Abhik Mukherjee
Abhik Mukherjee is a Kolkata-born sitar player of the Etawah-Imdadkhani gharana. He was initiated to sitar at the age of six by his father, Sri Tarit Mukherjee, and later learnt from Sri Bimal Chatterjee, while simultaneously receiving vocal instruction from Sri Kaylan Bose. He has since taken talim from Pandit Arvind Parikh and Pandit Kashinath Mukherjee, themselves disciples of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan. He is a gold medalist in musicology from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, and has also received a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture, India.
Abhik’s first public performance was at the age of nine at the Governor’s House, Kolkata. He has since performed in ten countries on four continents. Abhik currently lives in New York City and is a founding member of Brooklyn Raga Massive, an Indian classical music artists’ collective and Om Shalom Trio, a Jewish and Bengali folk fusion group. He is also the director of academic affairs at Chhandayan School of Music.
No submissions for Beyond Music Project Volume 4.
Inspired by Lincoln Nigun, Peaceful Tide is the coalescence of Indian and Western Classical music,Jewish and Bengali Folk music.It is a musical expression of our potential to connect with one another; bridge cultural, religious, and geopolitical divides. The three instruments featured in this composition are the Sitar,Cello,and Tabla.The two string instruments alternate as the central melodic expressions, and a musical dialog. Sitar begins the conversation on a melody followed by Tabla with a rhythm then Cello joins in with first improvisation.
As a musician, I view conflict as a catalyst for creativity. Music itself is an expression of conflict: musical notes and instruments play against and with one another to articulate a thought, at times harmonious and at times discordant. Dance Arabia is a combination of Bangladeshi Folk and Middle Eastern music traditions. The dominant driving force in this composition is a syncopated rhythm. The Riq drum creates an upbeat rhythmic structure which is continued by the Tabla and melody, played by Cello and Sitar, follows the rhythmic structure.
“Ma” was written as a series of pieces inspired by a baby’s first syllables by Jessie Reagen Mann. Ma, a common sound in a mother’s name in many languages, was written with the feeling of joy that a baby can bring a mother. Parenthood brings many emotions, often resulting in conflicting thoughts for a mother postpartum. The simplicity of this melody, combined with the complex harmonies and sounds of the Cello, Sitar and Tabla, paint a beautiful complex world in which a child enters.
No submissions for Beyond Music Project Volume 2.
No submissions for Beyond Music Project Volume 1.