While there is no dearth of names in Hindustani Classical Music that have dominated the annals of musical history, there were some extraordinary virtuosos who made waves in their time, but whose names today have slipped from public memory. This new feature is an attempt to revive that kind of vintage music.

Ajoy Sinha Roy

Born on 1st December 1921 in Comilla (now in Bangladesh), Ajoy Sinha Roy was a master of both the practical and theoretical aspects of music. A graduate in history and economics, he was a very well read man with a remarkable memory and the ability to quote even the lengthy quotables without a single falter. A senior pupil of Ustad Alauddin Khan of Maihar, he also received talim from other stalwarts of instrumental and vocal music, such as Ustad Ayet Ali Khan, Thakur Anil Kishore Dev Burman of Tripura and Birendra Kishore Roy Choudhury of Gouripur. He studied under well-known musicologists like Maharaj Kumar Brajendra Kishore Roy Choudhury, the father of Birendra Kishore and learnt vocal music from Suresh Chakraborty and Surendra Narayan Das.

A versatile composer, he composed music scores for operas, ballets, films and theaters and won awards. As an academic, he was associated with the universities of Calcutta, Burdwan, Viswa Bharati , Rabindra Bharati and Tripura and the Prayag Sangeet Samity. He was also associated with numerous learned Societies as President, Fellow and Life Member.

Besides innumerable research papers, Sinha Roy authored two books – “Music in Music” published by the West Bengal State Music Academy and “Purba Banglar Sangit Samaj”, published by Pratikshan. His contribution to the field of Indian music in its totality was held in high esteem. He received two State Akademi awards –for his contribution to classical Indian music and for his contribution towards the composition of background music for films, dramas and ballets. He was awarded an honorary D.Lit by Rabindra Bharati University. Though a very sensitive musician and a good performer himself, he excelled as a teacher and what recognition he did not receive in his lifetime was amply compensated for by the success achieved by some of his students – among them Tejendra Narayan Majumdar and Kushal Das.

He joined ITC SRA as an expert in May 1986 and commanded instant respect because of his unconditional helping, loving and encouraging nature and continued to serve SRA till his death on May 15, 2000.