Bangamela 2010 - Funded in part by Tennessee Arts Commission

	Literary Seminar By Ketaki Kushari Dyson The famous poet, playwright, novelist and an eminent research scholar Ketaki Kushari Dyson will be joining us to lead our literary seminar session. KKD is also a renowned translator of Rabindranath Tagore’s works in english. We are very fortunate to have her in our midst in this special year of Tagore’s 150th birthday and Gitanjali’s centenary.
	On-line registration not available after June 28, 2010. Walk-in registration will be available at the venue during the event.
	Please do not mail your registration form and check if there is a chance that they may not reach us on time.  Paper registration forms and checks should reach us by June 25, 2010.  Walk-in registration will be available on July 2 and 3, 2010 at Bangamela venue.
	It is our pleasure to inform you that Ustad Aashish  Khan has agreed to join us during Bangamela 2010 to present a Hindustani classical sitar concert. He will be accompanied by Subhajyoti Guha in Tabla. Click here to read more
	Food at Bangamela 2010: To enhance your Bangamela experience, our food committee is working very hard to make available typical Bengali Food.  Click here to order your meals. Deadline for ordering your food has been extended till June 25, 2010. We may not be able to honor orders received after that day. For any questions please contact contact info@bangamela.org.
	Attention: Due to overwhelming response and interest from the supporters of Bangamela 2010, Sheraton Music City Hotel is completely booked for the event days. This situation was beyond our imagination and hence we initially failed to make alternative arrangements. We have negotiated a limited number of additional rooms at a discounted price of $ 74/- plus tax with nearby Nashville Airport Marriott 600 Marriott Drive Nashville, TN, 37214 (615) 889-9300
	Please call Marriott's toll free reservation line at 800-770-0555 directly to make reservations. Click here fore more details

BANGAMELA 2010 INVITED ARTISTS

Ustad Aashish  Khan

Aashish Khan is considered among the top handful of India’s greatest living Sarod players. His pedigree of training and lineage is unquestionable, having descended from the illustrious family of great musicians.
Aashish Khan was initiated into North Indian classical music at the age of 5 by his grandfather, the legendary Acharya Baba Allauddin Khan, exponent of the “Senia Beenkar” and “Senia Rababiya” Gharana. His talim (training) continues under the guidance of his father Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and his aunt, Smt. Annapurna Devi, presently the leading exponents of the “Senia Gharana”, in the Beenkar and Rababiya anga of the Druvapada style.

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Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty

Ajoy Chakraborty is considered to be one of the finest vocalists currently performing in India today. He is a veritable trendsetter, demonstrating a knowledge diverse forms of classical, light-classical and even modern vocal music. He showed extraordinary promise in vocal music and at the tender age of three, began taking lessons from his father Ajit Chakrabarty. He then learnt from Pannalal Samanta and Shri. Kanai Das Bairagi and later became a student of Padma Bhushan Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh. In 1969, his training took a decisive turn as he became a disciple of Ustad Munawar Ali Khan, son of the legendary maestro of the Patiala-Kasur gharana (school), Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. His imagination and sensitivity to lyrics, coupled with his uncanny sense of rhythm, has made him the authentic exponent and leading representative of the famous Patiala gaikee (style of singing).

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Chandrabindoo

Chandrabindoo is the last letter of the Bengali alphabet. The band that is its namesake does justice in that they are the last word in the musical genre they represent - the “Bangla-Band”.

The band is known for Chandril's witty, satirical, colloquial lyrics laced with a twisted humor laden with references to current affairs and cultural phenomenons. However, they also sing different types of songs, written by Anindyo and Upal.

Chandrabindoo’s music combines shades of Pop, Reggae, Calypso, Techno & traditional Indian overtones to form a collage that is unique and in a class unto itself. Recently, Chandril and Anindyo won National Film Awards for their lyrics of the film "Antaheen"

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Rupankar Bagchi

Rupankar Bagchi is a shooting star in the modern Bengali music scene. Music flows in his blood and he has the intensity to set a stage on fire. His ascendance to the pinnacle of Bengali modern music has been like a voyage that began at the tender age of five under the watchful eyes of his father Sj. Ritendra Nath Bagchi. Subsequently, he received formal training from his Guru Sj. Sukumar Mitra and from Sj. Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay. This laid the perfect foundation from which he launched a career as a singer and song-writer - fresh, improvisational and chic.

Today he is front, right and centre , the heart-throb of the new age Bengali music circuit & the undisputed prince of Bengali modern music.

