Sitar Samrat Nikhil Banerjee: Raga Sindhura: Ustad Zakir Hussain

Raga Sindhura : Pandit Nikhil Banerjee
Zakir Hussain
Gat in Sitarrkhani Taal 4+4+4+4 29:03
India’s Maestro of Melody
Produced by Shefali Nag under the Series:
India's maestro of Melody: Live Concert Volume 5.
Raga Sindhura
Known in earlier times as Saindhavi, this raga has cleaved a trail going back to the Sangeeta Ratnakara of Sarangdeva (13th C) where it was considered a desi raga (as opposed to margi), suggestive of its roots in the folk traditions of the land.
Saindhavi is in circulation in Carnatic music although, as Subbarao notes in his Raganidhi, it is the Carnatic Raga Salaga Bhairavi that more resembles the contemporary Hindustani Sindhura. Despite its chronological seniority, the lakshanas of Raga Sindhura have been subsumed under the Kafi framework. Let us examine its key features.
S R M P, [PDMP] (M)g,
R M g R SS R M P D n D M P D S”
M P N, N S”, R” g” R” S”S”,
R” n D P, n P (M)g, R M P (M)g R, S
The gandhar is varjit in arohi passages. The approach to S” takes two pathways: one drops nishad as in M P D S”, the other adopts the shuddha nishad-laden strip M P N, N S”. The gandhar becomes deergha on occasion in avarohi prayogas. Sindhura being an uttaranga-pradhana raga, a judicious elongation of dhaivat can be put to good effect. These are the primary points of distinction with Kafi.

Nikhil Banerjee (Bangla: নিখিল ব্যানার্জী) (14 October 1931-27 January 1986) is one of India's most prominent sitar players of the second half of the 20th Century. He never achieved the glamour of Vilayat Khan or his gurubhai Ravi Shankar, but Nikhil Banerjee did win great critical acclaim and the hearts of many music lovers. He is remembered as a musician's musician.
Along with Ravi Shankar, Vasant Rai, and Ali Akbar Khan, he was trained by "Baba" Ustad Allauddin Khan of the Maihar gharana (school).
Many accomplished sitar players of India continue to listen to Nihil as their most favorite sitar players. Very few can replicate his natural flow with the instrument.
Raga Sindhura is an evening melody, with origins from the Kafi Thaat. It is unique characteristic of this Raga that the melodic movements are confined to the upper octave.

[@tapasbanerjee4965]

Since late 50's I have heard Pandit Ravi Shankar ji and Ustad Vilayat Khan saheb in many of their concerts. I had become a fan of these great sitarists. But 1965 onward Nikhil Banerjee had presented a different style of sitar playing and he became one of the best sitarists not only in India but in the whole world till he breathed his last. A human being so simple, down to earth never ran after glamour. Only Riyaz and Riyaz (practice and practice)!!! That is the reason God has taken him to itself in the age of only 54 years. Almost everyday I hear his renditions and weep and I tell God that why did you end his life in a short notice? I have witnessed him in concerts almost 50 to 60 times in Kolkata, Jaipur and Dhanbad.

[@VISHUDDHATMA]

Thank you for sharing this. Let us continue to keep him alive for the world, sharing his magnificent music and sitar, his love through his sitar.

[@JohnSmith-ju7xc]

Yes. I do not think I have ever heard a single note of his that did not come from an extremely high and refined spiritual consciousness. He has such an ever present transporting dimension that it is impossible not to be inspired to seek to impart goodness and compassion no matter how often one fails , Truly a holy presence.

[@ranjankumarghosal6758]

Hidden gem. Vintage NB. Self-absorbed, playing to HIM and himself. Place, time, audience , everything in the tangible world is dissolving in pure swaras. You can describe any musician but Nikhil Banerjee, he is a saint with his instrument.

