‘Classical music is easy to learn’

FROM OUR  CORRESPONDENT

Silchar, March 10: Classical music is not at all difficult to learn. There is a misconception that people entertains about this genre of songs. Talking to The Sentinel, Pandit Koushik Bhattacharya who performed on last Saturday at a whole night classical music conference organized by Sangeet Chakra, Silchar, to mark its glorious 47th anniversary music conference held at the auditorium of District Library, said, “I am very happy that I have been invited to perform on such an important occasion. Classical music is not difficult and people fear it unnecessarily. It needs a taste and not understanding to enjoy such type of songs.”

 Pt Koushik Bhattacharya further said that classical songs are pride of our tion and culture and high values have been attached to it. “In fact, any one composed in the yesteryears can be called as a classical song. The word classical itself is a western. Songs based on certain Ragas are not classical.” Pt Koushik Bhattacharjee, who hails from Kolkata, is an Indian classical vocalist who started his training from his parents Pt Pataki Bhattacharya and Rama Bhattacharya at an early stage. He has been performing in cultural festivals held across the country at a very tender age. He also said that there should be a fluid and easy to adopt methods for teaching songs based on Ragas.

Pt Koushik Bhattacharya rendered some beautiful songs based on the Sandhi Prakash Raga. “I do not hanker after publicity or weigh my success on the number of persons who have come to listen to my songs,” he added to say.  He was selected as a scholar by Sangeet Research Academy studying with Arun Bhadhuri. Koushik is a regular artist of All India Radio and Television and impelled Artist of Indian Council for Cultural relations, under the Ministry of Exterl Affairs. He is also attached as a Guru of Indian Classical Vocal in Gyan Bani FM on Sur Shaba radio programme. He has performed throughout India for many years at acclaimed Music Conference including Dover lane Music Conference, the ITC Sangeet Sammelen, the All India Music Conference in New Delhi, the Conference of Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Uttarpara Sangeet Chakra music conference.

He is also the part of many events which is conducted in the US, Italy, Cada, German, France, Norway, Denmark, Spain and Dubai. Pt Kouhik Bhattacharya is the recipient of Surmani Award from Sursinger Samsad in Mumbai and he is the Examiner for Rabindra Bharati University. He also runs his own musical school Manindra Sangeet Tirtha which was established in the year 1970. At present, he is a vocal teacher at Manindra Sangeet Tirtha and the Doverlane Music Academy. Besides this, Koushik is also doing some experiment on how to make Indian classical music more appealing to the audiences. Koushik is trying his utmost to modify Indian classical music in such a way that children and teegers gets to like this genre more, respecting the subject because in today’s society the young generation is mostly attracted to other genres. There are thousands of classical songs and Koushik is working on teaching his students Bandishes (classical songs) according to the Raag Roop. Today in this advanced society, everything is at our fingertips and mostly indulged generation into this scientific society is the young generation due to which they do not have to give much stress to have or get something these days. In this regard, Pt Koushik is working hard to get even a good percent of this generation to find this genre more appealing by working in different new and innovative methods.