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Gandhar

Gandhar a theatre group based in Kolkata was established on 3rd June, 1962. 'GANDHAR' has so far produced about thirty plays and numerous National Theatrical awards for productions such as GHORAH, NEELAM NEELAM, VOMMA, VISARJAN , TAKHAN BIKEL & CHAAR DUAR.

Gandhar’s presentation at the Bangamela - KACHHER MANUSH, is based on a play directed by the renowned film maker Gautam Halder with Debshankar Halder and Bijaylakhsmi Barman leading the cast. The play  has earned rare acclaim in Kolkata’s theatrical circles.

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Ashish Bhattacharjee

Ashish Bhattacharjee is a master of Rabindra Sangeet and has regaled audiences with his melodious voice for decades. He regularly performs on All India Radio and Kolkata T.V and has recorded several CDs. He has an innate mastery over technique, a deep resonant voice, and an unfailing commitment to the authentic style of Rabindra Sangeet. His forte lies in an effortless rendition of rarely heard “Dhrupadanga” Rabindra Sangeet.

He received his musical training from Gitabitan, the premier institution of Rabindra Sangeet in Kolkata, India as well as from Acharya Sailaja Ranjan Majumdar, a direct disciple of Tagore. Today, he is actively engaged in teaching Rabindra Sangeet and many of his pupils have performed in India and abroad. He has also held several key positions at notable institutions including being a member of Visva-Bharati Music Board, Senior member of the Advisory Committee of Rabindra Sadan, and Principal of Gitabitan.

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Parnava Banerjee

You just got to listen to Parnava once to know why this young talented artist from Kolkata went on to be the "Zee TV Bangla Golden Voice 2006" champion. His rich, melodious voice, versatility to sing a wide range of songs, from Raag Sangeet to Modern Bengali Songs, Ghazals and Hindi Songs, his nurturing at Ajay Chakraborty's musical institution, Shrutinandan from a tender age and we know why he is admired so much by his fans and critics alike.

Parnava’s first musical album “Swapno Kuri” was selected as the best Music Album in 2007 and awarded the “Sharad Arghyo award-2007” (organized by Ananda Bazar Patrika, ACC Cement & UCO Bank). Since then he has released two more albums and successfully performed at Bangamela 2008 and in other US cites in 2008 and 2009.

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Sreyashi Mitra

(The artist appears courtesy Indian Council for Cultural Relations)

Hailing from a family of internationally acclaimed Rabindra Nritya Natak artistes from Shantiniketan, music comes naturally to Sreyashi. An exponent of several genres of Bengali music – Rabindrasangeet, Folk and Adhunik (Modern) – Sreyashi’s distinct style has been boned under the tutelage of exponents like Late Shri Subinoy Roy and Shri Arghya Sen. Her tonal quality, flawless diction, range and grasp of the complex nuances have been singled out for praise by fellow artistes as well as critics.
Her association with music over three decades has taken her to several parts of the world – both to the West as well as the Far-East. In addition to performances in the U.S.A., Singapore, Bangkok and India, she has to her credit several successful albums in Rabindrasangeet. An empanelled artiste of Indian Council for Cultural Relations and Eastern Zone Cultural Centre, she has also been accredited by the Department of Culture, Government of India also.

In her generation of musicians, Sreyashi is one of the best representatives of the rich heritage and core traditions of music in Bengal.

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Alak Roy Chowdhury

An accomplished student of Rabindra Sangeet from Dakshinee, Alak's professional approach has been in all types of Bengali songs, particularly those popular songs of yesteryears creating a nostalgia in the mind of his audience. His specialization is on modern and old Bengali songs, while he is equally at home in Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul Geeti, songs from the Puratani Plays, Comedy, Patriotic and Folk Songs. A widely traveled artist in India and countries of Europe and America, Alak's rich baritone voice, exquisite diction, impeccable 'Gayaki' and the total command over the subject has won him high acclaim wherever he has performed.

Alak has directed music for some of Tagore's dance dramas directed and choreographed by late Manjusree Chaki Sarcar. Worked in the lead role as an actor-singer in Shaonli Mitra's 'Nathabati Anathabati'. An Ex-Faculty of Rabindra Bharati University, Alak has given music direction to a number of tele-serials including the one directed by Satyabrata Mookherjee. Alak has several music albums and musical collaborations to his credit. He has performed in several European and American Festivals including Bangamela, NABC, FOBANA, World Folk Festival (FOLKLARAMA).

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