Nikhil Banerjee

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Nikhil Banerjee ( bengali : নিখিল ব্যানার্জী , Nikhil Byānārjī; born October 14, 1931 in Kolkata ; † January 27, 1986 ibid) was an Indian sitar player.

He started playing the sitar at the age of five. As a nine year old he won the All-Bengal Sitar Competition . He then became the youngest employee of the radio station All India Radio , for which he recorded concerts for the next five years.

From 1947 Banerjee took lessons with the sarod player Allauddin Khan in Maihar until his death in 1972. This was followed by five years of lessons with his son Ali Akbar Khan , who also played sarod. Banerjee, like Ravi Shankar, is associated with the Maihar Gharana style from his training , but developed his own and very personal style that differs significantly from that of his more famous colleagues.

The first performances outside India took place in Poland, the USSR, China in 1955 and in the USA for the first time in 1967. Banerjee lectured regularly and gave concerts at the University of Berkeley in California. In 1968 the Indian government awarded him the civil order Padma Shri . In the same year the Sangeet Nagat Academy awarded him the title Outstanding musician of the year .

Nikhil Banerjee is considered one of the most virtuoso and style-forming sitar players, whose music has a high emotional depth and melodic complexity. His variations (tans) can be compared with baroque coloratura.

He has made numerous recordings, many of which are recordings of live concerts, in which his clear, powerful development of a raga is best shown.

Quote: “My approach to music is very deep. I do not compromise. Indian music is based on spiritualism and was practiced and learned to know the Supreme Truth. A musician must lift up the souls of the listeners and take them towards Space. This is the history of Indian music. "

Discography (selection)

  • Afternoon ragas. Tabla: Kanai Dutta. Rotterdam 1970, as a CD with Raga Records 1992
  • Rag Hemant. Tabla: Kanai Dutta. Amsterdam 1970, as CD with Raga Records 1994
  • Live: Misra Kafi. 1982
  • The Hundred-Minute Raga: Purabi Kalyan (live). 1982
  • Rag Gawoti. Tabla: Abhijit Banerjee. Amsterdam 1984, as CD with Raga Records 1996
  • Immortal Sitar of Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Ragas: Purabi Kalyan, Zila-Kafi, Kirwa. Tabla : Anindo Chatterjee , Chanda Dhara, Stuttgart 1986, SNCD 8886
  • Master Of The Sitar 1986, LP (AMIGA, DDR)
  • Nikhil Banerjee. Sitar recital. The Grammophone Company of India, Calcutta 1989, EMI CD-PSLP 5072
  • Raga Piloo. Tabla: Anindo Chatterjee, Audiorec Limited, London 1989, ARCD 2005
  • Nikhil Banerjee Live. Tabla: Swapan Chaudhuri , (Berkeley, October 23, 1982) Raga Records, New York 1990, RAGA-204
  • Lyrical sitar. 1991
  • Live at De Kosmos: Amsterdam 1972. As CD 1995
  • The KPFA Tapes: Berkeley 1968. As CD 1995
  • Le Sitar Du Pandit. As CD 1996
  • Raga Patdeep. As CD 1996
  • Genius of Pandit Nikhil (live). As CD 1998
  • Berkeley 1968. As CD 1998
  • Live Concert, Vol. 2: India's Maestro of Melody. As CD 1999
  • Pandit Nikhil Banerjee (live). As CD 1999
  • Total absorption. As CD 2000
  • Banerjee Live in Munich 1980. As CD 2000
  • Morning Ragas: Bombay Complete Concert 1965 (live). As CD 2000
  • Musician's Musician. As CD 2001
  • India's Maestro of Melody: Live Concert, Vol. 5. As CD 2002
  • Alltime Classic, Vol. 1: Raag Bageshree (live). As CD 2004

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Banerjee, Nikhil
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Indian sitar player
DATE OF BIRTH October 14, 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH Kolkata
DATE OF DEATH January 27, 1986
Place of death Kolkata