Pandit Bhajan SoporiPandit Bhajan Sopori (22 June 1948 – 2 June 2022) was an Indian instrumentalist. He was a player of the santoor, an ancient stringed musical instrument.
Sopori was born in Srinagar into a Kashmiri Pandit family to Shambhu Nath Sopori on 22 June 1948. Sopori hailed from Sopore in the Baramulla district of the Kashmir Valley and traced his lineage to ancient Santoor experts. He belonged to the Sufiana gharana of Indian classical music. His family has played santoor for over six generations.[6] His first public performance was at a conference organised by Prayag Sangeet Samiti & the University of Allahabad when he was 10 years old.
Sopori gave his first public performance in 1953, at the age of five. He learned western classical music from Washington University & Hindustani from his grandfather S.C. Sopori and father Shambhoo Nath. Sopori has taught music at Washington University, US. His performances have been broadcast in India and seen by both cultural associations there and by audiences in countries such as Belgium, Egypt, England, Germany, Norway, Syria and the USA. Sopori stated that "he worked with All India Radio in 1990, when he was transferred to Delhi," and that "no music was produced from the valley. There was not even a tabla player to accompany him" when he returned.
A result of decades of experimentation and innovation, Sopori's Santoor and its playing style (now known as 'Sopori Baaj') stands out from his other contemporary Classical Santoor pioneers, namely, Shivkumar Sharma and Tarun Bhattacharya, through its novel construction, further adoption of Dhrupad aesthetics, and its variety of kalam (wooden mallets).
Originating from the Santoor used in Sufiana Mausiqi, the Sopori Santoor is essentially an expanded version, covering more than 5 1/2 octaves, adorned with certain classical innovations including an attached tumba (goard) to enhance the posture and bass of the instrument (also used for Sitar and other Hindustani Classical instruments), sympathetic strings (or 'tarab', also found on many instruments in the Hindustani tradition), and thick strings that produce a singing glide when pressure is applied, an emulation of a technique that is essential in Indian music called Meend. Like Dhrupad, the Sopori Baaj places much emphasis on the Raag Alaap (the elaboration of a Raga without percussion), using a heavier pair of kalam to enhance the sustain of a single note. The Sopori Baaj is also unique in its consistent use of the Pakhawaj along with Tabla for accompaniment. In recent years, the Ghatam has also been added to the percussion ensemble.
Pandit Sopori, considered as the cultural link between Jammu and Kashmir and rest of India, also ran a music academy called SaMaPa (Sopori Academy for Music and Performing Arts), which is actively involved in promoting Indian classical music.[9] SaMaPa is involved in promoting music with jail inmates, with the objective of using music for healing the prisoners and creating an emotional bond between the society & the prisoners.[10] The academy has trained several musicians and revived old instruments. It was presented the state government dogri award in 2011. Bhajan Sopori, in 2015, announced the SaMaPa awards for contribution to the field of music.
Sopori was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992 and the Padma Shri in 2004. In 2009 he was honoured with the Baba Allaudin Khan Award. He was also awarded the M N Mathur award in 2011 for his contribution to Indian classical music and Jammu and Kashmir State lifetime achievement award.
Sopori was married and had two sons. His son Abhay Rustum Sopori is also a santoor player. Sopori died in Gurugram from colon cancer on 2 June 2022 at the age of 73.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhajan_Sopori
Pandit Kishan MaharajPandit Kishan Maharaj (3 September 1923 – 4 May 2008) was an Indian tabla player who belonged to the Benares gharana of Hindustani classical music.
Maharaj was born to a Brahmin family of hereditary musicians in Kabir Chaura, Benaras. His father was Hari Maharaj and his mother was Anjora Devi. He was adopted by his father's older brother, Kanthe Maharaj, who did not have children of his own.
Maharaj's musical guidance was initiated by his father. Maharaj was six years old when his father died. Afterwards, Maharaj's musical training continued with Kanthe Maharaj and lasted for give years.
Kishan Maharaj standing (second row, eighth from left) with other leading musicians in 1948.
Maharaj began performing in concerts by age 11. He moved to Bombay in 1944 to pursue a music career and initially struggled. He provided tabla accompaniment to Sitara Devi in the Hindi film Badi Maa (1945).
Within a few years, Kishan Maharaj was sharing the stage with leading classical musicians like Faiyaz Khan, Omkarnath Thakur, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Bhimsen Joshi, Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Vasant Rai, Vilayat Khan, Girija Devi, and many others.
Celebrated as a leading tabla soloist, Maharaj also gave sangat to dancers like Shambhu Maharaj, Sitara Devi, Gopi Krishna, and Birju Maharaj.
Maharaj also performed alongside celebrated tabla maestros like Samta Prasad (his uncle), Alla Rakha, and Karamatullah Khan.
His Taal Vadya Kacheri performances with Carnatic percussionist Palghat R. Raghu were celebrated.
Among all his compositions, his "Tala Vadya Kacheri" with the Mridangam Vidwan, "Palghat Raghu" stood out. Maharaj extensively toured and participated in several prestigious events across the world, including the Edinburgh Festival and the Commonwealth Arts festival in the United Kingdom in 1965. He has toured across the UK, USSR, Switzerland, Poland, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia.
Maharaj had the ability to play cross-rhythms and produce complex calculations, particularly in tihai patterns. Known as an excellent accompanist, Maharaj was extremely versatile and capable of playing with any accompaniment, be it with the Sitar, Sarod, Dhrupad, Dhamar or even dance.
Maharaj died on 4 May 2008 at Khajuri near Varanasi, aged 84.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kishan_Maharaj
