Artiste of the Month - August 2018
Tejendra Narayan Majumdar
Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar is one of the best-known Sarod players and one of the foremost icons of Indian Classical music across the globe. He was initiated into music from an early age, first by his grandfather, Late Bibhuti Ranjan Majumdar and later by his father, Late Ranjan Majumdar. Vocal and rhythm training under Late Pandit Amaresh Chowdhury and Sri Anil Palit further ensured a holistic musical development in him. Tejendra was then accepted by Late Ustad Bahadur Khan as his disciple.
Eighteen years of intensive study under his guru brought recognition of his enormous talent. In 1981, he stood first in the All India Radio Music Competition and was awarded the President’s Gold Medal and the Pandit D.V. Paluskar award. After the untimely demise of his guru, he studied under the Late Sri Ajoy Sinha Roy and then under the legendary Swara Samrat Late Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, until thelatter’sdemise.
One of the best equipped musicians to carry on the great Senia Maihar mantle, Tejendra combines technical virtuosity with an extraordinary tone, touch and an ambient melody which transcends any descroption. Above all, he has in abundant measure, that indescribable ability to take the listeners along with him – the rare quality that is the hallmark of a genius.
The Government of West Bengal has awarded him Sangeet Mahasamman (the Highest Award Given for Music in West Bengal) in the year 2014. He has also received from the Government of West Bengal Banga Bhushan (the Second Highest award given to a luminary in West Bengal) in 2015. He is a Top Grade artist of A.I.R and Doordarshan.
Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar's brilliance and popularity as a classical artiste has not dimmed his interest in composing, arranging and experimenting in other areas of music. He has collaborated to present World Music with names such as Sivamani, Trilok Gurtu, Louis Banks and George Brooks. He has composed the background scores for several Bengali films and telefilms and has also composed and arranged music for singers like Ghulam Ali, Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, Ustad Rashid Khan, Haimanti Shukla and Arati Mukherjee. `Soul Call- Om Namoh Narayanay` , an album for which he composed and arranged the music, was nominated for the 2010 Grammy Awards.
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