Kankana Banerjee

Kankana Banerjee (born April 19, 1946) is an Indian Classical singer who trained under the tutelage of Indian classical vocalist Ustad Amir Khan in Lucknow. She has received several accolades and awards for her contribution to Hindustani classical music, including the State Government of Andhra Pradesh felicitation "Andhra Ratna Award (Kala Saraswati)" presented by Mother Teresa in 1987.

Biography

She was born in Bengali, to an affluent family in the city of Calcutta. Her mother, Mandira Chatterjee, was a disciple of Tarapada Chakraborty of Kolkata and Shrikrishna Narayan Ratanjankar of Lucknow. Her grandfather was Radha Kamal Mukherjee, sociologist and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lucknow.[1] Kankana Banerjee began Hindustani Classical music training early in her career under the influence and supervision of her mother. In 1955, she began training under Ustad Amir Khan, who hailed from the Indore Gharana.[2] She gave her first public performance at the age of fourteen in the year 1960.[3]

Career

She performed the Darbari Kanara 'Tarana' created by Ustad Amir khan in the style of Amir Khusrau (HMV studio, Bombay).[4] The track was published by HMV on a special record ‘Multifaceted genius of Amir Khusrau’. It was released to commemorate the 7th Centenary celebrations of the poet.[5]

Kankana Banerjee became a disciple of Pandit Pratap Narain who belonged to the Mewati Gharana. She has received numerous accolades during her career including the "Kala Saraswati Andhra Ratna Award" from the Government of Andhra Pradesh, presented to her by Mother Teresa.[6]

She has also worked as a playback singer, recording songs based on classical ragas for the films Ram Teri Ganga Maili and Id Mubaraq.[7]

Marriage and children

Kankana Banerjee married Sunil Kumar Banerjee, another disciple of Ustad Amir Khan, at the age of 17. Together they had two children, a daughter and a son. Shortly after the birth of their son, when Kankana Banerjee 21, her husband passed away. Kankana Banerjee never remarried.[1]

Honours, decorations, awards and distinctions
Year Awards and Honours
1969 Sur Mani - Swami Haridas Sammelan, Bombay[8]
1987 Kala Saraswati - Government of Andhra [9]
1985 Bhatkhande Sangeet Mahotsava, Lucknow[10]
1973 Swami Haridas Sangeet Sammelan, Vrindavan[11]
1979, 1980, 1985, 1990 Pune Sawai Gandharva Sammelan[12]
1978 and 2015 All India Radio Sangeet Sammelan[13][14]
1986 Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's 'Apna Utsav festival in Delhi and Bombay[15]
1978 Begum Akhtar Festival[16][17][18]
1978 - 2018 Sankat Mochan Samaraho, Varanasi[19]
1971 I.T.C. Sangeet Sabha[20][21][22]
1985 Punyatithi of late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Safdarjang Road, New Delhi[9]
1987 Mysore Darbar Hall, in the presence of the Indian President R. Venkataraman[9]
1985 I.C.C.R. Samaraho,[23] in the presence of the Indian President R. Venkataraman[9]
2016 The Kirana Gharana Award, named after Ustad Faiyaz and Niyaz Ahmad Khan [18]

References
  1. "Dr. Radha kamal Mukherjee is the grand father of Kankana Banerjee".
  2. "Gramophone Celebrities" (PDF). The Record News- Journal of the Society of Indian Record Collectors', Mumbai. 2008: 10. 2008.
  3. "Kankana Banerjee started her career".
  4. "The Gramophone Company of India (HMV) Records Listing". piezoelektric.org.
  5. "Kankana Banerjee performance at 7th centenary celebration of the poet Amir Khusro at HMV studio".
  6. "South Asian Outlook - An Independent e-Monthly". www.southasianoutlook.com. Retrieved 2018-05-10.
  7. Shukla, Vandana (2003-10-23). "Singing notes of melody - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  8. "Singing notes of melody - Times of India". The Times of India. 31 October 2003.
  9. "South Asian Outlook - An Independent e-Monthly". www.southasianoutlook.com.
  10. "Bhatkhande Music Institute Deemed University – BMIDU". bhatkhandemusic.edu.in. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  11. "Haridas Sangeet Sammelan Mumbai free mp3 download". tzzmp3s.download.
  12. "Programs in 1980 - sawai gandharva bhimsen mahotsav". sawaigandharvabhimsenmahotsav.com.
  13. "Listing". allindiaradio.gov.in. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  14. Krishnan, Lalithaa; Swaminathan, G. (15 October 2015). "There was music in the AIR" – via www.thehindu.com.
  15. "National Cultural Festival turns out to be a red carpet mela for VVIP's only". India Today.
  16. "Begum Akhtar Centenary Commemoration Festival | Ministry of Culture, Government of India". www.indiaculture.nic.in. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  17. IANS (2014-10-03). "Music festival to celebrate 100 years of Begum Akhtar". Business Standard India. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  18. "Candid views on 'change' - The Statesman". The Statesman. 20 February 2016.
  19. "SANKAT MOCHAN HANUMAN TEMPLE VARANASI". timesofindia.speakingtree.in.
  20. "ITC Sangeet Research Academy :: Home". www.itcsra.org. Retrieved 2018-05-10.
  21. "ITC Sangeet Research Academy - Tribute Maestro". www.itcsra.org.
  22. http://www.itcsra.org/Raga-Online.aspx Select singer
  23. "Sangeet Nritya Samaroh (Vol.II)". National Cultural Audiovisual Archives. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
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