Debapriya Adhikary (Vocal) & Samanwaya Sarkar (Sitar)
These two are the main coordinators anmd performers and according to the need they add pther co-artisteslike Tabla Players etc.
Influences
The have got lessons from different outstanding and eminent maestros of different gharanas/schools. So, one can get influence of different styles in their music.
Sounds Like
Two different genres of Indian music one with mellifluous voice and one with melliflous hand present a heavenly music with a modern approach .
Debapriya & Samanwaya
Present Vocal & Sitar Duet.
‘Duet’ a small word but has its big canvass to draw the musical imagination of two artistes in a single frame. Rather it’s a musical conversation between two artistes. May be those two are with different minds, thoughts and opinions but inspite of all differences they have to synchronize a common musical expression if they want to make it a Duet. In fact Duet is something that is not only a combination of two musical mediums but also a confluence of two souls, two minds, two thoughts and opinions.
There are plenty of excellent presentations of ‘Duet’ in Western Classical and Jazz.music. But as it’s the matter of improvisation of abstract musical consequences there is a very few in Indian Classical music like “Ustad Salamat Ali and Nazakat Ali Khan” in vocal and the great “Pt. Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan” in instruments. Because to make a ‘Duet’ the artistes need more than their practical skills.
However, almost all the “Jugalbandis” (the Indian term of ‘Duet’) in Indian Classical music are with same genre of expression either of two vocalists or of two instrumentalists. But Debapriya and Samanwaya have made it possible to present their ‘Duet’ in a different way where Debapriya is a vocalist and Samanwaya plays Sitar. In the ‘Jugalbandi’ of this new couple there belongs a common composition based on an Indian Raga where they improvise complementing each other’s style and presentation. In fact in the ‘Duet’ recital on stage they are made for each other and are confident about their exceptional musical presentation.
The musical ventures of these two are related to man and nature, divine and earthly with complete reflection of Indian Classical music with different approaches but preserving the tradition and nuances of ‘Ragas and Talas’.
SAMANWAYA SARKAR:
Born in a family of music Samanwaya started his journey through the path of music at the tender of age of just four when he was given a sitar at his hand.
He took his preliminary lessons from a great exponent of “Senia” gharana Pt. Sasanka Bandopadhyay. Later he was taken to the great maestro of “Bishnupur” gharana Pt. Manilal Nag. He gave him the talim (lessons) of different critical techniques and many “ragas” for 12 years. Then he got the talim of different uncommon “ragas” and “talas” from another great maestro of “Senia” gharana Pt. Shyamal Chatterjee. Lastly he took lessons from the great exponent of “Agra Atrauli” gharana Pt. Kumar Prasad Mukhopadhyay for the enrichment of “Ragdaari” (grammatical rules and regulations of ragas) and also for bringing the “Gayaki”(rendering style of vocal music) with the “Tantrakari”(rendering style of string instruments). Presently, he has been taking lessons from the legendary Padmabhusan Girija Devi of Benaras Gharana.But without one man nothing has been possible, is his father Sri Swapan Kumar Sarkar. .
Samanwaya’s Achievements:
In 1993 and 1994 First twice in the Rajya Sangeet Academy in
Instrumental competition
In 1995 First in HMV Golden Talent arranged by
Pt. Ravi Kitchlu Foundation in the junior
Group.
In 1995 First in Calcutta Youth Festival organised by
Govt. of West Bengal
In 1997 First in the competition arranged by West
Bengal State Academy of Dance, Drama,
Music and Visual Arts in Rabindra Bharati
University.
In 2000 First in the Eveready Golden Talent contest
arranged by Pt. Ravi Kichlu Foundation.
&
First in the All India Radio Music Competition
at the national level in Hindustani Instrumental
Music.
In 2003-2005 Became recipient of NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP
for the year 2003-2005 by Ministry of Culture &
Tourism, Deptt. Of Culture, Govt. Of India in
Hindustani Instrumental Music.
Performances:
Samanwaya has performed a plenty of concerts all over India like Radio Sangeet Sammelan, Navarang, Suro Sagar Society, Darbari, Damru, Ostad Bhagaban Setari Memorial Foundation, Bhawanipur Sangeet Sammelani, Naad Bramha Sangeet Samaj etc of Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal, Matri Kripa Dham of Lucknow, Varanasi, Sringar of Allahabad, Kalaprakash- Benaras, Jaipur, Srjan (An Institute founded by Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra) etc .
He is a regular performer of Akashvani Kolkata (AIR) and Doordarshan as an “A” grade artiste.
He successfully toured Spain and Portugal in 2002 &2003 too where he gave lecture demonstration in Oporto University, Portugal and gave recitals in Quembra University, Portugal and many other places in Spain. He also gave an interview in a TV programme named “Karakia” for the channel “Tele 5”, Spain. In 2006 -2007he toured Germany and Denmark and got appreciations from many leading newspapers of Germany also.
