KANKANA BANERJEE-A BRILLIANT HINDUSTANI CLASSICAL VOCALIST

Smt. Kankana Banerjee

Kankana being awarded by the hands of Mother Teressa

Kankana with her Guru Ustad Amir Khan

Kankana with Pt. Pratap Narayan

Her first LP -record from HMV(1980)

Kankana Banerjee is an eminent classical vocalist of our countrywho has a sonourously rich and pliant voice.She is capable of synthesizing the aesthetics in her singing.When I got a chance to attend her concert in 1987 in Kanpur,I knew the beauty of her artful and pleasant singing which keeps the audience spell bound for hours.By that time Pt. Pratap Narayan( elder brother of Pt. Jasraj and father of film actress and singer Sulakshana Pandit) was accompanying her.In those years she was getting groomed in the intricacies of singing of Mewati Gharana from him.By that time she had got recorded an LP for HMV and also had sung a 'Tarana' in raga Darbari and a 'Drut-Khayal' in raga Yaman Kalyan in jugalbandi with Pt. Pratap Narayan,for an LP 'A Multifacet Genius Of Amir Khusaro'.I cannot resist to present here at least one composition from her each record :  

This tarana is the creation of Ustad Amir Khan Saheb,incorporating the Persian verses of Amir Khusaro"Yare man beya beya,baalabam rashid janam, tubhye aa ke zinda manam,........".Kankana Ji is the disciple of Ustad Amir Khan (Indore Gharana) and very confidenly sings all the Bandishes of her Ustad.You may see her khayal singing, resembling exactly with Ustad Amir Khan's raga Malkauns:

On stage she sings so well and without stress that everyone enjoys the real music.Her systematic Vistaar of raga,racy Taans and clear Bol are the qualities which very few vocalists have got.I remember that an organisation invited her in Kanpur in 1989,1991,1994 and 1995,on the repeated request of the people.She has recieved many Awards and Recognitions,so far and is busy in  her frequent visits to UK,CANADA,USA,MIDDLE- EAST and definitely all over the country.She is a very brilliant improviser of the singing qualities of three Gharanas in her presentations.She learnt Kirana Gharana style from her mother,Indore Gharana style from Ustad Amir Khan and Mewati Gharana style from Pt.Pratap Narayan.Two  vocal numbers are being given from her recent concerts in foreign countries:

There is no limit to write about an artist like her.She never got interested in singing for films.But on Sri Raj Kapoor's request, she sang a Thumri in raga Bhairavi"Saiyyan saiyyan saiyyan ratati main dolun.....",in jugalbandi with Nirmala Devi(film star Govinda's mother) in film 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili'.I still remember her  vocal concerts of Kanpur and wish to get a chance like that again and again.