Ashutosh Bhattacharya
| Ashutosh Bhattacharya | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 17, 1917 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh |
| Died |
February 8, 2004 (aged 86) Varanasi |
| Genres | Hindustani classical music |
| Occupation(s) | instrumentalist, music educator |
| Instruments | Tabla |
Ashutosh Bhattacharya (March 17, 1917 – February 8, 2004) was a noted Indian classical musician of Hindustani classical music from Varanasi, who was Tabla player and music educator, besides a practicing Ayurvedic doctor.
In 1966, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship the highest honour conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.[1]
Early life and background
Born in a Bengali family in Varanasi (Benaras), Uttar Pradesh,[2] Bhattacharya grew up in the family of Ayurvedic doctors, where both his father and grandfather practiced Ayurvedic medicine. However, at an young age he showed musical inclination and at age 8 started learning pakhawaj from Pandit Ram Nath Mishra.[3] After a few years of training, he switched to learning tabla from Pandit Kanthe Maharaj, noted tabla player of the Benares gharana, and uncle of Kishan Maharaj.[4][5]
Career
He started performing at the age of 21, when in 1937, he accompanied sarod maestro Allauddin Khan at the music concert in Allahabad.[6] In the coming years, he accompanied leading musicians like, Pt. Ravi Shankar,[7] Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Ustad Vilayat Khan.[3]
Besides his musical career, he also practiced Ayurvedic medicine at his clinic in Varanasi, and taught numerous students.[3] He died on February 9, 2004 in Varanasi, after a brief illness, at the age of 86. His son, Debabrata Bhattacharya, is also a tabla player.
See also
References
- ↑ "SNA: List of Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Puraskarwinners (Akademi Fellows)". SNA Official website.
- ↑ Ram Dular Singh (1986). Bengal and Varanasi: a study of cultural synthesis & national integration : Bengal's contribution to Varanasi. Bibliographical Society of India. p. x.
- 1 2 3 "Pandit Kaviraj Ashutosh Bhattacharya". Retrieved July 24, 2013.
- ↑ "Biography of Kanthe Maharaj". varanasi.org. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
- ↑ Susheela Misra (1990). Some immortals of Hindustani music. Harman Pub. House. p. 127. ISBN 978-81-85151-14-4.
- ↑ Jotin Bhattacharya (1979). Ustad Allauddin Khan and His Music. B. S. Shah Prakashan. p. 58.
- ↑ "the genius of Pandit Ravi Shankar". India Today. December 12, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
Bibliography
- Sudhish Chandra Banerjee (2006). Tabla and the world of Indian rhythms. Shubhi Publications.