Sohini Music Organisation a legacy of Indian Classical Music

Team Chronicle

In the 1980s, a young sitarist Subhajit Majumdar embarked on a journey of organising Indian Classical Music Concerts at his palatial residence, the renowned ‘Beliaghata Sarkar Bari’. Among the esteemed musicians who graced the stage during those times was the virtuosic flute exponent Pt Nikhilesh Roy, the father of the renowned violin brothers, Debshankar and Jyotishankar, who was accompanied on the tabla by Pt Swapan Siva.

In 1988, Pt Debi Prasad Chatterjee performed a sitar recital within the serene inner courtyard of Sarkar Bari. Subhankar Banerjee, a young prodigy who would later rise to become India’s preeminent tabla player, Pt Subhankar Banerjee, gifted the audience with a solo tabla recital. The centenary celebration of Beliaghata Sarkar Bari’s Durga Puja in 1992 was marked by a grand five-day festival organised within the inner courtyard of the house. The day of Saptami was dedicated to Indian classical music and was curated by Subhajit Majumdar. Despite his advanced age, the legendary singer Pt A T Kanan, a true icon of Indian music, captivated the audience with a wondrous recital of the enchanting raga bageshree. He then proceeded to hansadhwani, showcasing his virtuosity with vilambit and culminating in the drut teen taal bandish “Laagi Lagan,” a composition that had gained immense popularity after his rendition in Ritwik Ghatak’s film ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara.’ Accompanying Pt Kanan on the harmonium was Pt Jyoti Goho, who was accompanied by Pt Sujit Saha on the tabla. Young Subhankar Banerjee performed a solo tabla lahara in Char Tal Ki Sawari, while Subhajit Majumdar performed raga hemant on the sitar, accompanied by Subhankar Banerjee on the tabla.

In 1994, Subhajit Majumdar organised a grand concert at the inner courtyard of Sarkar Bari. The program featured Pt Manas Chakraborty on vocal, Pt Debi Prasad Chatterjee on the sitar, and Pt Anindo Chatterjee accompanied both the artists on the tabla. Rimpa Siva, then a little girl of twelve years of age, was given the opportunity to perform a tabla lahara. This was her first major platform to showcase her skills, which later propelled her to become a celebrated tabla artist.

Subhajit Majumdar, after marrying Nupur, started organising classical musical events together under the banner of Sohini Music Organisation and held their inaugural event in 1999 at the same venue. The program featured Pt Sujit Saha delivering a solo tabla recital, Subhajit Majumdar showcasing a sitar recital, and the renowned footballer and commentator, Sukumar Samajpati, who was also a devoted singer, gracing the stage with a vocal recital. Subhajit and Nupur continued to organise several small concerts at Beliaghata Sarkar Bari.

In 2014, the Sohini Music Organisation presented a classical concert at the thakur dalan of Beliaghata Sarkar Bari, featuring Pt Arun Bhaduri on vocals and young Kalyan Majumdar, the son of Subhajit and Nupur, on the sitar.

In 2017, Sohini Music Organisation organised its classical concert, “Tantra Samaroha,” at Sukanta Mancha in Phoolbagan. The event showcased instrumental performances exclusively. The program commenced with a sitar ensemble performed by students of Pt Subhajit Majumdar. Following this, Indrayuddh Majumder performed a sarod recital, and Kalyan Majumdar gave a sitar recital. The concert concluded with a hansaveena recital by Pt Barun Kumar Pal. The legendary sarod maestro Padmabhushan Pt Buddhadev Das Gupta, well-known vocalist Padmashree Pt Vijay Kichlu and Pt Barun Kumar Pal were felicitated at the programme.

In 2022, Sohini Music Organisation presented its musical extravaganza, “Raag Rang,” at the Satyajit Ray Auditorium, ICCR, Calcutta. The program featured a sitar ensemble performed by students of Pt Subhajit Majumdar and Kalyan Majumdar. Pratham Chatterjee then took the stage for a sitar recital. The highlight of the event was a sitar recital by Kalyan Majumdar, accompanied by the virtuosic Pt Abhijit Banerjee on the tabla. The concert concluded with a captivating vocal recital by Pt Omkar Dadarkar. Pt Anindo Chatterjee, the renowned tabla maestro, Pt Sanjoy Mukherjee, the celebrated tabla maestro, and eminent sitarist Pt Partho Chatterjee were felicitated at the event.

This year, Sohini Music Organisation is organising its classical music concert, “Duet Festival,” on January 18, 2025, at the thakur dalan courtyard of Beliaghata Sarkar Bari, located at 69 Beliaghata Main Road, Kolkata – 700010. This unique concert will feature only duet performances. The program includes a vocal duet by Brajeswar Mukherjee and Anol Chatterjee accompanied by Kousik Banerjee on the tabla and Arpan Bhattacharya on the harmonium. There shall also be a sitar and flute duet by Kalyan Majumdar and S Akash, accompanied by Aarchik Banerjee on the tabla.  The concert will also showcase a tabla duet by Pt Gourisankar and Palash Sarkar, accompanied by Pt Sanatan Goswami on the harmonium, and a violin duet by Hindola Sinha and Sayan Sinha, accompanied by Arup Sengupta on the tabla. The concert is open to all.