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Alif Laila

Alif Laila was initiated into the Indian Classical music by late Ustad Mir Qasem Khan, nephew of the legendary Ustad Alluddin Khan, in Dhaka , Bangladesh . There she imbibed the style of the Senia Maihar Gharana,(school of music). Influenced by many eminent Indian Classical musicians who have enhanced her abilities as a musician are teachers such as Partha Chatterjee and Pandit Krishna Bhatt, both disciples of late Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, one of the foremost sitar player of all times. She also has the good fortune of having the blessings and guidance from “Sur Samrat”( the king of melody), Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.She has performed extensively since 1988 in Classical Sitar. In January 2001 she gave a solo recital in The National Museum of Bangladesh, where she was accompanied by the tabla virtuoso, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee.The titles of her CD recordings are, Devotion, The Inner Voice, (tabla accompaniment by Pandit Anondo Chatterjee) and Meditation with Sitar, a recording of Alaap, Jor and Jhala. In the words of her guru, Pandit Krishna Bhatt,” Alif Laila is one of the most impressive female Sitarists, who conveys the bhav (emotion) of ragas with profound sensitivity”. She has taught Sitar at the University Of Maryland and also teaches a number of students in Maryland

Arvind Bhand

Arvind Bhand started learning harmonium accompaniment at the age of ten and was influenced by seventeen years of stay in the musical town of Gwalior. He has played with several luminaries in the field of Indian classical and semi-classical music, as well as with original scores of light music. He is essentially self-taught, and has to his credit successful concert tours in the U.S. as well as in India as a harmonium accompanist.

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Vishwa Mohan Bhatt

Creator of the MOHAN VEENA and the winner of the GRAMMY AWARD, Vishwa Mohan has mesmerized the world with his pristine pure, delicate yet fiery music. It is due to Vishwa's maiden mega effort that he rechristened guitar as MOHAN VEENA, his genius creation and has established it at the top most level in the mainstream of Indian Classical Music scenario, thereby proving the essence of his name VISHWA (meaning the world) and MOHAN (meaning charmer) and indeed , a world charmer he is.

Being the foremost disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar, Vishwa Mohan belongs to that elite body of musicians which traces its origin to the Mughal emperor Ambar's court musician TANSEN and his guru the Hindu Mystic Swami Haridas.

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has attracted international attention by his successful indianisation of the western Hawaiian guitar with his perfect assimilation of sitar, sarood & veena techniques, by giving it a evolutionary design & shape and by adding 14 more strings helping him to establish the instrument MOHAN VEENA to unbelievable heights. With blinding speed and faultless legato, Bhatt is undoubtedly one of the most expressive, versatile and greatest slide player s in the world. More

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The Gundecha Brothers

Dhrupad is the oldest style of vocal and instrumental music and is considered a major heritage of Indian culture. The continuity of dhrupad has been sustained by traditions of devotional music and worship. "The nature of the dhrupad music is spiritual and the artist does not seek to entertain but to induce deep feelings of peace and contemplation in the listener."

The Gundecha Brothers (Umakant and Ramakant) are the torchbearers of the great dhrupad tradition. After obtaining post graduate degrees in music from the Madhav Music College in Ujjain, both brothers received training from the renowned vocalist Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar and his brother, the veena virtuoso Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, at the Dhrupad Kendra in Bhopal.

The Gundecha Brothers' rendition of dhrupad is marked by a sense of melody and their voices display an impressive range of fullness and power thus enhancing its meditative quality. They have incorporated the poetry of Tulsidas, Padmakar, Nirala and Keshav Das into their music.

Both brothers have performed in the Washington area a number of times. They have been featured internationally in various festivals all over the world and have won the hearts of audiences and critics alike.

