MARYLAND (TIP): Suromurchhana’s mega Annual Music Festival 2021 conducted online over a six-week period from 6th February to 13th March, concluded with a grand success. The event was envisioned by Shri Sanjoy Banerjee, founder of Suromurchhana – an academy dedicated to promoting Indian classical music. This organization, which was envisioned by Vidushi Malabika Kanan, started in 2007 in Kolkata and currently operates in several locations in USA in New York, New Jersey and Maryland.
Shri Sanjoy Banerjee, a scholar of Sangeet Research Academy and a worthy disciple of Late Pt. A. Kanan and Late Vidushi Malabika Kanan, has been carrying their tradition by teaching nuances of Indian classical music to his students in India and USA at his own institution and at Chhandayan Center for Indian Music in New York. Suromurchhana, is one of the premier Indian classical music institutions in USA that has been involved in promoting this art form in a variety of means through offering classes to students both in person and online, conducting workshops and masterclasses with invited guest musicians, moderating panel discussions, and holding concerts featuring world class musicians.
The organization also provides a platform for upcoming artists and has featured several students in concert performances and participated in community events in New York City. Suromurchhana feels honored and privileged to follow the footsteps of its revered gurus Pt. A. Kanan & Vidushi Malabika Kanan.
The Annual Music festival consisted of twelve full featured concerts presenting star studded musicians, from different gharanas, vocal and different instruments, upcoming and master musicians including the likes of tabla virtuoso Pt. Nayan Ghosh and his son Shri Ishaan Ghosh; Pt. Uday Bhawalkar- the foremost Dhrupad vocalist; Vidushi Manjiri Asanare-Kelkar -a torch bearer of Jaipur-Atraulia Gharana; Vidhushi Manjusha Patil of Gwalior Gharana; Pt. Pravin Godkhindi and his son Shri Shadaj Godkhindi on bansuri; Vidushi Anupama Bhagwat, sitarist, of Imdadkhani gharana; Ustad Rafique Khan, sitarist from Dharwad gharana; and Shri Suman Laha on guitar in Dhrupad style. The roster read like a “who’s who” of Indian Classical Music today and featured musicians who have performed at the most prestigious festivals and conferences around the world.
The festival also presented young maestros like, Shri Yadnesh Raikar on violin, Smt. Namami Karmakar, vocalist and senior most disciple of Shri Sanjoy Banerjee and Kumari Sumoulika Sarkar, also a student of Shri Sanjoy Banerjee. They ably presented the depth, beauty and complexity of the art form. Last but not least, through his mesmerizing renditions of khayals Shri Sanjoy Banerjee paid his homage to his gurus. All these featured concerts were enhanced by their accompanying musicians including Pt. Abhijit Banerjee, Shri Subrata Bhattacharya, Shri Nitin Ware, Shri Indranil Bhaduri, Shri Kiran Godkhindi, Shri Ishaan Ghosh, Shri Trilochan Kampli, Shri Prashant Pandav, Shri Rupak Mitra, and Shri Rahul Pophali on tabla; Shri Pratap Awad on pakhawaj; and Shri Suyog Kundalkar, Shri Anirban Chakrabarty, and Shri Dnyaneshwar Sonawane; and Shri Pratik Singh on harmonium.
This online music festival was one of the biggest online Indian classical concerts, organized in USA, that was broadcast in different time zones. Even though the audience spanned the world and were separated by geography, they watched and participated in the online festival with rapt attention and to great admiration of the melodious music that unfolded before them. The performances enthralled the audiences displaying the rich tradition, the vast range of Indian classical music and showcased several ragas set in different styles. It was a musical treat to both the student and the connoisseur.
Suromurchhana continues its mission with classes, workshops and concerts featuring promising students and artists from India and USA, and master musicians, and hopes to bring its live concerts to the audience soon. For more information visit www.suromurchhana.org.
Khayal, the classical Indian music is represented by a number of stylistically different schools called the Gharanas. Every Khayal Gharana has a few distinct features, a novel facet of their own which allows one to discriminate between the different schools while enabling one to identify the varied approach. The élan of the presentation, the dash in the approach and the stylistic features of the employing of the tans, bandish and alaap makes each of the khayal gharanas matchless and aesthetic. Gwalior Gharana, Agra Gharana, Kirana Gharana, Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana, Bhendi Bazaar Gharana, Patiala Gharana and Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana are some of the important gharanas of Khayal music.
https://www.indianetzone.com/27/khayal_gharanas_indian_music.htm