BEMAC LIVE – Abhijit Banerjee (India)

Considered among the top class of tabla players from India, Abhijit Banerjee is one of the most sought after creative artists in the realm of Indian classical music. Abhijit has crafted a unique style and creative approach which has brought him accolades and awards throughout the world. The show will also feature renowned local artists, Saikat Bhattacharya (sitar) and Joseph Nand (harmonium). 

Abhijit Banerjee

Abhijit is known for his sensitivity, skill and deep sense of musicality. Apart from his contributions to Indian music he has delved into a diverse variety of world music crossover as both a performer and composer.

Recognizing his talent and natural inclination towards music his father steered him to tabla at the age of four. Abhijit also studied vocal music and violin later in his life in making a complete musician out of him. He is considered as one of the main disciples of the illustrious guru, the late Pt. Gyan Prakash Ghosh.

Abhijit has accompaniment on tabla nearly all of the top ranking stars of Hindustani classical music including Pt.Ravi Shankar, Late Pt.Nikhil Banerjee, Begum Parweena Sultana, Pt.Jasraj, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Dr.Balamurali Krishnan to name a few. As a tabla soloist he has also left his distinct mark through numerous performances and publications in India & abroad.

Abhijit has toured extensively in USA, Canada, U.K., Europe, Japan, Australia, South Africa, South East Asia and Mexico as well as performing in all of the major classical music festivals in India. International performances of note include Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Gevant Haus in Germany, Paleis in Brussels, Theatre de la Ville & Radio France in Paris,BBC whole night music series. Souht Bank, London. Abhijit also had had the honor of representing India in the Granada Festival of Music, Puerto Rico world percussion Festival, Bratislava World Percussion Festival.

In addition to a highly successful career in Indian Classical music, his crossover work includes collaborations with musicians such as Ry Cooder, Larry Corryell and Trilok Gurtu, Jon Santos, Keny Endo and many other. He has also collaborated with Balinese Gamelan Artiste Dewa Barata of CUDAMANI group and produced Rabindranath Tagore’s AMI CHITRANGADA which was first staged with Balinese and Indian Dancers and later was released as music Album. Abhijit founded his own ensemble TARANG performing his original compositions.

Saikat Bhattacharya has been playing the Sitar for over twenty four years. Playing the sitar has been his passion and devotion. His motivation to learn came from his parents more particularly his mother. Saikat’s first teaching began in early nineties under the supervision of his first Guru Pandit Manilal Nag of Calcutta, in India. Pandit Manilal Nag comes from the Vishnupur Gharana, which is the one and only school of music that originated in Bengal with its roots, embedded in the “Seni Gharana” of Delhi. Currently Saikat is currently a disciple of Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan for the last one year and regularly takes lesson from Ustadji.

Saikat has made numerous public performances in India and Australia. In Australia, he has regularly performed at the Woodford Folk Festival, Queensland Multicultural Music Festival, Queensland Conservatorium, and several other public and private programs. Saikat regularly visits his Guru in India to take more guidance and lessons on the sitar.

Joseph Abhay Nand is a stalwart participant in the Brisbane Indian classical community. Originally from Fiji, he learnt harmonium from Ustad Mohammed Hussein from Pakistan and Ustad Mehmood Dholpuri from India. He is also accomplished in both tabla and vocal. He learnt tabla from his elder brother Sri Viveka Nand, Ustad Mubarak Khan, Pt Surendra Bhatt and Ustad Hashmat Ali Khan, and learnt vocal from Ustad Ghulam Sadiq Khan. Joseph is a member of the Sangeet Mela organising committee, Rising Star Awards judging committee (Hindustani), and has been a regular accompanist for vocal, tabla solo and Kathak dance performances at Sangeet Mela each year since its inception in 2014.

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BEMAC LIVE – Abhijit Banerjee (India)

Saturday March 17 | Doors at 6.30pm | Performance from 7pm 

QMC – 102 Main Street, Kangaroo Point 

Tickets $20 Concession / $25 Full Price from Eventbrite