Ira Landgarten
Manilal Nag - born in the Bankura District of West Bengal
- is recognized in serious music circles as one of the most talented
and serious exponents of classical sitar. He comes from a family
of musicians who have evolved the Vishnupur Gharana, a style of
music that originated nearly 300 years ago. His grandfather, Govinda
Nag, and his great-great-grandfather, Bauridas Nag, were both
distinguished sitarists in their times.
At the age of four, Manilal was initiated in the art of sitar
playing by his father, the famous sitar master Sangeetacharya
Gokul Nag. After 10 years of strict musical studies and practice,
Manilal made his stage debut in the All-India Music Conference,
accompanied by Pandit Shanta Prasad on tabla. Since then he has
become one of the most popular and sought-after concert sitarists,
performing regularly in music conferences held throughout India.
Manilal's style retains the depth, resonance and sensitivity of
the Dhrupad Ang in the alap, followed by an extensive range of
taans, gamaks and tihais in the jor, and the use of subtle and
lilting phrasing in the jhala. Through this combination, he brings
to perfection the delicacy and sentiment of every raga. He is
a master of improvisation and possesses the rare ability to breathe
life and originality into a classical theme, thereby molding it
into a living and captivating form.
Manilal has also had the unique opportunity of maintaining close
proximity to such great musicians as Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, Majid
Khan, Amir Khan, Kanthe Maharaj, Ahmedjan Thirakwa, and many others
with an open mind and heart.
Since 1953 he has performed many times on the National Program
of Music broadcast by All-India Radio, where he is categorized
as a 'top grade artiste,' and has appeared on several External
Services television specials. In 1973, he was sponsored by the
Ministry of Education to visit the United Kingdom and the Continent
in a cultural program arranged by Sanskriti of London. He has
also performed in the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Fiji, Nepal
and Bangladesh.
photo: John Wilton
Anand Gopal Bandopadhyay is also from a family of musicians
of the Vishnupur Gharana of West Bengal. Receiving his initial
training from his father, he became the disciple of Pandit Mahadeo
Prasad Mishra of the Benares Gharana.