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Ajoy Chakrabarty

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Pandit, Honorary doctorate
Ajoy Chakrabarty
Ajoy Chakrabarty at Kolkata
Born
Ajoy Chakrabarty

(1953-12-25) 25 December 1953 (age 70)
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
OccupationVocalist
ChildrenKaushiki Chakraborty, Ananjan Chakraborty
AwardsPadma Bhushan (2020)
Musical career
OriginShyamnagar, West Bengal, India
GenresHindustani classical music
Years active1977–present

Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty (born 25 December 1953) is a Hindustani classical vocalist,[1] composer, lyricist and an exponent of the Patiala-Kasur gharana.[2] He was given Padma Bhushan Award, the third highest civilian award in India in 2020.[3][4][5]

Early life

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Ajoy Chakrabarty was born in Kolkata, West Bengal. He was raised with his brother in Shyamnagar. His younger brother, Sanjay Chakrabarty, is a lyricist and composer.

He graduated top of his class in music, both in B.A and M.A. from the Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata and joined the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in 1978 as its first scholar. Today he is one of the youngest gurus of this academy.

His father, Ajit Chakrabarty, was his first Guru. He then studied with Pannalal Samanta, Kanaidas Bairagi and Jnan Prakash Ghosh.[6]

Besides that, he had learnt from Latafat Hussain Khan, Nibruttibua Sarnaik, Hirabai Barodekar and in Carnatic styles from M. Balamuralikrishna, that kept enriching his musical expression and repertoire.[7] Despite having such pure classical "taleem" in the Khyal genre, he also renders lighter forms such as Thumri, Tappa, Bhajan, Kirtan, Folk, Film/Non-Film and modern songs, in several different languages.

He has received several prestigious awards including the Padma Shri (2011), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Delhi, 1999–2000), Kumar Gandharva National Award (1993) and the Best Male Playback Singer Award (Bengali Film "Chhandaneer" 1990) ("For bringing the rare depth of emotion, adorned by his command on the classical idiom") and National Tansen Samman 2015 - by the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.[8] He has also received felicitations from both the former and present Chief Ministers of his own State, West Bengal. In 2012, Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee conferred him the Maha Sangeet Samman and the Banga Bibhushan, two of the State's highest awards. In 2015 he has received Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh Lifetime Achievement Award.

He also was awarded honorary citizenship in New Orleans, after performing with jazz musicians at Preservation Hall, the birthplace of jazz music.

He had received his honorary doctorate degree in the presence of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and other dignitaries from IIT Kanpur. He was honored for his exemplary contributions in his respective field.

Singing career

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He has been invited to perform in Pakistan and China and by BBC for their Golden Jubilee Celebration of India's Independence.[9]

He has performed in some of the most prestigious venues around the world such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, New Orleans Jazz Preservation Hall in the US, the Royal Albert hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall in the UK and Theatre de la Ville in France. In addition to that, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty performed at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada in 2018 for the Raag-Mala Music Society of Toronto.[10]

Inspired by the ideals of his Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh, Chakrabarty founded Shrutinandan, a school of music.

Personal life

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Chakrabarty is married to Chandana Chakraborty. His daughter, Kaushiki Chakraborty, is also a vocalist of Hindustani classical music. Their son, Ananjan Chakraborty, is a sound engineer.

Films

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Year Song Film Co-Singer Composer Lyricist
1985 Bela Jay Shyamrai Baidurjya Rahasya None Tapan Sinha Tapan Sinha
Nain Mein Nandalal Baidurjya Rahasya None Tapan Sinha Tapan Sinha
1999 Ore Jaat Jaat koris kano Niyoti None Manoranjan Saha Bablu Samaddar
2000 Isaiyil Thodanguthamma Hey Ram None Ilayaraja Ilayaraja
Har Koi Samjhe Hey Ram None Ilayaraja Ilayaraja
2001 Aan Milo Sajna Gadar: Ek Prem Katha Parveen Sultana Uttam Singh Anand Bakshi
2005 Yeh Kaun Mujhe Yaad Aaya Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story None Naushad Ali Naqsh Lyallpuri
Vaishnava Jan To Water Kaushiki Desikan A. R. Rahman,(originally composed by Narsinh Mehta) Sukhwinder Singh
2011 Bhorer Alo Bhorer Alo None Jeet Gannguli Priyo Chattopadhyay
2013 Rabso Neha Laage (Bilaval Bandish) Shunyo Awnko Kaushiki Desikan Gautam Ghose Gautam Ghose
2020 Garaj Garaj Bandish Bandits None Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy Sameer Samant
2023 Dawsh Awbotaar Stotra Dawshom Awbotaar Anupam Roy Joydeb

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ Sharma, Jyotirmaya (19 March 2005). "Ahoy Ajoy!". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 May 2005. Retrieved 11 July 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ "Learn Bengali Classical Music – Live from Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty".
  3. ^ "Padma honours for Ajoy Chakraborty, Manilal Nag". The Times of India. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, George Fernandes given Padma Vibhushan posthumously. Here's full list of Padma award recipients". The Economic Times. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  5. ^ "MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS" (PDF). padmaawards.gov.in. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  6. ^ Sharma, Jyotirmaya (28 April 2006). "In honour of Bade Khansaheb". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  7. ^ Swaminathan, Chitra (25 November 2016). "Ajoy Chakrabarty talks about his association with Balamuralikrishna". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty". SouLSteer. 25 December 2015. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  9. ^ "Ajoy Chakraborty Live on the BBC".
  10. ^ "Vocal Recital By Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty: Sept 8, 2018". Aga Khan Museum. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  12. ^ "Alva's Virasat off to a flying start". The Hindu. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  13. ^ "Padma Awards 2020 Announced". pib.gov.in.
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