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Zakir Hussain

Zakir Hussain is today appreciated both in the field of percussion and in the music world at large as an international phenomenon. A classical tabla virtuoso of the highest order, his consistently brilliant and exciting performances have not only established him as a national treasure in his own country, India, but gained him worldwide fame. The favorite accompanist for many of India's greatest classical musicians and dancers, from Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar to Birju Maharaj and Shivkumar Sharma, he has not let his genius rest there. His playing is marked by uncanny intuition and masterful improvisational dexterity, founded in formidable knowledge and study. More

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Amjad Ali Khan

Today, Amjad Ali Khan is one of the most distinguished and successful musicians in the world of Indian classical music. His name has become synonymous with the Sarod and his unique style of playing has made the instrument far more appealing to a wider audience throughout the world. Born on October 9th, 1945, he is the son and disciple of the legendary Hafiz Ali Khan. He hails from a family of distinguished musicians who invented the Sarod, the present day modification of the ancient Rabab( An Afgan Folk Instrument). Today, he shoulders the sixth generation inheritance of the 'Senia Bangash School' which traces its roots to the to great Mian Tansen. Amjad Ali Khan has undoubtedly added a new dimension to the repertoire of the Sarod. Within the discipline of classical tradition, his innovations have created change in the styles and technique and breathed a new life into an ancient form. More

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Lalitya Munshaw

Born in Ahmedabad of connoisseur parents with strong religious inclinations for whom Bhajan - Kirtan was a part of daily life, Lalitya Munshaw's fascination with music started at the age of six. Her parents encouraged her to participate in the programs of religious music and recognized her musical talent early on. Initially her interest was focused on singing Bhajans but it soon encompassed Hindustani Classical Music. The classical training proved to be a platform for her forays into musical territories of Ghazals, Geet, Thumri, Fusion besides aiding her development of Bhajans.

She is now a regular concert artist on the Indian as well as international circuit with critically acclaimed performances which have established her unique identity. Blessed with a serene and melodious voice, she has developed a refreshingly original expressive style which allows her to flow with equal ease from the subtle regional and stylistic variations of classical music to the immense depths of Bhajans and Ghazals. More information can be found at her web site.

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Devapriya "Debu" Nayak

Debu Nayak was born in West Bengal, India. He began learning tabla at the age of five from his grandfather Chaudhry Kausalya Nandan, an accomplished pakhawaj and tabla player of Punjab gharana. Later Debu learned tabla from Pt. Radhakant Nandy of Benaras Gharana in Calcutta for nearly 10 years. In 1981 Debu came to the United States to pursue higher studies, and continued his taalim or training in tabla from Pt. Samir Chatterjee and Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, both from Farukhabad.

He has appeared with leading musicians from India and Pakistan like Pt. Jasraj and Ustad Vilayat Khan and performed with renowned artists like Pt. Vinayak Torvi, Pt. Ramesh Misra, Ustad Fahimuddin Dagar, Habib Wali Mohammed, Asif Ali khan, Shahanaz Begum and many others. His recent collaborative musical effort with American Jazz and fusion band "Probe", recorded and performed at the Smithsonian Institution, is currently available under "World Music" at the Sackler Gallery bookstore. Debu is a computer engineer by profession and is employed by the United States Department of Interior, but music still remains his ultimate passion. More

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Shiv Kumar Sharma

The name of the artist, Shiv Kumar Sharma is synonymous with the music instrument that he plays - santoor. He has transformed the little known Kashmiri folk instrument into a full fledged solo concert instrument in Indian classical music.

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma has been honored by the Sahitya Natak Academy and has received the Padma Shree. He has the honorary citizenship of the city of Baltimore, and has received the Indian classic music's first platinum disc for the 'The Call of the Valley' and has given special performances before the House of Lords in Britain and in front of the Queen of Holland.

