Indian Odyssey – Ken Zuckerman In the West, which has more than its fair share of Indian classical music aficionados, there are also a few dedicated practitioners of the art Noteworthy among them being Ken Zuckerman, the American-born disciple of sarod player Ali Akbar Khan. How did the westerner come to develop an interest in Indian sangeet? And what kind of response does he...
Musical Odyssey – D’Amel YESTERDAY’S PEOPLE / MOHAN NADKARNI Within the confines of near anonymity, members of the broadcasting organisation in India have produced some memorable work. D Ame’l could easily have become rich and famous on the concert circuit, yet the talented musician chose to pursue excellence at All India Radio. Mohan Nadkarni profiles the unassuming artiste who has just won the Sangeet...
By MOHAN D. NADKARNI The Bombay Sentinel, January 20, 1958 THE death of Pandit Shankarrao Vyas in December 1956 is a grievous loss to the world of music, coming as it did at a time when the older generation of giants in music was gradually dying out. He personified in himself various aspects of musical activity. He was not merely a vocalist of repute...
By MOHAN NADKARNI The Economic Times, November 26, 1989 The year 1989 will possibly go down as the darkest year in the annals of Hindustani music – what with the series of deaths of top exponents of the North Indian tradition in so short a time-span as four months. First it was the nonagenarian, Krishnarao Shankar Pandit, the oldest maestro of the Gwalior gharana,...
Omkarnath Thakur was one of the most colourful musicians to have graced the concert arena. A controversial genius, his musical enterprise often generated both apprehension and awe. MOHAN NADKARNI on the life and times of the great musicians. The Illustrated Weekly of India, February 22, 1987 What was Pandir Omkarnath Thakur? Was he a purist? Or a romanticist? Or an iconoclast? Questions such as these...
By MOHAN NADKARNI The Economic Times, February 19, 1989 The two-day programme of vocal, instrumental and percussion music, held at the Dadar-Matunga Cultural Center on February 4 and 5, came as a touching tribute to the memory of the percussion veteran, D. R. Nerurkar, who died in harness three years ago. As many as six vocalists, three instrumentalists and two percussionists gave their recitals...