Indian Music Society of Minnesota (IMSOM)

Rajan & Sajan Misra & Subhen Chatterjee
Rajan & Sajan Misra (Vocal)
with
Subhen Chatterjee (Tabla) &
Sanatan Goswami (Harmonium)

Sunday, August 17, 2008, 4:00 pm

Venue:

The Recital Hall, College of St. Catherine

About the artists:

Born in the famous Benares Gharana, music came with the first breath of life to the two talented brothers, Rajan Misra and Sajan Misra. They belong to a family of great maestros - Pandit Ganesh Ji Misra (Great Grandfather), Pandit Sursahai Misra, Pandit Bade Ram Das Ji Misra (Grandfather), Pandit Hanuman Misra (Father), and the late Pandit Gopal Misra, the renowned Sarangi maestro, was their uncle. The brothers have been trained in vocal music under the able guidance of their father Pandit Hanuman Misra, Pandit Gopal Misra and Gayanacharya the late Pandit Bade Ram Das Ji Misra. Today, the brothers are the foremost exponents of the Benares style of singing. Pandit Rajan Misra is a post graduate in sociology and Pandit Sajan Misra is a graduate from the Benares Hindu University. Rajan and Sajan Misra are known for their extensive repertoire of Khayal, Tarana, Tappa and Bhajan. Blending powerful and expressive voices, their performances are characterized by a methodical treatment of the Raga with exquisite ornamentation and taans. Their performances have taken them to all corners of India and abroad. The brothers’ last visit to the Twin Cities was in 2000.

Subhen Chatterjee, a senior disciple of tabla maestro Pandit Swapan Chowdhury, has already established himself as a fine young tabla soloist and accompanist. Subhen has accompanied great musicians such as Pandit V.G. Jog, Smt. Girija Devi, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Begum Parveen Sultana, Ustad Rashid Khan, Pandit Monilal Nag and Ustad Ali Ahmad Hussain Khan. Subhen has also worked with World Music masters such as Paul Horn (flute player) and David Crosby and has been a performing artiste of WOMAD (World Organization of Music and Dance), founded by world-renowned Peter Gabriel. Subhen's own, KARMA, an Indo-Jazz Fusion Orchestra, is one of the most popular bands in India today.

Sanatan Goswami, Sri Sanatan Goswami first intitiated into vocal music under the guidance of his uncle Sri Manindra Goswami & then took further lessons on instrumental as well as vocal music from such illustrious persons as violin maestro Pt.V.G.Jog & Pt.Dinanath Misra.He also took special taalim on harmonium from Pt.Maharaj Banerjee an eminent harmonium player from Bengal.

Sri Goswami has been accompanying leading vocalists in major music festivals all over the country & abroad.He also kept NAGMA for solo tabla playing for almost all leading tabla players of India.

Acknowledgments:

IMSOM’s Fall 2008 Concert Series has been supported in part by funds provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council’s (MRAC) Arts Activities Support and Capital Grants, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature, the Honeywell “Dollars for Doers” Grant, and IMSOM members. This concert is co-sponsored by KFAI “Fresh Air” Radio (90.3 FM Minneapolis/106.7 FM St. Paul).

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