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Akram Khan

Much acclaimed and traveled, young Akram is being hailed as one of the leading tabla players of the present day, and is the most frequent accompanist to the living legend of sitar, Ustad Vilayat Khan. Akram belongs to the Ajrara Gharana family or style of playing), which is one of the leading schools of tabla on the subcontinent. One of the best-known Ajrara players was Ustad Habibuddin Khan.  Akram received his initial training form the late Ustad Niyazu Khan of Meerut city, and his grandfather, Ustad Mohammad Shafi Khan, considered a giant in the realm of tabla. He continues his training with his father Ustad Hashmat Ali Khan. Having performed at music conferences from a very young age, Akram is accustomed to critical acclaim. But his most prized comments have come from audiences in the cities of Lucknow and Benares, the homes of two rival tabla traditions. Here, audiences put aside their gharana loyalties and went all out to praise Akram. Since 1987 when he accompanied Ustad Vilayat Khan on a tour of Japan, Akram has toured many times with the maestro. In 1992, he accompanied him on a tour of the United States, performing at Kennedy Center and the Lincoln Center. The November 20 performance will be his Seattle debut. Akram has accompanied most of the leading instrumental musicians in India, and has been recorded on disc/compact disc/cassette with Ustad Vilayat Khan ; Pandit Bhajan Sopori, santoor; and Buddhaditya Mukherjee, sitar.   In 2003, Akram will tour North America with Ustad Shahid Parvez.

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Ustad Shahid Parvez

Shahid Parvez hails from the famous lineage of the 'Etawa Gharana'. He is the grandson of Ustad Wahid Khan, the Surbahar and Sitar virtuoso, and the younger brother of Ustad Inayat Khan. Recognized as a child prodigy, Shahid gave his first public performance at the age of eight. Since then he has had a meteoric rise and currently he is recognized internationally as one of the top performers of Sitar.

While Shahid Parvez is famous for his outstanding 'gayaki' style exposition of the raaga in its introductory phase, the 'alaap', he has achieved a remarkable balance between the 'gayaki' (i.e. vocal) and the 'tantrakari' (i.e. instrumental) style of playing classical music. Shahid Parvez has performed at numerous festivals in India and has been on successful concert tours throughout the world.

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Shankar & Gingger

Vocalist and violinist Shankar is a child prodigy, born into a renowned family of musicians, he studied vocal from the age of two, violin from the age of five, and played his first concert at the age of seven. Shankar along with violin virtuoso Gingger are the only musicians that have mastered and currently play the Double Violin. The Double Violin, designed by Shankar, covers the entire range of the orchestra's double bass, cello, viola and violin, and is the only one in the world. The combination of Shankar's haunting vocals, double violin and also as a composer has brought him worldwide acclaim as an innovator.

Gingger, an extraordinary gifted virtuoso violinist, singer and songwriter, has been touring all over the world for the past eight years as a member of the pop duo, "Shankar & Gingger", and as a solo and guest performer in many shows, winning over fans and critics alike. She has also lent her voice, violin and compositions to several album projects. Born in Los Angeles , Gingger spent her beginnings studying within one of India 's most acclaimed musical families. Her initial training began with her mother, an accomplished singer, who toured the world and won many awards as a classical star.

Touring internationally as " Shankar & Gingger " over the past nine years, they have garnered both critical acclaim and a huge fan base, performing at world events such as The Concert for Global Harmony and Nelson Mandela's 80th Birthday celebrations. In 2004, Shankar & Gingger composed, produced and performed vocals and double violins on Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, along with composers Jack Lenz and John Debney. Their voices and violins can be heard throughout the movie providing the haunting melodies and sounds that are unmistakably theirs. They also composed chants which they performed with Mel. More…

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Sivamani

Widely recognized as the foremost percussionist in India , Sivamani is quickly making a name for himself as a genius which a talent that is undeniable. Following in his father`s footsteps, Sivamani shared a passion for drumming and has been playing since the age of 7. His dazzling showmanship on a large multiple percussion setup has wowed audiences around the world. He has been a principal percussionist both live and on record for AR Rahman, one of India`s most prominent and innovative film composers - whose musical `Bombay Dreams` has recently been staged by Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Apollo Theatre.

