Chandra Nath Shastri

Pandit Chandra Nath Shastri (Bengali: চন্দ্রনাথ শাস্ত্রী, Hindi: चंद्रनाथ शास्त्री, 23 December 1948), is one of the leading tabla (Indian hand percussion) artists and musicians from India, currently based in Kolkata. He belongs to the Benares gharana style of Hindustani classical music. He is a retired staff artist of All India Radio and performed regularly for public-television broadcaster Doordarshan. He is also an expert astrologer.[1]

Chandra Nath Shastri
চন্দ্রনাথ শাস্ত্রী
Pandit Chandra with Tabla
Background information
Birth nameChandra Nath shastri
Also known asPandit Chandranath Shastri Ji
Born (1948-12-23) 23 December 1948
OriginCalcutta, West Bengal, India
GenresHindustani classical music, Benares gharana
Occupation(s)Classical musician
InstrumentsTablā, Khol, Mridangam
Years active1960–present
Associated actsDoordarshan
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life and family

Born in the Dhakuria area of Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, in a well-known Bramhin (pandit) family, Chandra Nath Shastri was raised in a musical atmosphere. Soon his parents and family relocated to Varanasi (a.k.a. Banaras, Benares, Benaras), Uttar Pradesh (UP), where he undertook training in the Benares gharana style. He was influenced by poet and lyricist Rabindra Nath Tagore. His grandmother, Smt. Indira Devi was niece of Rabindra Nath Tagore. His father, Dr. Mouli Nath Shastri, was a physician by profession but he was also a spiritual guru and musician (tabla player), vocal student of Rabindra Nath Tagore, and had directed and acted in theatre (Muktisnan, 1937; Sancharini, 1963).[2][3] His grandfather, Shri Priya Nath Shastri, was one of the first three trustees of Visva Bharati University.[1]

Pandit Chandra Nath Shastri on Tabla, accompanied by Pandit Ramesh Misra with Sarangi, 1972 File Photo, Calcutta

Academics

Shastri completed his intermediate schooling at C. M. Anglo Bengali Inter College, Varanasi, UP. He then graduated in science from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.[1]

Musical career

Shastri's father noted his interest in Hindustani classical music from a very young age and taught him to play some taals on tabla. At age 5 Shastri began learning from his guruji, Pandit Anokhelal Mishra of Banaras, and later from his son, Pandit Ramji Mishra. Shastri and his elder brother, Partha Nath Shastri, would go to Pandit AnokhelalJi to learn tabla. Shastri became a fifth-generation tabla maestro of Benares gharana. As a young teenager he became close to Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra, Pandit Kishan Maharaj, Pandit Samta Prasad, Pandit Sarda Sahai, and Ustad Karamatullah Khan.[1]

Chandra Nath Shastri became the champion in an All India Radio (AIR) national competition at age 23, and from a young age was often referred to by the title pandit. He became an AIR staff artist, Indian National Television Channel (Doordarshan) artist and also a stage performing artist. As a regular performer on TV, radio and stage, he has made several thousand performances and recordings.[1] Now he is retired from AIR.

Performances

Shastri has performed in many concerts, including tabla solos, percussion ensembles, and accompanied with instrumentalists and vocalists, and worked with numerous music composers and film directors. He also performed with musicians including: Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra, Pandit V. G. Jog, Ustad Sagiruddin Khan, Ustad Rashid Khan, Pandit Lalmani Misra, Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta, Pandit Shrichand Mishra, Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh, Pandit Rabindra Narayan Goswami, Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan, Pandit Shalil Shankar, Bidushi Purnima Sen, Singh Bandhu Brothers, Pandit V. Balsara, Pandit Ramesh Mishra, Manilal Nag, Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, Debashish Bhattacharya and many more.

Shastri judged many musical competitions and talent-hunt contests. He conducted research in Indian music and produced unique works on music, especially in the field of tabla. He is also an expert with Pakhawaj, Khol, Mridangam and other Indian percussion instruments.[1]

Personal life

Shastri teaches tabla and other musical instruments, and has taught in many music schools, academies and institutes.[4]

Shastri also studies spirituality. His father, the late Dr. Mouli Nath Shastri, was grand disciple of spiritual guru Sri Bijoy Krishna Goswami and disciple of Sri Kiran Chand Darbesh Ji Maharaj. Shastri has researched the connection between music and spirituality and gives advice on this topic. He is also an expert astrologer.[1]

See also

References
  1. Official website: Pandit Chandra Nath Shatri
  2. Muktisnan (1937) Casts by Sushil Majumdar
  3. "Muktisnan (film – 1937) Casts". Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  4. Tabla Guru
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