Interview: Abhijit Banerjee

By: Parimal M. Rohit WP

May 31, 2010

If one wants to be the best, it follows that they learn from the best. It would become only a matter of time before he, himself, is considered among the greatest and a new generation will want to learn from him. Such is the developing career path of National Award-winning Indian classical musician Abhijit Banerjee, the renowned Tabla player, vocalist and violin maker who has graced stages and recording studios for more than 20 years now. Not only has he learned from the best, but Abhijit is also becoming the best, himself, what with his recent founding of his Indian classical music schools in India and the United States in the Dhwani Academy of Percussion. Add to that four solo album releases in Tarang, Tabla Solo, Mystical Moments of Rhythm and Moonlight Whispers. The loyal disciple from Calcutta (Kolkata) was also a disciple of the late Pandit Gyan Prakash Ghosh and also accompanied some of the biggest names in Hindustani classical music, including Pandit Ravi Shankar, the late Pt. Nikhil Banerjee and Dr. Balamurali Krishnan, to name a few. Needless to say, in roughly 20 years, the Bengali artist known as Abhijit has done quite well in establishing himself as one of the elites in the realm of Indian classical music.

In talking with Buzzine, Abhijit spoke of how his career as one of India’s top classical musicians almost never came about, mostly because of how rare it is for individuals to pursue such artistic talents without a strong familial lineage or generational heritage in that specific craft. Luckily, Abhijit found a way to break with the norm and establish himself as one of the best Tabla and percussion soloists in the world.

“I don’t come from a family of musicians, but since childhood, I’ve always had a niche for music,” Abhijit told Buzzine about his career choice in an exclusive interview shortly after a rehearsal in Pasadena, California, adding that his businessman father offered some standard advise about whether to take on music as a profession. “My father told me, “You might become a musician, but it’s very odd in India to take music as a job or music as a profession.” You never know what’s going to happen.”

Such career insecurities weighed on Abhijit’s mind early on. Despite his passion and some early success as a Tabla player, what with the Indian-born artist taking on several performances during his first-ever visit to the United States during his collegiate days in the early 1980s, Abhijit still made an effort to pursue alternate career plans. After dabbing in percussion for a bit, the to-be full-time musician returned to college to take on his “safe” aspirations as a professional journalist.

While he enjoyed a budding writing career during his collegiate days, Abhijit came to a crossroads in 1991 when he was again invited to take the stage and grace audiences with his talented hands. The Kolkata-born Abhijit quickly realized he had a decision to make, as he knew he could not be both a journalist and a musician. After earning degrees in the late 1980s in English Literature and Journalism, the soft-spoken Tabla player ditched his journalism career and took the plunge and committed to music full-time.

“Journalism is a very demanding career. Music is too. So I had to choose one of those,” Abhijit humbly told Buzzine. “I chose music because it was what I liked the most. I was not sure I would get enough work, but I just took a chance and I am doing fine now.”

He is definitely “doing fine,” as the Bengali artist has since extensively toured the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Australia, South Africa and Mexico in addition to performing at music festivals and concert events throughout his native India. Among the famous venues Abhijit has been blessed to entertain audiences at are Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in the United States, as well as Europe’s renowned Gevant Haus (Germany), Paleis (Brussels) and Theatre de la Ville (Paris).

Even more, the Bengali musician has expanded into television by scoring numbers for a variety of small screen programs and serials. He also claimed the prestigious National Award for Documentary Music for the Kolkata-themed film The Trail, which screened at Munich and Amsterdam Film Festivals.

His talents were not limited to just Tabla and television music scoring — he also expanded his musical talents to include jazz by joining the Raga Jazz group, Arohi Ensemble. The founder of a touring ensemble entitled “Tarang,” Abhijit has also collaborated with internationally renowned musicians Ry Cooder, Larry Corryell and Trilok Gurtu.

Yet, perhaps his most promising venture is the music school he founded and established, the Dhwani Academy of Percussion in Los Angeles and Kolkata, where he teaches students from around the world in classical music and offers performance seminars and educational workshops.

In establishing an academic layer to his already expansive career that has crossed borders and generations, Abhijit understands that the legacy of what he has done must continue beyond the limitations of his life span in order to truly make a difference in the world through his immense God-given talents — and to that end, he shared with Buzzine his vision of how classical music can leave a positive mark in people’s individual and communal lives.

“While it is not for everyone, (the music) can be diluted to a form that is easy for everyone to understand,” he calmly explained. “Classical music brings you back to your root. It can elevate you to a (special) place.”

That special place is where Abhijit hopes to be taking his future disciples, as now a flock of nearly 100 young and aspiring musicians have come to him to be taught and inspired, just like him more than 20 years ago. A leading percussionist who has learned from the best, Abhijit has become the best — not only because he has honed in and perfected his craft, but also because he is sharing it with the world while teaching those eagerly waiting behind him how to continue to maintain the prestigious place Indian classical music holds in the world.