Sivamani has also performed for a wealth of other artists including Shankar & Gingger, Billy Cobham, Grover Washington Jr, Zakir Hussain, and the Hollywood star Steven Segal. He is one of India`s best known and most colourful percussionists with a sparkle, presence and charisma unmatched in the entertainment world.

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Savita Ahuja

Savita Ahuja is a disciple of the legendary Ustad Mehdi Hassan Khan since 1977 and is a well-known Ghazal singer, both in USA and India. Her singing reflects years of dedication and a unique style emphasizing emotional rendition and clarity of lyrics. She grew up in Jabalpur where she gave public performances from the age of 10, and sang her own compositions at the All India Radio Station.

In the early 70's she was a familiar voice in the CARAVS (Christian Association for Radio, Audio, and Visual Services) a program broadcast by Radio Ceylon. She received her formal education in classical music from Pandit S.B. Deshpande of Bhatkhande School of Music at Jabalpur, and earned her Master's degree (Kovid) in music. During her recent stay in Delhi for two years, she received further training from Ustad Iqbal Ahmad Khan, "Khalifa" of the Delhi Gharana.

Since 1977, she has performed in major cities of the USA and Canada, alone and together with Ustad Mehdi Hassan, Parvez Mehdi, Nitin Mukesh, Munni Begum and others. She is a familiar voice at various community cultural Programmes organized by Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, Sandhu Samaj, Shabhe Gazal, Sur Sangam, and Diwane Khas. etc. in the New York area During her recent visit to New Delhi, she gave many private and public performances including a concert At the Triveni Kala Sangam, India International Center and at the Delhi Hyatt Regency Hotel which was sponsored by Motorola. A first collection of Savita Ahuja's Ghazals will be released soon.

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Uday Bhawalker

Uday Bhawalkar is one of India's leading performers in the ancient Dhrupad tradition, having studied under the late Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar. He has performed widely in India and abroad, and has several CD's to his credit on the Nimbus, Makar, and Navras labels. This is his second major U.S. tour. For more information, visit his artist page.

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Bikram Ghosh

Bikram Ghosh is a cousin of Swapan Chaudhri, another famous tabla player. Bikram himself is a well-known name in the music world today.

He received his main training from his father, Shankar Ghosh and the great tabla guru, Jnan Prakash Ghosh. Famous mridangam maestro Pandit S. Shekhar also has been a strong influence in Bikram's style of playing.

Bikram Ghosh has played with many great musicians such as Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit V.G. Jog, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, George Harrison and many others.

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Rajan & Sajan Misra

Pt. Rajan and Sajan Misra are best known for their jugalbandi renderings of Hindustani music in the Khayal tradition. Khayal originated in the courts of the Moghul emperors as an alternative to Dhrupad, offering more flexibility to the artist for improvisation. Khayal texts draw freely from Hindu and Muslim romantic and devotional poetic traditions. Khayal songs are found in multiple languages, sometimes the texts completely garbled. Khayal performances lay more emphasis on the abstract musical values of the song rather than the text or lyrical content. A khayal recital contains more surprises and many artist's personal touches. Audiences enjoy nuances of ornamentation, complex rythmic improvisations and vocalist's superb intonation.

Born into the famous Banaras gharana, Misra brothers belong to a family of great maestros. They received their training in vocal music by their father, Pt. Hanuman Misra. Their uncle Pt. Gopal Prasad Misra, one of the most celebrated sarangi players of India had also an important role in their training. Misra brothers are two of the most beloved and highly regarded vocalists from India. They have received numerous awards for musical excellence. They have traveled extensively around the globe and have many excellent recordings to their credit.

