Nikhil Banerjee

When Nikhil Banerjee died in 1986, India didn’t simply lose among its greatest sitar players, but among its most influential classical music artists. A former kid prodigy who earned the All-Bengal sitar competition at age nine, Banerjee was raised to earn worldwide acclaim as an experienced musician. Based on the SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA Chronicle, Banerjee’s “technique can be a phenomenon, quicker than cheetahs, better than the buck.” Music And Music artists noticed that “his improvisations constantly sound completely organic and spontaneous..” Within an obituary released after his loss of life, THE BRAND NEW York Times composed “the outstanding fluidity and guarantee of his rhythmic tips and phrasing established a standard that will have left the greater international ‘superstars’ of Indian music behind.” The kid of an beginner musician, Banerjee was fascinated with his father’s playing. Although he wished to try his hands at a musical instrument as soon as age four, he was discouraged by his dad and grandfather. At age five, nevertheless, they relented and he obtained a little sitar. Banerjee had taken to the device immediately. Furthermore to earning the All-India sitar competition, he became the youngest musician utilized by All-India Radio at age nine. He continued to be a highlighted radio performer for five years. Among 15 kids, Banerjee was significantly inspired by Ustad Amir Khan, who get to his house to instruct his old sister. Banerjee also examined with Mustaq Ali Khan for 90 days and Jnan Prakash Ghosh, who trained him to try out tabla. His biggest teacher, nevertheless, was Baba (Allaudin Khan), with whom he apprenticed, alongside Ravi Shankar, from 1947 until 1952. Pursuing Khan’s loss of life, Banerjee continued to review with Khan’s boy, Ali Akbar Khan, for yet another five years. Banerjee consequently performed around 1,000 concerts in India as Khan’s accompanist. Banerjee performed his 1st concerts beyond India in 1955 as an associate of a social delegation sent from the Indian authorities to Poland, Russia, and China. He produced his USA debut in 1967. For quite some time, Banerjee spent 90 days each summer season teaching, carrying out, and lecturing/demonstrating at U. C. Berkeley. In 1968, Banerjee was granted the honorary name Padma Shri. Exactly the same yr, he was called India’s “exceptional musician of the entire year” from the Sangeet Nagat (music and dance) Academy.