DEBAPRIYA ADHIKARY
Debapriya was initiated to classical music by his extremely music loving parents and got primary lessons of music from his mother Anita Adhikary at a very tender age of six. He was blessed enough to get talim(lessons)from the vocal maestro Pt.Samaresh Chawdhury son and disciple of the vocal exponent of “Senia” gharana Sangeetacharya Amaresh Chandra Chawdhury and the legendary Pt.Ravi Shankar. Beside this he is also learning “Rag-daari”(treatment of ragas) and bandishes (compositions) styles of rendering of different gharanas, techniques of fortissimo and pianisimo from many other eminent musicians.Presently learning from the legendary Padmabhusan Girija Devi of Benaras Gharana.
One man whom Debapriya considers as his Preceptor who changed his entire thought for music is the late stalwart and Vocalist of Agra Atrauli Gharana is Pandit Kumar Prasad Mukherjee.
The exclusive style of training by his guru, his mother’s ardent eagerness, and the love and blessings of wise and stalwart personalities will certainly help him to grow up and become an outstanding vocalist of his generation.
Achievements:
1996 First prize winner in INTER - DISTRICT MUSIC COMPETITION in
Classical vocal event and was awarded ARTISTE OF THE YEAR shield
(Organised by Vijay Sangha, Jharia)
2001 First prize winner in AKHIL BHARATIYA SANGEET PRATIYOGITA
in Classical vocal event organised by PRAYAG SANGEET SAMITI
Allahabad .
2001-02 First prize winner in INTER - COLLEGE YOUTH FESTIVAL
sponsored by AIU, MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS, GOVT.OF INDIA
&organised by Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh.
First prize winner in EAST ZONAL YOUTH FESTIVAL
sponsored by AIU, MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS ,GOVT.OF INDIA
and organised by ISM, Dhanbad.
Participated and ranked among the first four in NATIONAL
YOUTH FESTIVAL ( Maharaja Fest ) sponsored by AIU, MINISTRY
OF YOUTH AFFAIRS, Govt. Of India and organized by Gurunanak Dev
University, Amritsar.
2002 First prize winner in ALL INDIA RADIO MUSIC COMPETITION
in Hindustani Classical vocal event.
2003 Honoured with ITC - SANGEET REASERCH ACADEMY
PROMISING ARTISTE AWARD by ITC SRA, Mumbai.
2003 Rewarded NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP for the year 2003 - 2005 by
MINISTRY OF CULTURE & TOURISM , Govt. Of India.
2004 First prize winner in " Golden Talent Contest 2004" organised by Pandit
Ravi Kichlu Foundation.
Selected as one of the two best performer among different participants
from all over India in a talent hunt by Acharya Viswa Nath Dev Sharma
Art Foundation, to perform at Pt. Jasraj Auditorium, New York, USA
organized by Vedic Heritage.
Recipient of JNANA PRAVAHA Scholarship for Hindustani Classical.
Vocal Music.
2007 Achieved highest marks as a Master in Music from University of Calcutta.
Performances:
Debapriya has performed at many concerts in India like Navarang, Ostad Bhagaban Setari Memorial Foundation, Suro Sagar Society, Kolkata, Jharkhand Sthapna Divas , Ranchi, Swar –Sudha & Kalasri Sangeet Sansthan, Jodhpur, Ras-Kalash Sanstha, Varanasi, Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad, Sangeet Manch,Jamshedpur, Rabindra Parishad, Sindri, Vijay Sangha, Dhanbad, Matri Udbodhan Ashram, Patna, Vedic Heritage, Lonavla, Swargiya Vasantrao Chandorkar Smriti Pratisthan Jalgaon, National Centre Performing Arts, Mumbai, Nasik, India International Centre, Shadaj New Delhi, Lucknow, Srjan( An institution founded by Guru Keluchran Mahapatra. etc, Kala Prakash -Benaras, Jaipur.
He successfully toured UK where he performed at Birmingham, Stourbridge and Wolverhampton, and also work in the projects like “Ganges to Nile” and “Bonded Passion”.
In USA he performed at Pt. Jasraj Auditorium, Hempstead, NewYork, organized by Vedic Heritage.
BOTH HAVE VISITED AUSTRALIA TO PERFORM FOR NATIONAL MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL , and UK and ISLE OF MAN for MANANAN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL FOR MUSIC AND ARTSin ISLE OF MAN, MILAPFEST, TARA ARTS and INDIAN ASSOCITAION of Manchester .
AND RAGARANGA RELEASED 'IRIDESCENT'(SITAR RECITAL of Samanwaya ) AND 'SILK'(VOCAL RECITAL) of Debapriya. Available in http://stores.ebay.com/RagaRanga,
http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/index.html?ie=UTF8&sellerID=AF9NF01GT3RNM
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