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Manik Munde

Manik Munde is one of India's foremost masters of the pakhawaj, the ancient Indian barrel-drum. He first came to the U.S. with the late Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar in 1985 during the Festival of India, and most recently performed in the U.S. with Shubha Sankaran in 2000. He has appeared on the Nimbus, Makar, and Auvidis CD labels. For more information, see his artist page.

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Sukhvinder Singh Pinky

Sukhvinder Singh is one of the best tabla players from India. He comes from Ludhiana district in Punjab. He started his early training in Pakhawaj from late Ustad Nihal Singh. After receiving a sound foundation in Pakhawaj, he went to Varanasi and spent almost eighteen years under the tutelage of world renowned Tabla Samrat Pandit Kishan Maharaj of Benaras.

Sukhvinder Singh has had a meteoric rise in popularity as an accompanist after several successful concerts with leading artists, such as Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (sarod), Pandit Ravi Shankar (sitar), Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia (flute), Ustad Fateh Ali Khan (vocal), Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (guitar), Pandit Jas Raj (vocal) and many other artists of the same repute.

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Santosh Sivan

The ace cinematographer Santosh Sivan is the first Indian cinematographer who was recently featured in the American Cinematographer magazine,considered by many as the Bible of cinema. And his excellence in directing films has landed him numerous offers from Hollywood to direct films. Santosh Sivan burst into the film world in 1988 when he used his camera for a 16mm Malayalam film directed by Vijaykrishna. He has won numerous national awards since then and his talent appreciated for making films like Malli and Hallo and Fiza.

Terrorist has been shown in more than 50 American cities and it got rave reviews at the Sundance Festival at Park City, Arizona during its showing there last year.

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Violin Dynasty- Dr. N Rajam & Sangeeta Shankar

The art of Violin playing in North India has been wholly transformed through the music of N. Rajam and her family in recent times. First introduced into colonial India in the early nineteenth century when Baluswami Dikshitar learned the instrument from the army bandmaster at Fort St.George in Madras , the Violin, enthusiastically embraced in the Southern part of India , soon became an integral part of Carnatic music (South Indian) performances. A whole new technique almost indistinguishable from its Western counterpart was perfected to suit a totally new type of music.

In India violin is played sitting down on the floor, the neck of the instrument pointing to the ground resting firmly on the ankle with the base of violin resting against the chest. Traditionally fingering is based around the middle finger (which slides up), and the index finger (which slides down), and there is extensive use of the use of micro-tones and grace notes. Open tunings, such as DADA are commonly used in order to incorporate the drones which are such an important part of Indian music.
The reception for the violin was on the whole cooler in the northern part of India , many considering the sound too thin for its Hindustani music compared to the sonorous Sarangi.

All this changed when N.Rajam first appeared on the scene at the age of fifteen. Having studied intensely with Pandit Omkarnath Thakur, one of India 's most revered vocal masters, she developed a unique style of playing which captured all the nuances of North Indian vocal music, and brought the violin to the fore of the Indian classical music repertoire. Her early performances were so inspiring that many emerging violinists dropped the prevailing gatkari (instrumental) approach.

Born into an illustrious family with musical roots that reached back several generations, N.Rajam was initiated into music and violin technique by her father A. Narayana Iyer. Having already prepared one child for greatness in the Carnatic tradition (TN. Krishnan), the farsighted Narayana Iyer guided his daughter towards the Hindustani tradition and helped invent a fingering technique that would revolutionize the role of violin in the North Indian music form. In her formative years, N. Rajam had the good fortune of meeting and studying with the great doyen of Hindustani vocal music, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur. The maestro was so impressed by the talent and virtuosity of the young prodigy that he took her under his wing and helped to shape her signature ‘gayaki ang.'. Over fifteen years of rigorous study her guru encouraged her to emphasise the emotional aspect of her music and together they strived to produce a unique style. Her total involvement with the music and relentless pursuit of perfection, impeccable adherence to classical purity and precision of notes make her recitals stand out as unique in the festivals she participates in. It is rare for any artist to have such a mastery of both the Hindustani and Carnatic music systems. Though inevitably entwined they demand separate attention and different practice routines.

