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.

BEGUM PARVEEN SULTANA SINGS FOR HINDI FILMS

Begum Parveen Sultana is the top rank classical vocalist of India.She hails from Assam but sings Hindustani classical of Patiala Gharana.She gives perfection to the songs keeping its Bhav and Ras in tune with the Raga she selects for singing.I have attended  her first  live concert in Kanpur in March,1972.It is always a pleasure to listen to her singing,may be a Khayal,Bhajan,Thumri or Tarana,or even a film song.She can expand her singing to all the three octaves of music,very brilliantly.
Let me list here her film songs,which are very less in number but all are different in style.She first sang a duet with Asha Bhosle in film PARWANA(1971).Music Director Madan Mohan composed it in raga गौड़  मल्हार .The song is"पिया  की  गली  लागे  भली ,रोको  ना सखी  जिया  बस  में  नहीं ..."   

 During same period she did a duet, for music director Usha Khanna ,with Suman Kalyanpur"राम करे मोरे सैयां हों ऐसे ..."in film: KHOJ(1971). She also sang two thumris for music director Naushad in film PAKEEZAH(1972).One of it "कौन  गली  गए  श्याम .."is being presented here:

The other one was "वन वन  बोले कोयलिया...". With music director Jaidev Parveen Sultana  worked in film DO BOOND PANI and sang a duet"पीतल  की  मोरी  गागरी ...."alongwith Minoo Purushottam.

 Razia Sultan was a grand movie of director Kamal Amrohi and on the occasion of coronation of Razia on the throne of Delhi a big feast was shown  in the film,in which Parveen Sultana also sang with her husband Ustad Mohd.Dilshad Khan,Jagjit Kaur,Sulakshana Pandit,Niyaz Ahmad Khan & Faiyyaz Ahmad Khan,"शुभ  घडी  आयी रे ..."

 Later in 1981 She sang a tandem in raga मालकौंस  with R.D.Burman,"हमें  तुमसे  प्यार है  कितना ये हम नहीं  जानते ,मगर जी नहीं सकते तुम्हारे बिना .." which was more effective than its male version sung by Kishore Kumar.

 Let us see the video clip from film RAZIA SULTAN showing the grandure of the scene how matches with the song composed in raga बागेश्री  by music director Khaiyyam. 

In recent years her thumri in raga भैरवी  sung with Ajai Chakravarty in film GADAR."आन  मिलो  सजना .." is worth listening.

The next clip will reveal her clarity and perfection in singing.This is her famous भैरवी  भजन ,'भवानी  दयानी महा वाक् वानी सुर नर मुनि जन मानी ,सकल बुद्ध ज्ञानी ,भवानी  ...'