Chandrakant Kamat
Encyclopedia
Chandrakant Kamat is a Hindustani classical
tabla
player of the Benares Tabla Gharana
.
to a Saraswat Brahmin
family with strong musical traditions. His father, Master Shantaram Kamat was a renowned Natyageet
musician. Kamat started as a child artist in the Natak (musical plays)
of his father's theatre company, Anandvilas and began learning the Tabla at a young age. Kamat learned from gurus Raghunath Shivalkar, Rambhau Vasht, and D. Y. Kadam and also trained in Indian classical dance.
and became among the most trusted Tabla accompanists for his performances with Kathak dancer
Rohinitai Bhate. In 1964, Kamat became a Gandabandhan disciple of Samta Prasad
of the Benares gharana
.
From 1956 to 1991, Kamat also provided Tabla accompaniment in Sangeet Nataks (Marathi musical plays)
that featured artists like Smt. Hirabai Badodekar
, Smt. Jyotsna Bhole, Chhota Gandharva, Shripadrao Nevrekar. During this time, Kamat also worked as a staff artist for AIR
, Pune
.
Recipient of several prestigious awards, like Sangatkar Puraskar in 1999 and the Late Vasundhara Pandit Purskar given in 2001, Pandit Kamat also trained his sons, Subhash and Bharat, who are among the promising tabla artistes in the country.
.
Kamat was among the preferred choice for Tabla accompaniment for India's top musicians, including Bhimsen Joshi
, Begum Akhtar
, Hariprasad Chaurasia
, Bal Gandharva
, and Kumar Gandharva
among others.
Kamat's performances also extend to programs on Bhavgeet, Lavani
, Thumri
, and most notably Geet Ramayan
.
Kamat holds the record for performing at the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival
for fifty consecutive years.
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
player of the Benares Tabla Gharana
Benares gharana
Benares gharānā is one of the six most common styles of playing of the Indian tabla.-History:The Benares tabla gharana was developed a little over 200 years ago by Pandit Ram Sahai . Ram Sahai began studying the tabla with his father from the age of five. At the age of nine, he moved to Lucknow to...
.
Early life and training
Kamat was born in DhuleDhule
Dhule is a city and a Municipal Corporation in Dhule district in northwestern part of Maharashtra state, India. It is one of the very few well-planned cities of India before Indian Independence.-Geography:Dhule is located at...
to a Saraswat Brahmin
Saraswat Brahmin
The Saraswats are a Brahmin caste of India.- History :According to the legend, Saraswat Brahmins are Brahmins who lived on the banks of the former Saraswati River that once flowed in northern India. Although it is said that at Prayag the three rivers meet or met.the fact is that the Saraswati never...
family with strong musical traditions. His father, Master Shantaram Kamat was a renowned Natyageet
Natya Sangeet
Natya Sangeet is a form of Indian classical and semi-classical music. The name literally means Dramatic Music and the musical dramas are then called as Sangeet Natak. It is also one of the two popular forms of vocal arts in Maharashtra and surrounding states...
musician. Kamat started as a child artist in the Natak (musical plays)
Natak
Natak is a 1975 Bollywood film directed by Sohanlal Kanwar. The film stars Vijay Arora and Moushumi Chatterjee....
of his father's theatre company, Anandvilas and began learning the Tabla at a young age. Kamat learned from gurus Raghunath Shivalkar, Rambhau Vasht, and D. Y. Kadam and also trained in Indian classical dance.
Performing career
In 1952, Kamat shifted his base to PunePune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
and became among the most trusted Tabla accompanists for his performances with Kathak dancer
Kathak
Kathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh, India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers...