Sangeeta Shankar began her musical training at the tender age of four. Initiated and trained by her illustrious mother Dr. N. Rajam, she quickly mastered the intricacies of playing the violin and started performing concerts when she was only thirteen. Her career in music has been outstanding, the fruit of several years of long, arduous and dedicated training.

Sangeeta has recorded music from both traditions with her mother, a rare feat for an Indian musician. Her academic distinctions are in keeping with her illustrious professional career. Sangeeta's doctoral thesis from the Benares Hindu University is the culmination of detailed and dedicated research on the contribution of violin and violinists to Indian music. She is the founder of Vidyaa Niketan, a proposed cultural centre for the cultural education of women and children.

In Indian classical music successful duet playing, or jugalbandi, demands spontaneous musical improvisation with a high level of mutual understanding and aesthetic rapport, and takes on a special significance when performed by mother and daughter.

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Sawani Shende Sathaye

Sawani Shende, a disciple of the well-known classical singer of international repute Smt. Veena Sahasrabuddhe was born on 18th August 1979. At the tender age of six, she was initiated into classical music by her grandmother Smt. Kusum Shende, herself a noted singer - actress of the Kirana Gharana.

Sawani made her debut at the age of ten to celebrate her grandmother's birthday. On her 13th birthday, on the last day of the Pandit Vishnu Digamber Jayanti Samaroh held at the Kamani Hall, New Delhi she enthralled the audience with her Miyan Ki Todi and the media showering praise, acknowledged the arrival of a new talent.

She has received numerous awards from the age of 15 - such as Swaronmesh Puraskar, Pandit Jasraj Gaurav Puraskar, Rasikagrami Pandit Dattopant Deshpande Memorial Award and the National Cultural Talent Search scholarship. She has travelled extensively and has several excellent CD's to her credit. Her music combines the melody of the Kirana and the dignity and strength of the Gwalior Gharana.

Joya Biswas

An appealing blend of raaga and rhythm — one may think that is the best way to describe Joya Biswas, the sitarist. But once you meet this dynamic artiste up close, she is much more than the image she portrays as India 's first woman sitarist. She is a woman with a number of missions, including popularising Rabindra Sangeet among non-Bengalis and bringing back the younger generation to the mainstream classical music.

“Rabindra Nath Tagore is one of the greatest classical musicians of the 20th century and his sangeet reflects a variety of raagas to light classical notes to folk. But he has always been brushed off as a modern day composer by various quarters of music lovers in India ,” says Joya. She is visiting the city as a resource person for a refresher course on performing and visual arts organised by Staff Academic College , Panjab University .

Acclaimed as the First Lady of Sitar, Joya Biswas is one of the outstanding woman musicians of India . Head of the Faculty of Indian music of Calcutta School of Music, she is too modest about her status. “I cannot exactly claim myself to be the first woman sitarist as there have been woman sitarists before me. None of them could make their presence felt in this male-dominated art,” says this woman from Kolkata.

A disciple of maestro Ravi Shankar, Joya is a much sought-after artiste by All-India Radio and Doordarshan. “Born in an aristrocratic family in Kolkata with no musical background, it took me a lot of hardship. I wanted to be a musician rather than a journalist,” says Joya.A graduate in history and economics and a postgraduate diploma holder in journalism, Joya left her academic career after being awarded a cultural scholarship by the government in the early 50s.

Family objections were not the only hurdles Joya had to cross to achieve her present status. “Women have always been accepted by society as either singers or dancers, but not as instrumentalists,” says Joya. “It was a time when even gurus did not take their women students seriously,” she adds.

