Abhijit Banerjee (musician)

Early life and background

He started learning Tabla at the age of four. He received his first instruction from Tushar Kanti Bose and later from Manik Pal. He is a leading disciple of Pt. Jnan Prakash Ghosh, a doyen of Indian Classical Music. Abhijit also learned vocal from Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty and violin from Smt Sisir Kana Dhar Chowdhury and Guru Ma Annapurna Devi.

Career

He has accompanied maestros such as Pt.Ravi Shankar, late Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, Begum Parveen Sultana, Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Dr. Balamurali Krishnan. Abhijit has established himself as major solo tabla player and has performed in major festivals in India. Abijit has toured extensively in United States, Canada, U.K., Europe, Japan, Australia, South Africa, South East Asia and Mexico.

Abhijit has collaborated in the world crossover music. Released Cd with Ry Cooder( water Lily Acoustics). Larry Corryell. He has participated in Womad Festival with Trilok Gurtu. His other main CDs include Peshkash, (bihan music), TARANG (tim Germany), Hollow bamboo (water lily acoustics),Teentaal (Peshkar Germany),True rhythms of India (BMG CRESCENDO)

He has his own touring ensemble named Tarang and he is also member of Raga Jazz group, Arohi Ensemble. He has founded the Dhwani Academy of Percussion Music (Dhwani literally means Sound). This is mainly a percussion academy inclined to teach Tabla (Indian Drum) along with other Indian percussion instruments like Pakhwaj, Ghatam, etc. Dhwani is in India and also in Los Angeles and New York. India academy was established in 2001 and Los Angeles academy was established in 2004. New York was established in 2006. Other than teaching and research, the academy in India gives free teaching to visually challenged students for last 10 years. www.dhwaniacademy.net Through this school he conducts workshops and classes all over the world. As a composer Abhijit has scored music for TV serials in India, Documentary film (TRAIL-which got National award), Tele films, Dramas produced by KatKatha (New Delhi), Whittier College drama Dept (Iphigenia and other sisters) and some more project like Bengali Diaspora by Monalisa Dasgupta. Abhijit has produced The Drance Drama of TAGORE Chitrangada in Balinese way. The production is a dance drama with Indian Dance (Odisi) and Balinese dancers. The music is a unique fusion of balinese music and Indian Music.

He was in Bali as an Apex fellow from UCLA and interacted with Balinese musicians like Dewa Brata and Cudamani group. He is a graduate in English literature and post graduate in Journalism.

Abhijit Banerjee has scored music for the whittier college production Ephigenia and sisters. a live drama series of five days. Abhijit is working with Kenny Endo and Jhn Santos with the project "Uncommon times". A project of Tabla, Timbales and Taiko. His work and association with Kenny is not new. They have worked in his own project TARANG and in Appex. This unique project Uncommon Times is being performed in many places. On 24 March Abhijit is performing at San Francisco jazz festival with the other team members of uncommon times and renowned Cuban Pianist Omar Sasha. Abhijit conducted seminar on "In search of Unity through Music" at Ramkrishna Mission institute of culture, Kolkata on 9 10 and 11 February he gave a theme lecture on the beginning of the seminar along with dignitaries like Dr. Karan Sing, Pt. Vijay Kichlu, Prof. Amlan Dasgupta were present. Abhijit was invited by Jadavpur University, Kolkata on 15 January to deliver lecture on traditionalism in Music. 22 to 25 March ABhijit conducted a three days seminar on traditionalism in music through his institute Dhwani in collaboration with Jadavpur University. 3 August, Abhijit performed with his group Uncommon Times at Yerba Buena Garden Festival.