Rohinitai Bhate. In 1964, Kamat became a Gandabandhan disciple of Samta Prasad
Samta Prasad
Pandit Samta Prasad was an Indian classical musician and Tabla player from the Benares gharana. He also played tabla in many Hindi films including, Meri Surat Teri Ankhen and Sholay , and film music composer Rahul Dev Burman was one of his disciples He was the son of Pandit Hari Sunder, also...
of the Benares gharana
Benares gharana
Benares gharānā is one of the six most common styles of playing of the Indian tabla.-History:The Benares tabla gharana was developed a little over 200 years ago by Pandit Ram Sahai . Ram Sahai began studying the tabla with his father from the age of five. At the age of nine, he moved to Lucknow to...
.
From 1956 to 1991, Kamat also provided Tabla accompaniment in Sangeet Nataks (Marathi musical plays)
Natya Sangeet
Natya Sangeet is a form of Indian classical and semi-classical music. The name literally means Dramatic Music and the musical dramas are then called as Sangeet Natak. It is also one of the two popular forms of vocal arts in Maharashtra and surrounding states...
that featured artists like Smt. Hirabai Badodekar
Hirabai Badodekar
Hirābai Barodekar was a renowned Indian Hindustāni classical music singer, of Kirana gharana. She also sang along with her younger sister, Saraswati Rane, whom she also trained, in jugalbandi style.-Early life and background:...
, Smt. Jyotsna Bhole, Chhota Gandharva, Shripadrao Nevrekar. During this time, Kamat also worked as a staff artist for AIR
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
.
Awards and recognition
- 1999 - Sangatkar Puraskar
- 2001 - Vasundhara Pandit Puraskar
Recipient of several prestigious awards, like Sangatkar Puraskar in 1999 and the Late Vasundhara Pandit Purskar given in 2001, Pandit Kamat also trained his sons, Subhash and Bharat, who are among the promising tabla artistes in the country.
Death and Legacy
On the morning of Monday June 28, 2010, Kamat died of a cardiac arrestCardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
.
Kamat was among the preferred choice for Tabla accompaniment for India's top musicians, including Bhimsen Joshi
Bhimsen Joshi
Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi ; February 4, 1922 - January 24, 2011) was an Indian vocalist in the Hindustani classical tradition. A member of the Kirana Gharana , he is renowned for the khayal form of singing, as well as for his popular renditions of devotional music...
, Begum Akhtar
Begum Akhtar
Akhtari Bai Faizabadi or Begum Akhtar was a well known Indian singer of Ghazal, Dadra and Thumri.She received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for vocal music, and was awarded Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by Govt. of India...
, Hariprasad Chaurasia
Hariprasad Chaurasia
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is an Indian classical instrumentalist. He is a player of the bansuri, the North Indian bamboo flute. Chaurasia is a classicist who has made a conscious effort to reach out and expand the audience for classical music.-Early life:Hariprasad Chaurasia was born in...
, Bal Gandharva
Bal Gandharva
Narayan Shripad Rajhans , better known as Bal Gandharva was one of the greatest Marathi singers and stage actors. He was famous for his roles of female characters in Marathi plays, since women were not allowed to act on stage during his time....
, and Kumar Gandharva
Kumar Gandharva
Kumar Gandharva or Shivaputra Siddharamayya Komkallimath was a Hindustani classical singer, famous for his unique vocal style, refusal to be bound by the tradition of any gharana, and his innovative genius...
among others.
Kamat's performances also extend to programs on Bhavgeet, Lavani
Lavani
Lavani is a genre of music popular in Maharashtra and southern Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, which particularly performed to the enchanting beats of Dholak, a percussion instrument. Lavani is noted for its powerful rhythm and...
, Thumri
Thumri
Thumri is a common genre of semi-classical Indian music.The text is romantic or devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl's love for Krishna. The lyrics are usually in Uttar Pradesh dialects of Hindi called Poorbi and Brij Bhasha...
, and most notably Geet Ramayan
Geet Ramayan
Geet Ramayan is a collection of 56 songs in Marathi, written by noted litterateur G. D. Madgulkar , composed and sung by Sudhir Phadke...
.
Kamat holds the record for performing at the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival
Sawai Gandharva Music Festival
The Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav is amongst the largest and most popular musical festivals of Indian Classical music in India....
for fifty consecutive years.