Pandit Prattyush Banerjee

Hindustani Sarod

Pandit Prattyush Banerjee

3 minute read

Pandit Prattyush Banerjee pushes the boundaries of the modern sarod, combining superb solo musicianship with innovations in composition and instrument design. Born in Kolkata, he grew up around the sounds of top musicians who visited the family home in Kolkata to see his father, a well-known music collector.

He started sarod aged eight, training under Pandit Samarendra Sikdar and then Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta, doyen of the Senia Shahjahanpur gharana. His novel approach to the instrument is informed by a detailed study of vocal music, tabla, and Western classical piano, and he has also written numerous musical articles for the ITC Sangeet Research Academy.

He is notable for being the first to capture the intricacies of tappa vocal music on the sarod – a semi-classical style derived from Punjabi camel-riders replete with fast, distinctively angular melodies, typically depicting the emotional outbursts of a lover. Recently he invented the the jyotidhwani, a tastefully electrified sarod.

Pandit Prattyush Banerjee performed at the Darbar Festival 2012, where he delivered a captivating performance on the tabla, accompanied by the renowned sitar maestro Sanju Sahai. Their collaboration created a dynamic and soulful musical experience, blending the intricate rhythms of the tabla with the expressive melodies of the sitar, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

“After 15 years of solid training…I started to rethink about my technique, fingerings, tunings, and finally, I thought I needed to do something about the sarod itself…”

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Rahul Sharma | Director

Recorded at Darbar Festival 2009, on 3rd April, at the Purcell Room of the Queen Elizabeth Hall, at London's Southbank Centre. Musicians: - Rahul Sharma (santoor) - Pandit Subhankar Banerjee (tabla) Music Pieces: - Raag Bhoopal Todi, Thaat: Bhairavi, Samay: Morning - Raag Mishra Bhairavi; Thaat: Bhairavi; Samay: Morning Rahul Sharma acquired the fundamentals of Hindustani classical ragas first on a harmonium. It was only after he turned 13 that he was allowed to switch to the 100-stringed santoor (Indian hammered dulcimer). He imbibed the best from his father and built upon it to create his own style. Today, he performs to acclaim all over the world, bringing fresh perspectives to his instrument through collaborations and his own creativity and imagination. As his father, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, puts it affectionately, “Rahul was bitten by the composer’s bug a long time ago” – a happenstance that lent him the impetus to become a successful composer apart from a fine classical performer. In this concert from 2009, he is accompanied by Pandit Subhankar Banerjee (1966-2021), a tabla phenomenon whom the world lost too soon to COVID. A musician of expansive imagination, Pandit Banerjee lends a thoughtful and exciting support to this recital. Connecting with Sharma’s music at all levels, he enriches the presentation with a varied palette of sounds with his thekas (beats) emerging in tender intensity, imposing permutations and combinations, fluttery and airborne crispness and a few virtuous solos in between. Sharma performs three movements in Raag Bhoopal Todi, a morning melody. He introduces the raga with an alap (rhythmless introduction), builds momentum with the jod (melodic expansion with a slight, linear pulse) and raises the energies with a jhalla (crescendo performed with rapid, striking in a fast tempo in linear pulse). He rounds up this part with three compositions – the first one is set to a medium tempo (madhyalay) in Matta Taal, a 9-beat cycle. This is followed by another composition in Adhya – a 16-beat variant of Teental that progresses with a distinctive lilt. The third and concluding composition of this part is set to Teental in a very fast tempo (ati drut). He brings his recital to an end with an enticing miniature – a light ‘dhun’ in Mishra Bhairavi. Sharma follows a high-spirited, methodical approach, creating an uplifting melodic realm teeming with harmonies. He taps into the inner potential of his instrument by combining eloquence and expressiveness with fine technique to achieve rich interpretations. With a cracking delivery of the rhythm-centric segments, he consummately stitches euphony with virtuosity, laying bare the enduring magic of the santoor. The chimes emanate a gentle glow and flow on a gossamer weave of microtones where the sentimental, soft tonal textures interlace with energetic moments to unfurl the ragas in evocative narratives. Pandit Banerjee’s mighty and entrancing solos are woven in complex and intricate patterns. Combining maturity with wit, he also elevates the soft strains of the santoor with flawless coordination.