Young Vocalist-Kaushiki - Page 2

Originally posted by: filmi_chick99

so you're starting a thread on her???? cool..would love to know more about her....especially as a classical vocalist

she did playbeck for movei Waters

Thank u so much for letting us know about this great artist.......never knew about her..

She has such a great voice.....thank u....... 👏

Kaushiki Chakrabarty

Kaushiki Chakrabarty Born in 1980 in the campus of Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata, Kaushiki Chakrabarty is now a scholar of the academy. The gurus of the Academy and the members of its Expert Committe repose a great hope in Kaushiki and have blessed her for a glorious musical future.

By the grace of God, she could reproduce any musical and rhythmic phrase when she was only two years old. Kaushiki's mother, Chandna Chakrabarty was her first guru and very soon, Kaushiki became a "ganda-bandh" sagird (disciple) of her father's guru, Jnan Prakash Ghosh according to India's ancient system of guru-shishya parampara. On account of the old age of her guru and with his consent, she resumed her training under her father, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty.

She performed and was very well appreciated when she visited a number of places abroad in USA, Canada and Europe along with her father from 1987. In an interview with 'The Telegraph' in October 1996, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, the senior and legendary classical vocalist of India maintained, "Kaushiki Chakrabarty is one of the very few classical vocalists who will make a mark in the 21st century; she has really a very bright future if she practices hard to realize her great potentiality."

As a debutante, Kaushiki has earned unqualified eclaim from maestros like Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Ustad Asad Ali Khan, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Alla Rakha Khan, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and Pandit Vijay Kumar Kichlu. These musical luminaries sincerely believe that Kaushiki with her promise and zeal will in the new millenium establish herself as one of the finest musicians if she persists in her unflinching riaz.

Press comments on Kaushiki Chakrabarty:

"Teenage prodigy's dazzling recital -- Kaushiki Chakrabarty provided the curtain raiser to the three day 27th annual ITC Sangeet Sammelan at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Her honeyed voice maintains a broad open 'aakar' giving no quarter to any kind of curb or repression without ever lessening its euphony or appeal." -- The Hindu (March 20, 1998)
"A voice is born -- like father like daughter Kaushiki Chakrabarty: Kaushiki's performance, however, put all the raised eyebrows back in their place. That she has been groomed rather well by her father, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty and Sangeet Research Academy was beyond doubt what was also apparent was her undeniable talent. That with the choice of songs helped clinch the evening for her. Along with the rest of the audience, the 80-year old maestro Ustad Allah Rakha Khan spontaneously stood up to applaud her performance. What more can a 16-year old ask for?" -- Intian Express (March 5, 1998)
"Kaushiki Chakrabarty's depiction of raga Malkaus was the most enjoyable part of the night-long session...the young singer exce;s in style and form" -- The Telegraph (August 28, 1998)
Awards and honors:

1999: Memento from the Governor of West Bengal after her concert at the Governor House (Raj Bhavan) Kolkata on September 11, 1999.
2000: Outstanding performer award for the Dover Lane 'Nabin Pratibha' (New Talent) series.
2000: Outstanding Young Person Award for the year 2000 for her success in the field of music from Calcutta Rotary Club.
2002: Priviledge and honor of performing in the Golden Jubilee of Dover Lane Music Conference.
2002: Akash Barsho Samman from Akash Bangla (Sky-B) -- a TV media of the Government of West Bengal.

Thanks a lot,Vinee for this excellent thread.I had the privilege to listen to Kaushiki when she was just 17 and one could see her blossoming into a great exponent of vocal Hindustani music.

Preview: Heart of the World, Various venues, Cambridge

Cambridge calls for voice of Calcutta

By Charlotte Cripps
Published: 08 May 2006
Life is not easy at the top for the 25-year-old Hindustani classical singer Kaushiki Chakrabarty. The singer, who is from Calcutta, possesses an intensity and emotion well beyond her years. The Katie Melua of India, she has captured the Indian youth market with sentiments such as "the dusk is setting, Ghanashyam has not yet come to me/ I am staring and staring, on his way from when I don't know/ Numerous sleepless nights, I have passed counting the stars". She has only to walk out on to the street to be recognised by fans. "There is a lot of responsibility and expectation heaped on me," says Chakrabarty, who has released four albums to date, with a new album of devotional songs on its way. "I believe to reach the heights is easy, but to sustain it is more difficult."

