What is a Tanpura? | Kaushiki Chakraborty Explains
Interviews
•
4m 44s
Patiala singer Kaushiki Chakraborty discusses the role of the tanpura, ubiquitous as the rich sonic backdrop to Indian classical performances of the North and South.
Kaushiki Chakraborty’s astonishing vocal technique is the result of years of intense training. She spent much of her childhood living at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, one of India’s premiere music institutions, while her father Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty worked there. Staff at the academy are said to recall how she would respond to melodic phrases at six months old, and how she was singing tarana and bhajan before the age of two. Quickly hailed as a prodigy, she entered the concert arena early to great acclaim, performing widely while also earning a Masters in Philosophy from Calcutta University.
She hails from the Patiala gharana, known for a strong Islamic influence and elaborate melodic ornamentation, and is one of the first female singers from her tradition to receive international recognition. Today she mainly focuses on classical music, but has also sung in films and recorded popular songs. She also leads Sakhi, a diverse group of female musicians and dancers, and explains that the project “is about understanding, from a female perspective, the diverse culture of India through all its traditional musical forms.”
The interview is part of ‘Musical Wonders of India’ curated by Darbar and the V&A Museum in London.
Up Next in Interviews
-
Uday Bhawalkar | In Conversation
As we celebrate the sacred week of Guru Purnima, a time to honour the wisdom and grace of our gurus, we are humbled to release a special interview with the eminent Dhrupad maestro, Ustad Uday Bhawalkar. Recorded in 2023, this conversation offers a rare glimpse into his inspiring journey into the ...
-
Ranjani & Gayatri | In Conversation
At the Darbar Festival 2023 held at the iconic Barbican, the celebrated Carnatic vocal duo Ranjani and Gayatri presented a soul-stirring lecture demonstration titled Poetry of the Saints." With grace, reverence, and deep musical insight, the sisters delved into the spiritual and poetic essence th...
-
Aruna Sairam | Interview
Recorded at Darbar Festival 2016, on 18th September, at the Level 5 Function Room at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, in London.
"Many times I nearly gave up" says one of India's finest Carnatic musicians. Award winner Sairam gives an insight into her musical world. She talks about he...
