amir Khan Festival, Saptak, Gururao Deshpande Sangeet Sabha, Dadar Matunga Cultural Center etc. She represented India in the UNESCO International Music Festival “Sharq Taronalari” in Samarkand.
Ruchira is a senior Fellow of The Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India and an “A” grade artist of All India Radio. She is an Established Empaneled Artist of ICCR, Ministry of External Affairs, and SPICMACAY.
A Kolkata based vocalist, composer, ethnomusicology researcher and philanthropist, she is also the founder of Paramparik, a community welfare nonprofit organization. Paramparik has sponsored thousands of underprivileged students of rural Bengal to become teachers, doctors and engineers. The Paramparik Classical Music Conference is well-known in the connoisseur circles of India. She is also the co-founder of DeepRanjani Foundation, an organization working with differently-abled children.

Highlights:
❑ “Senior Fellow”, awarded by the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India.
❑ “A” grade artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan.
❑ Represented India as an outgoing delegation from ICCR (Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. Of India) in the
Sharq Taronalari - UNESCO International Music Festival (Samarkand, Uzbekistan; 2017).
❑ Playback-singer - ‘Traditional development of Thumri’ , National TV Channel. India.
❑ Discography: “Unusual Dialogues”(Paramparik Records) “Raga Ripples”(Paramparik Records), “Live in New
York” ( Raga Music Circle, NY); “Spring Alone” (Paramparik Records; DVD (Live)) “Diyaraa Main Waarungi” ( Raga
Music); CD Saanjh (Questz World); “Spring Alone” (Paramparik Records) also on iTunes, Google Play Music,
Amazon Music, Spotify.
❑ Performed in almost all of the major Indian Classical Conferences (Tansen Samaroh, Harivallabh Sangeet
Sammelan, Dover Lane Music Festival, Saptak, Gunijan, AACM, SIFAS, LearnQuest etc.) in different countries (India,
USA, Canada, UK, Bangladesh, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan).
❑ Empaneled Established Artist of Hindustani Classical Music : ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations,
Government of India), and SPICMACAY.
❑ Awarded as Junior Fellow of The Ministry of Culture, Govt. Of India (2009).
❑ Award of Scholarship to Young Artists from The Ministry of Culture, Govt. Of India (1998).
❑ JADUBHATTA AWARD, by Salt Lake Music Festival (2009) ; SANGEET SAMMAN, by Salt Lake Silver Music
Festival (2011) ; SANGEET KALARATNA , by Matri Udbodhan Ashram, Patna.
❑ Awarded Ustad Amir Khan Award as best vocalist for the first position in Khayal in Dover Lane Music
Competition (1998- 1999).
❑ Awarded Rotu Sen Memorial Award for first position in Thumri in Dover Lane Music Competition (1998- 1999).
❑ Awarded H.M.V Award as best young talent of the year (1998- 1999).

Anirban Chakrabarty had his primary training under Pandit Manas Chakraborty, of Kotali Gharana. He was initially trained by his father, Amal Chakrabarty, a dedicated music practitioner and teacher. One interesting fact is that Kotali Gharana is the only one in which chords are used on the harmonium according to the raga character and there is a strong emphasis on the western-style harmonic progressions, especially for Thumri accompaniment. The other interesting aspects he has imbibed from Kotali Gharana are, a strong emphasis on proper RaagDari and aesthetics. Anirban is a globe-trotter today - and has shared the stage with his guru Pandit Manas Chakraborty, Pandit Venkatesh Kumar, Vidushi Ashwini Bhide, Vidushi Arati Ankalikar, Vidushi Ruchira Panda, Pt. Ganpati Bhatt, Pt. Jayateerth Mevundi and many other maestros, in various Indian Classical conferences in India and in USA, Canada and Europe. Anirban also composes and arranges music in lighter forms.

Chiranjit Mukherjee is an able disciple of Pandit Kumar Bose of Banaras Gharana. Chiranjit has been receiving rigorous taalim for the last 22 years. He has imbibed the distinct sound of his lineage both as a solo artist and also as an accompanist.
He was bestowed with the honor, first class first in his graduation and post graduation from the esteemed Rabindra Bharati University. He has been performing all over the world since 2008 among which his participation in London Art In Action Festival, tabla solo performance in SIFAS music festival, Singapore, Woodford Folk Festival in Australia, concerts in France, UK and in various musical tours in USA and Canada are noteworthy.