The Grand finale of Rabindra Gaane Pratima Chandra Puroshkar titled “Aruprataner Sandhane” was held on Wednesday, 11th January, 2017 at Rabindranath Tagore Center, ICCR Auditorium, Ho Chi Minh Sarani, Kolkata. The competition was organised jointly by Pratima Chandra Foundation and DaakGhar. Rabindra Sangeet enthusiasts, about three thousand, from different parts of the country showed interest for auditions. Out of which 93 applicants were called for audition on 6th & 7th December, 2016. The judges selected 12 participants for the grand finale. These participants performed live in front of the judges and the audience, through 3 rounds of competition.
Sri Manoj Murali, eminent Rabindrasangeet Singer and founder of DaakGhar mentored and arranged the entire competition.
Eminent singers Smt. Pramita Mallick, Smt. Indrani Sen, Smt. Sraboni Sen, Smt. Sreeradha Bandopadhyay, Smt. Kamalini Mukherji and Sri Shamik Pal judged the Grand Finale. Some of them also performed a song each on the day.
The Auditions were judged by Pandit Biplab Mondal, Sri Debashis Ray Chaudhuri, Smt. Kamalini Mukherji, Smt. Debika Dutta and Sri Ankan Roy.
11th January: The contestants –
Ms. Suparna Chattopadhyay || Ms. Sanchita Bhowmick || Ms. Jhinuk Basu || Ms. Paramita Mahanta || Ms. Pritha Chatterjee || Ms. Trisha Banerjee || Ms. Arunima Mitra || Ms. Sanhita Sen || Mr. Sukanta Chatterjee || Mr. Supriyo Kole || Ms. Patralekha Ganguly || Mr. Rahul Mitra Mustafi
Congratulations!! In the competition Ms. Suparna Chattopadhyay of Ramrajatala, Howrah won the First Prize. The Second Prize was won by Ms. Sanchita Bhowmick of Islampur of North Dinajpur. Ms. Jhinuk Basu of Baranagar, Kolkata won the Third Prize.
The winners were awarded Musical Instruments worth Rs. 60,000/- (Rupees Sixty Thousand) and Trophies. The President of Dover Lane Music Conference and the Chairman of P. C. Chandra Group, Sri B. K. Chandra graced the occasion and gave away the winners’ trophies.
RABINDRA GAANE PRATIMA CHANDRA PUROSHKAR 2016 “ARUPRATANER SANDHANE” Judges Details
Smt. Pramita Mallick
Currently the foremost exponent in the field of Rabindrasangeet as live performer, recording artist and guru, she was born and raised in Santiniketan, West Bengal where Tagore’s legacy became a way of life. She has trained in Rabindrasangeet under Tagore’s direct disciple Sri Shantidev Ghosh and other eminent gurus like Kanika Bandopadhyay, Nilima Sen, Bishwajit Ray, thereafter pursuing further training from Subinoy Roy, Suchitra Mitra and Sri Subhash Chowdhury after moving to Kolkata. She has been singing on All India Radio and Doordarshan since 1972 and 1975, respectively and is an ‘A’ grade artist. She has a large number of CDs to her credit. Among various positions held by her, she is an empanelled artiste of the ICCR, an advisory board member of the West Bengal Rajya Sangeet Academi and Examiner/Adjudicator (Ph.D) for Rabindra Bharati University & a member of the advisory committee of the Rabindrasangeet GABESHANA Kendra (RSGK) and Kalanukromik Rabindrasangeet Prakalpa (KRSP) of the Visva Bharati University. She has performed with foreign artistes across Europe on joint projects on Tagore. She has performed in academic sessions/conferences organized by the University of Harvard.
শ্রীমতী ইন্দ্রাণী সেন
Smt. Indrani Sen
Indrani Sen is a famous Bengali singer. Indrani Sen is the most recognized singer for Rabindra Sangeet. She is a daughter of Sumitra Sen, one of the eminent exponents of Rabindra Sangeet, is possibly the most talented female vocalist, for her distinctive style combined with well- modulated delivery, and her grip over various forms of Indian music. She has excelled not only in songs of Tagore and Nazrul, but in Bhajans, Geets, Ghazals, Modern Bengali Songs, devotional and many other forms of light classical and modern music. She is reigning the music industry since last 40 years as the most respected and honoured vocalist.
শ্রীমতী শ্রাবণী সেন
Smt. Sraboni Sen
Srabani Sen, also spelt as Sraboni Sen, is a Bengali Indian exponent of Rabindra Sangeet and Bengali songs. She is a daughter of Sumitra Sen and sibling of the prolific artiste, Indrani Sen. She is an able successor to the gharana, which has contributed immensely to the spread of Tagore’s music across the world. Srabani’s tutelage commenced under her mother’s able guidance followed by her rigorous training at Geetabitan Music Institute from where she came out with flying colours.
Smt. Kamalini Mukherji
Kamalini Mukherji is one of the most popular faces among today’s Rabindrasangeet singers. Her smart, distinctive style of singing, marked by a deep understanding of the lyrics and a clear diction, has helped her carve out a niche for herself in the field. Over the last few years Kamalini has spent a large part of her time in the USA, successfully carrying the music and message of Tagore not just to the vast Bengali diaspora, but also to an international audience.
Trained in Rabindrasangeet from the age of ten at Dakshinee, a renowned institution practising and propagating Tagore’s music, Kamalini graduated with distinction from the institution in 1998. In 2001 she was awarded the “Dakshinee Purashkar” in recognition of young talent for Rabindrasangeet.
A regular on television and stage in Kolkata, she has cut several discs with HMV Saregama. Her unique appeal lies in instilling a fresh enthusiasm for Tagore’s songs in the young generation, while endearing herself equally to the traditional and learned listener.
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