[@pinakidutt7625]

Ravi Shankar & Vilayat Khan were much sought after musicians in India , especially after their frequent western sojourns in the mid 1960s and the cult of pop music festivals. Nikhil Babu never attended these kinds of mass festivals. He was a quiet , introverted person who was more interested in developing his own artistic sensibilities . He never sought the limelight like the other two , who also are great sitarists no doubt. Nikhil Banerji himself admitted that he was greatly influenced by Ustad Amir Khan , who was known for his meditative style of singing rather than the more popular styles of Bhimsen Joshi or Kumar Gandharva. It would be pertinent add that in an interview published in India Today in the late 1980s, Ravi Shankar admitted that two musicians he admired were Mallika Arjun Mansoor & Nikhil Banerji.

[@krishnamanian]

Pandit Shri Nikhil Bannerjee is a great Sitar player. I had the good fortune to hear his Sitar play organized by the Students' Organization during the three years I worked as Senior Stenographer over there synchronizing with the 'Durga Puja'. You know that from among all functions the "DURGA PUJA" is celebrated grandly for three nights in the big pandal ceremoniously when almost all senior singers in Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi are invited and that provided a great opportunity to all. - M.K.Subramanian,"

[@kekipatel1345]

He was a musicians musician. In a league of his own.

[@2nabin]

The beginning itself a different journey. The inner pain with so calm and patient way ! I never got it from others as it from the very one Panditji. The rendering is a poem of eternal pain of human urge for eternity. salute n pronam

[@VISHUDDHATMA]

Beautiful words of Homage to this great One.

[@RafalReyzer]

One of the greatest sitar players of all time. The emotional depth of this performance is astounding. Thank you for the upload!

[@devakiap5645]

Soulful sindhura ❤. Arithmetics of Sindhura might be in confirmity with Raga Salaga Bhairavi of Carnatic paddhati, but in practice it sounds much similar to Kaapi , which loosely confirms to Raga Piloo ! I am a lay listener, cannot challenge Sri Subbarao, quoted from his Raganidhi. Thanks for the clip

[@sunandansen8967]

One of the most beautiful pieces I have ever heard, bar none ! What wonderful depth of feeling and outstanding, flawless performance !

[@panchananmukherjee5480]

He was exceptional,unparallel, cannot describe.He was so popular in Benaras that without Nikhil dada's sitar nobody think any program.

[@deepranjanghosh1851]

I don't agree with the words that Pt Nikhil Banerjee never achieved glamour like Ravi Shankar Ji and Ustad Vilad Khan Sahib. His life span was very short. He gained the glamour of one of best Sitar player ever in that short time. He was not the son of Ustad Enayet Khan or not the brother of Uday Shankar ji. He struggled more than the other two legends.. He made his own style and many followers of his style.. He is in our heart ..

[@ilovemahler8348]

Rightly said Mr Ghosh. What use is "glamour" when you can play like this.

[@debagangu9459]

Life was too short for him. He was already considered one of the best when Vilayet, Ali Akbar and Ravi Shankar were in their FULL-FLIGHT!!! And everybody publicly accepted him. The whole world accepted him. In fact he was more popular in Western World than Ustad Vilayet Khan. Life was unfortunately cut too short for him. He was tremendously gifted and blessed. Ustad Amir Khan Saheb (Kheyalist) was publicly an admirer of him. And the way Nikhil Babu used his (Amir Khan's) Merukhand taan in his sitar, nobody did that. That set him apart fro everybody else. His training Ustad ali Akbar Khan, after Acharya Allanuddin Kan's demise took his sitar to set apart. So he had and was on the flight up, when he was just taken away. His last concert was the late night early morning concert in Dover Lane. I met him after his concert. He expired after 6-7 hours, if my memory serves me well.... Nobody knew that was his last day. He was talking to everybody with all normalcy.

[@VISHUDDHATMA]

Thank you for sharing this details about him. Please give me the date of his last concert.

