Vocal Recital – Khayal, Thumri & Bhajans
Smt Sanhita Nandi is a prominent exponent of Hindustani Classical Vocal, Kirana Gharana in the Khayal genres. After initial training, Sanhita was later groomed by Late Pandit A. Kanan, the senior most guru of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata. After years of practice, and greatly influenced by Gharana maestros, she has assimilated the distinctive features of the Kirana Gharana. She has been praised as brilliant exponent and ruminates on the ‘Aalaap’ and Sargam taan the pillar of this gharana. To further enrich the most important aesthetic improvisations of the Kirana lineage and traditional compositions, Sanhita is currently under the able guidance of Ud. Mashkoor Ali Khan. She has received great recognition and reviews for her recent performances in prime music festival at the Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Sammelan in Pune, Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan in Jalandhar, the Annual Saptak Sangeet Sammelan in Ahmedabad, Laxmi Narayan Sangeet Samaroha in Amritsar, Parampara Music Festival in Chennai, Ud. Rahmat Khan Sangeet Sammelan in Dharwad, Glimpses of Kirana Music festival in Hyderabad, Samrat Sangeet Sammelan in Goa, Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal, SPICMACAY concert series, Chandayan All Night concert in NY, LearnQuest Music conference in Boston, Rag Samay Festival in Philadelphia, Gururao Deshpande Sangeet Sabha in Bangalore and many others.
Ramchandra Joshi is an accomplished vocalist as well as an established harmonium player. Inducted to the world of music at the tender age of 8 years by his mother Smt. Anjani Tilak from Mumbai, later he got trained with Smt. Tulika Ghosh who is disciple of legendary late Pt. Gyanprakash Ghosh from Kolkata, and Smt. Sraboni Mukherjee in classical vocal, light classical music (thumri, ghazal) respectively at Sangeet Mahabharati Music academy Mumbai founded by late Pt Nikhil Ghosh. He received guidance in Indian Classical Vocal from renowned vocalist Dr. Veena Sahasrabuddhe from Pune. He has toured extensively in India, USA, UK and Switzerland. As Harmonium accompanist Ramchandra has accompanied vocalists at numerous concerts.
Shantilal Shah was born and raised in the culturally and artistically vibrant city of Banaras, India. His basic taalim was under Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra of Banaras Gharana. He is a worthy disciple of Taal-Yogi Pandit Suresh Talwalkar. During his initial years as a Tabla player, Shantilal Shah remained a gold medalist from the Sangeet Natak Academy of Lucknow, and also won the National Talent Scholarship awarded by the Govt. of India. A Sangeet Prabhakar from the Prayaag Sangeet Samiti of Allahabad, he is also a graded artist of the All India Radio & Television. Shantilal Shah has been performing all over India and many western and Asian countries. He has had the opportunity to share the stage with some of the greatest names in Indian Classical music, like Sangeet Martand Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt. Jeetendra Abhisheki, Rohini Bhate, Pt. Rajan-Sajan Mishra, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Smt. Laxmi Shankar, Ud. Sujaat Khan, Bhajan Sopori, Veena Sahasrabuddhe, Padma Talwalkar, Arati Ankalikar, Shama Bhate and others. Shantilal Shah has proven himself to be one of the most successful Tabla-Gurus of the present generation. He began teaching in Pune in the early 80s under the banner of one of the leading performing art organizations of the city, Nad-roop. Later he moved to Tampa, Florida, USA to join the faculty of the Pandit Jasraj School of Music as the resident Tabla Guru. In 2003, Shantilal Shah moved to Houston, TX to join the Anjali Center of Performing Arts, and present he is the Tabla Guru with Swaralayam Arts Forum.