Chakrabarty released her meditative first album, Pure, in the UK last year, which included compositions by her father, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. She was immediately hailed as a shining light in the evolution of Indian classical music, and went on to win the Asia/Pacific Radio 3 Award for World Music 2005. She will now be performing on 13 May at Heart of the World, a four-day world music festival in Cambridge that also features performances by Dr John and Salif Keita. Chakrabarty will also be leading a series of workshops there, teaching vocal and breathing techniques.

She started singing at the age of one and a half, having always, in her father's eyes, been destined to be a child prodigy. "My mother [the singer Chandna Chakrabarty] taught me the basic skills so I could sing any musical note and rhythmic phrase by the age of two," says Chakrabarty. She then started her formal training with her father, who pushed his daughter hard. Her daily routine continues to be gruelling - "I spend five to six hours a day practising singing" - although she has managed a few extracurricular activities recently, such as studying for an MA in philosophy.

11 to 14 May (01223 357 851; Cornex.co.uk)

Life is not easy at the top for the 25-year-old Hindustani classical singer Kaushiki Chakrabarty. The singer, who is from Calcutta, possesses an intensity and emotion well beyond her years. The Katie Melua of India, she has captured the Indian youth market with sentiments such as "the dusk is setting, Ghanashyam has not yet come to me/ I am staring and staring, on his way from when I don't know/ Numerous sleepless nights, I have passed counting the stars". She has only to walk out on to the street to be recognised by fans. "There is a lot of responsibility and expectation heaped on me," says Chakrabarty, who has released four albums to date, with a new album of devotional songs on its way. "I believe to reach the heights is easy, but to sustain it is more difficult."

Chakrabarty released her meditative first album, Pure, in the UK last year, which included compositions by her father, Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. She was immediately hailed as a shining light in the evolution of Indian classical music, and went on to win the Asia/Pacific Radio 3 Award for World Music 2005. She will now be performing on 13 May at Heart of the World, a four-day world music festival in Cambridge that also features performances by Dr John and Salif Keita. Chakrabarty will also be leading a series of workshops there, teaching vocal and breathing techniques.
She started singing at the age of one and a half, having always, in her father's eyes, been destined to be a child prodigy. "My mother [the singer Chandna Chakrabarty] taught me the basic skills so I could sing any musical note and rhythmic phrase by the age of two," says Chakrabarty. She then started her formal training with her father, who pushed his daughter hard. Her daily routine continues to be gruelling - "I spend five to six hours a day practising singing" - although she has managed a few extracurricular activities recently, such as studying for an MA in philosophy

The Hindustan Times

Meenakshi Kumar

They are both Indian classical singers, are part of the Kolkata-based ITC's Sangeet Research Academy (SRA), come from musical families and most importantly, started singing even before they learnt their first alphabets. But that's where the similarities between child prodigies, Kaushiki Chakrabarty and Arshad Ali, end. While 21-year-old Kaushiki is the daughter of well-known classical vocalist, Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty, 16-year-old Arshad is the nephew of Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan and Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan, who initiated him into classical music.

As if destined Arshad, who wowed the audience at the 30th ITC Sangeet Sammelan in the city on last Thursday, was selected at a talent contest at the young age of three. On the other hand, Kaushiki was initiated into the rarefied world of classical music by her mother, also a singer, before her father took the four-year-old under his tutorship. "Our relationship is that of a guru-shishya", says the Philosophy student of Kolkata's Ashutosh College, whose first concert was at the age of 11. But Kaushiki, who performed on Friday, does admit that at times being the daughter of an accomplished vocalist imposes problems. Arshad, on the other hand, doesn't have to bother about any such comparisons. The only thing that this cricket buff bothers about is, living upto his guru's expectations.

"The day my guru praises me, that'll be my ultimate praise", says this young exponent of Kirana gharana. While Arshad wants to become the world's best performer, Kaushiki wants to carve out a niche for herself. But their commitment to music is something that they are confident will never wane.

Thanks for introducing this talented girl in IF-forum and sharing with us. I have seen her programs on Calcutta Doordarshan, also jugalbandi with her father.

Daughter of renowned vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, Kaushiki has music in her blood. Born in 1980, she could reproduce all musical and rhythmic phrases with ease by the time she became two years old. Kaushiki's formal classical training started at the age of seven when she became a student of Padmabhushan Jnan Prakash Ghosh. At present she is learning from her father Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty. Kaushiki has participated in many concerts and conferences in India and abroad. Her brilliant performances fetched her many awards and raving reviews. Although she is so far known for her performances of khayal and thumri, Kaushiki has also studied South Indian music. And has dabbled in popular music, contributing a song by A.R. Rahman to the soundtrack for Deepa Mehta's film Water. Kaushiki also holds a first class Honors degree in Philosophy, which doubtless colors her approach to singing.