Ajoy Chakrabarty
| Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ajoy Chakraborty |
| Born | 1952 |
| Origin | Shyamnagar, West Bengal, India |
| Genres | Hindustani classical music (Patiala gharana) |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist |
| Years active | 1977–present |
Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty (Bengali: অজয় চক্রবর্তী; born 1952) is an Indian Hindustani classical vocalist.[1] He belongs to the Patiala gharana.[2]
Contents
Early life
Chakrabarty was born in Kolkata, Bengal to Shri Ajit Chakraborty in a Hindu Brahmin family. They moved to India from his homeland, Bangladesh during the partition and raised two sons in Shyamnagar. His younger brother, Acharya Sanjay Chakrabarty is a world class vocalist and composer. http://www.acharyasanjay.com/.
His early gurus include his father Late Ajit Kumar Chakraborty, Pannalal Samanta, Kanaidas Bairagi, and later on, Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh and Ustad Munawar Ali Khan (son of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan).[3] He has also learned from Ustad Latafat Hussain Khan, Pt. Nibruttibua Sarnaik, Vidushi Hirabai Barodekar, Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, among others. Because of his extensive training, he is not only a doyen of the Patiala-Kasur style, but can also portray the key features of other major classical gharanas like Delhi, Jaipur, Gwalior, Agra, Kirana and even Carnatic music. Despite such a strictly classical training, Chakrabarty is also renowned for his rendering of lighter genres like Thumri, Tappa, Geet, Bhajan, Keertan, Folk, and Film. He graduated first-class-first both in BA and MA from Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata, and joined the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in 1977–78 as the first scholar. He then rose to the positions of Gold Medalist Fellow, member of the Expert Committee, and senior Guru.[4]
Singing career
Chakrabarty is considered one of the vocal legends of Indian classical music. He is notable for imagination and sensitivity to lyrics, coupled with his uncanny sense of rhythm. Recipient of as many as 4 prestigious awards of highest order from the President of India – Padma Shri (2011), Sangeet Natak Akademi (Delhi, 1999–2000), Kumar Gandharva (National Award, 1993) and the Best Male Playback Singer (Bengali Film "Chhandaneer" 1990) – Chakrabarty has received felicitation from both the former and present Chief Ministers of West Bengal. The first Indian vocalist invited by the Pakistan and Chinese governments, Chakrabarty has performed in innumerable concerts and is still participating in prestigious music conferences, festivals, and venues, including Dover Lane, Rabindra Sadan, Kala Mandir, Science City in Kolkata; Sanmukhananda, Nehru Centre, NCPA in Mumbai; Kamani and Sirifort in Delhi; Carnegie and Kennedy Centre in the United States, Royal Albert and Queen Elizabeth in England; and Theatre De La Ville in France, to name a few. He also was awarded honorary citizenship in New Orleans, after performing with jazz musicians at Preservation Hall, the birthplace of jazz music.
Thus far, Chakrabarty has recorded over 100 albums, mostly published from India, the United States, Canada, UK, and Germany, composed of pure classical numbers including live performances and various other genres – Thumri, Dadra, Bhajan and other devotional songs like Shyamasangeet and many Bengali numbers, including songs of Tagore and Qazi Najrul Islam.[4]
Inspired by the ideals of his Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh, Chakrabarty founded Shrutinandan – A Music Kingdom, a musical institution designed to preserve and perpetuate the tradition of Indian Raga music. By the late 90s, he started to nurture young and budding talents in his music school, and it has since developed into a 1000+ strong body after a period of a decade and a half. Still today, every aspect of Shrutinandan, particularly the development of each student, is closely monitored by Chrakrabarty himself, along with a group of 35 teachers, personally trained by him. The success of his teaching method is demonstrated by his daughter and disciple Kaushiki Chakraborty, who is accepted globally as the torch-bearer of the Shrutinandan Concept and as an accomplished female vocalist. Along with her, Shrutinandan has produced a dozen other vocalists and instrumentalists of international acclaim in this period of time.[5]
Personal life
Chakrabarty is married to Chandana Chakraborty. Their daughter, Kaushiki Chakraborty is an accomplished vocalist of Hindustani classical music. Their son, Ananjan Chakraborty is a sound engineer and upcoming music director/producer.
Movies
| Year | Song | Film | Co-Singer | Composer | Lyricist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Bela Jay Shyamrai | Baidurjya Rahasya | None | Tapan Sinha | Tapan Sinha |
| Nain Mein Nandalal | Baidurjya Rahasya | None | Tapan Sinha | Tapan Sinha | |
| 2000 | Isaiyil Thodanguthamma | Hey Ram | None | Ilayaraja | Ilayaraja |
| Har Koi Samjhe | Hey Ram | None | Ilayaraja | Ilayaraja | |
| 2001 | Aan Milo Sajna | Gadar: Ek Prem Katha | Parveen Sultana | Uttam Singh | Anand Bakshi |
| 2005 | Yeh Kaun Mujhe Yaad Aaya | Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story | None | Naushad Ali | Naqsh Lyallpuri |
| Vaishnava Jan To | Water | Kaushiki Desikan | Sukhwinder Singh | Sukhwinder Singh | |
| 2011 | Bhorer Alo | Bhorer Alo | None | Jeet Ganguly | Priyo Chattopadhyay |
| 2013 | Rabso Neha Laage (Bilaval Bandish | Shunyo Awnko | Kaushiki Desikan | Gautam Ghose | Gautam Ghose |
Awards
- National Award – 1989
- Kumar Gandharva Award – 1993
- Sangeet Natak Akademi award – 2000
- Padmashree – 2011[6]
- Banga Bibhushan – 2012
- Alva's Virasat Award – 2012[7]
References
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External links
- Ajoy Chakrabarty Official Website
- Ajoy Chakraborty In Asavari
- Biography
- Ajoy Chakraborty: Live on BBC
- Ajoy Chakrabarty Biography and discussion forum
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