Pandit Subhankar Banerjee

Pandit Subhankar Banerjee’s eclectic style of tabla is the result of permanently open ears. His mother Kajalrekha was a singer-composer, who started him on tabla aged four and supported his musical journey. He trained in the Benares gharana under Pandit Manik Das before an extended apprenticeship in the Farukhabad gharana under Professor Swapan Siva (“his ruthlessly frank criticism, that too during live stage concerts, hurt me; but compelled to see the finer nuances…”).

His expansive rhythmic imagination has led to a range of top accompaniment slots, as well as performances with the London Symphony Orchestra and jazz masters such as John McLaughlin. He has also played for Hollywood films, and performed at the Nobel peace Prize ceremony. For him music is a direct endeavour, all about expressing one’s life force through sound (“it starts with an endless passion for music, for awake, for discovery, for people, for life…”).

Subhankar Banerjee has performed at the Darbar Festival many times since 2006, collaborating with a wide array of distinguished artists such as Pandit Ronu Majumdar, Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya, and Dr. Mysore Manjunath. His exceptional skill and dynamic accompaniment have enhanced numerous performances, adding depth and energy to the music. Subhankar’s contributions to the festival have been integral in showcasing the intricate rhythms and diverse styles of Indian classical music, cementing his reputation as one of the finest tabla players on the international stage.

“Since childhood, I was exposed to all kinds of music – from Bengali folk, film music, to the most complex of bandishes. The music I play is an amalgam of my experiences and collective influences”