[@BILAL91620]

Deepranjan Ghosh i 100% agree with you❤❤❤❤

[@ranjankumarghosal6758]

Let us clarify 2 points for the posterity. The eldest son of Ustad Enayet Khan was shifted to sitar from vocal by his widowed mother and the shagirds of his father used to shun him till he returned from his agyatbas in Delhi as a young brilliant. On the other hand, the young brother of Udayshankar was so rigorously trained in Maihar that he once decided to leave until dissuaded by Alubhai. The intelligent sitarist first appeared in Calcutta and was an instant hit with his Alubhai in sarod. And then that famous clash took place in Delhi, which separated path of the two great sitar maestros for lifetime. Nikhil Banerjee developed his own inimitable style, combining the two maestros, rigorously after coming out of Maihar.

[@ranjitbhattacharji1360]

Glamorous, melodious,elegant ,charming and splendurous. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@parthaaditya5225]

Anyone can differ, but to me, he is the god's own voice perhaps we can hear in earth.

[@ranjitbhattacharji1360]

Incredible, unparalleled & uncomparable. Self styled sitarist.

[@bhoopalijoshi8197]

Divine Sindura... And information about Raag and The great artist Nikhilji... Thank you..

[@GraceComet3417]

“A GRACE of The Infinite☝🏻 - To Have Heard Such a Wondrous Master of Sound… This is Musical PRANA…”

[@varundixit9814]

painfully beautiful

[@arunavachatterjee8342]

Very rightly said, i can hardly hold back my tears from wistfulness when i listen to this rendition of Pandit ji..........what depth of emotion !! Never will such musicians walk on this earth again !

[@ranjitbhattacharji1360]

Nobody can touch the height of his sitar recital quality in future. Everybody has to salute him as well as his sitar recital.

[@MuhammadAkramGujjar934]

What a nice performance ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@parthaaditya5225]

If you can, pl. upload the full content. It made me cry, can't describe the feelings.

[@bangaloredragon8]

Such beautiful stories that words could never do justice to..

[@aritrimajumder8108]

Love it!!! ❤

[@arupratanhaldar8123]

In the end it renders the pathos of eternal solitude in the glory of pain.

[@VISHUDDHATMA]

Interesting words. Thank you.

[@bangaloredragon8]

Simply gorgeous. A great genius.

[@chandrasekhardash8719]

Beautiful

[@parthaduttachowdhury7837]

What a nice performance of both. 🙏🙏

[@suvrat]

Initially I was confused wether it is Zakir ji on tabla. But after the crisp tihaees, it has to be Zakir ji! :)

[@klassfreudman7359]

Over the Top,appreciate the finest music.😄

[@kajalchakraborty407]

NOTHING TO SAY ONLY FEEL SOUL'S CRYING

[@nishigandhakale4158]

He is the legend of the legends my all time favorite ___ he is immortal

[@TheVinanthi]

Beautiful 👌👌👌🙏🙏

[@Musicophile1]

Is this recording not incomplete? It seems to end rather abruptly.

[@parthaduttachowdhury7837]

Please upload drut portion till end

[@VISHUDDHATMA]

I wish I could. I would love to. My quest for it continues.

[@deepakdani1798]

He sure is far far better sitarist than Ravi Shankar

[@parthaduttachowdhury7837]

I think it is a combination of two ragas can any one say ?

[@pratapbanerjee2533]

Sindura is an original raga in Hindustani classical music in Kafi thaat.

[@netinaut8746]

After Nikhil Da, I have stopped listening to Ravi Shankar and Vilayat Khan.

[@dominiqueduru2136]

Vous pouvez continuer pour vilayat !!!!!

[@shouqie844]

You are denying yourself something beautiful. Also, there are many excellent sitarists in the generation after Pdt NB. Do listen to them .

[@VISHUDDHATMA]

Your inner Self is pulling you higher.

[@biswarupgoswami314]

Soul stirring pathos expressed through strings absolutely high grade Pranam

[@nabenduchakravarty2556]

Ebullition of eternal cry

[@aurobindobanerjee7062]

কেন মাঝখানে স্তব্ধ হয়ে গেলো?

[@saikatdas8472]

3:41'

[@saikatdas8472]

4:51

[@vishuddhatma2870]

Conversations with the Self Raga Sindhura Makes it Happen. Do you have 30 minutes?

[@arunavachatterjee8342]

Grateful for ever for this music...............such as this musician will never walk the earth again.!!