Pandit Nikhil Banerjee and Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

Pandit Nikhil Banerjee and Pandit Shivkumar Sharma

Off to a late start today, because I thought was locked out of the studio, but luckily Brian was there to let me in. And once again, the day is saved thanks to...

Back to business though, and our first track for the day is by Pandit Nikhil Banerjee. Regulars of the show would have heard quite a bit of his music, but here's a quick introduction anyway. Pandit Nikhil Banerjee was born in Kolkata in West Bengal, and he was taught the sitar by his father at a very young age. He was instantly recognized as a child prodigy and soon found himself playing the sitar for All India Radio. It was at this time that he met Ustad Allauddin Khan, and became his disciple. Allauddin Khan was very well-known for his standard of discipline. Nikhilji's day would begin at 4 in the morning everyday, and go on till 11 in the night, with breaks only for meals. So now that you know what goes into the making of a performance of this level, here's Pandit Nikhil Banerjee with Raag Miyan Ki Todi.

Our second track is by Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. His name is synonymous with the santoor, a stringed instrument like a dulcimer. The body consists of a wooden frame with about 60 to 70 strings drawn across it's width. It is played using two metal hammers. He is an absolute pleasure to listen to and you'll find his music all over the place - Solo albums, recordings with his son Rahul Sharma and also on bollywood soundtracks and he's generally regarded as the main proponent of the santoor as a mainstream classical instrument. So this is Pandit Shivkumar Sharma with Raag Charukeshi of a compilation: The Best of Shivkumar Sharma.

Avinash Sastry
Gharana Music
WREK Atlanta, 91.1 FM
Mondays, 8-9 p.m.
www.wrek.org
(+1) 404-894-2468
Email: gharanamusicatlanta@gmail.com