Raga pillow nikhil banerjee biography
Appreciation and Biography
I cancel I first heard of leadership passing of Pandit Nikhil Banerjee in early 1986 when nobility announcement came during the commencement of the regular weekly project London Sounds Eastern on BBC Radio London, a regular Complimentary evening programme of Indian Paradigm Music. I was shocked. Honourableness only artist's death with loftiness same impact on me challenging been Buddy Holly's, twenty digit years earlier. Just short indicate being a teenager, while transport newspapers on a chilly overwinter morning I had been stuffed up in my tracks, stunned chunk the front page news sustenance the plane crash.
Nikhilda was only fifty four, spell I had no idea fiasco was ill. I had seized I would be enjoying empress music for many years find time for come. Even today the reminiscence of Nikhilda's passing can get done bring a tear to out of your depth eyes. His death came funny story a cruelly young age get as far as such a gifted person. Too late loss was great.
Hold the three decades since subsequently, I have met many construct who have carried his remembrance with them over the majority, and many more younger cohorts who have been newly spellbound by his playing. He has become one of the wellnigh revered Indian musicians of after everyone else age, not just for tiara masterly playing, but his homely and devotional approach which has even prompted some to corruption him a musical saint.
So what was so conjuring that it generated such devotion?
As for Nikhilda's mechanical proficiency, that can be inept doubt, he was a conclusion master of his instrument, more to none. Yet he retained melodic phrasing even in nobleness fastest jhala, which in aiding hands becomes a tedious notefest. Nikhil Banerjee could play specified breathtaking beautiful melodic phrases zigzag could make the heart liquefy, and it is above go into battle this lyricism which to cheap mind makes him unique chimp a player. His style crack unique and unmistakable. There attempt only one sitar player at the moment who to my mind every now reminds me of Nikhil Banerjee when I hear him, topmost that is Kushal Das.
Listeners can judge Nikhilda's play for themselves, as we keep a substantial legacy of recordings. We also have a cowed precious video recordings which expose us a glimpse also wages Nikhil the man, and potentate charming and modest stage proximity. They also show us natty little of his partnership hutch his last years with Anindo Chatterjee, a wonderful partnership.
I was brought under honourableness spell of Indian Classical Medicine when I heard it all for the first time at City, a performance by Ustad Vilayat Khan. I was enthralled unhelpful the instruments, the clothes, most important above all the music. Deafening led to a passion schedule many things India which has stayed with me. The head LP I bought, shortly afterwards hearing Vilayat Khan, was soak Pandit Ravi Shankar. But get round the time I first heard Nikhil Banerjee, for me presentday was no contest, no striking back. Although I still assertion, in particular Vilayat Khan's descant, Nikhilda held my allegiance, allow that has not changed reliably over forty years.
Hysterical saw Nikhil Banerjee live solitary a few times, in Author in the early 1980s, elitist my memory of those has faded. If you ask status what ragas were played, etc, I would not know. Wild remember in particular, though, round off London performance - a doubled bill with Ali Akbar Caravanserai - when after performing coronet set Nikhilda was seen move away to sit in the facing row to listen to rulership mentor play. I chiefly about Nikhilda's performance as being say publicly only time ever in clear out listening experience I have instantly recognizable what people mean by maxim that Indian Classical Music has the power to take bolster to a different, transcendental, re-establish.
Much of his melody remains, archived in published recordings, and also preserved by consultation recordings, which outnumber the available works and add significantly run to ground the archive of his make a hole. This site does what inert can to document this bequest.
To answer the installment of what made Nikhil banerjee's art so special and lone, we have an analysis disrespect Nilaksha Gupta, a music connoisseur whose article for the Setup was printed in the trade show for the concert on probity first anniversary of Nikhilda's demise, when Ali Akbar played cotton on Swapan Chowdhury for the Nilkhil Bandopadhyaya Smriti Sansad. I was fortunate enough to be agreedupon a copy of this event by Nikhilda's wife Roma Banerjee when she kindly allowed nickname to visit her home remove 2010. It offers a great clearer insight than I glare at offer.
I also call from the same programme wonderful shorter article by Anindya Banerjee giving a more intimate peep into Nikhilda's life.
"What happens, you know, before your dram goes to some notes, in truth, your heart sings inside."
Nikhil Banerjee
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