“Time has not changed much,” says Joya. “Women artistes are still being exploited by men,” she says. One of Joya's missions also includes to fight against the exploitation of women artistes and to provide them with a platform to pursue their career without sacrificing their dignity. As a step towards her goal, Joya has made an appeal to all the business houses to collect funds and promote budding artistes. (courtesy of The Tribune)

Snehashish Mojumdar

Snehasish Majumdar is among those few established musicians in India who has mastered the art of playing Mandolin, and has blended it perfectly into the style of Indian Classical Music.

Coming from a musically oriented family, he started his initial training under the guidance of his father Sri Himangshu Manjumdar. Gradually he switched over to his cousin Sri Tejen Majumdar who is a well-known saorde player of the country. He continued his study under Pandit Ajoy Sinha Roy who was a beloved disciple of Baba Allauddin, the founder of Maihar Gharana and Guru of Pandit Ravishankar. Finally he came under the tutelage of the illustrious personality in Indian Classical music Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty.

Snehashish, besides performing in all the major festivals in India , has toured Europe, U.K. , and USA and made a very good name amongst the music lovers. He is the recipient of Surmani and Jadubhatta Awards. Besides playing Indian Classical Music, he is very much involved in the film industry and arranged music for many award-winning films. Recently Snehasish was invited by Pandit Ravishankar to perform for the George Harrison Memorial Concert held in Royal Albert Hall, London .

Dibyarka Chatterjee

Dibyarka Chatterjee is a young and promising Tabla player from the Farrukhabad Gharana. His natural inclination towards Tabla became evident shortly after his birth and at the age of five he was initiated into music by his illustrious father Pt. Samir Chatterjee. Since then he has been going through the rigorous disciplines of lesson and practice.

Dibyarka was born in Calcutta where he spent first 10 years of his life. In Calcutta he was already performing for the All India Radio as a child prodigy. Shortly after he moved to the U.S. with his family, he was recognized for his talent by music lovers and Tabla enthusiasts and started performing with his father and in group performances composed and directed by him. In all of these performances he could be singled out for his brilliance.

Later on growing up as a professional he started performing with musicians and groups of outstanding caliber, such as Dance Theater of Harlem, Battery Dance Company, Lakshmi Shankar, Ramesh Mishra, Sumitra Guha, Barun Pal, Sanghamitra Chatterjee, Mandira Lahiri, Subhra Guha, Steve Gorn, Tripti Mukherjee, Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik, Partha Bose, Anirban Dasgupta, Debojyoti Bose and others. Dibyarka has performed in important festivals and venues such as Chhandayan All Night Concert (2001, 2003 and 2006) at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, City Center , New York .

Parallel to his musical career he is just about to complete his graduation degree with Philosophy and English from the State University of New York, Stony Brook. He is also a graphic designer and is the web designer and master of Chhandayan's website www.tabla.org .

Usha Ganguli

Theater, for Usha Ganguly, is subordinate to nothing else in the world. For 28 years, she has been using the medium to voice her deepest concerns and share her gravest fears. In the process she has emerged not only as a celebrated actress and director with productions like “Mahabhoj”, “Rudali” and “Antaryatra” in her repertoire, but also as a writer engaged in unraveling elements that make our world look hideous.

Ganguly is particularly respected for her responses to parochialism that stifles women in India. Her adaptation of Mahasweta Devi's text “Rudali” which centres on two women who develop a partnership for survival, won her the best director award in 1992. Earlier, she won the Sangeet Nakat Akademi award, besides being honoured by the West Bengal Government as the best actress for the play “Gudia Ghar”.

A feminist with a daring stance, Ganguly could well have been content with the routine of awards. But a sense of restlessness brought her to theater which she nurtured through her group Rangkarmee.

Not only did she translate and adapt texts of writers like Wesker, Ibsen and Mahasweta Devi, she also evolved scripts for theatrical presentation. A much sought after script writer for film makers like Mrinal Sen, Aparna Sen, Gautam Ghosh and Rituparno Ghosh (for whom she wrote Raincoat), Ganguly never allowed glamour to get the better of the artist in her.