Musical Nirvana - Home Search Hindustani Carnatic Ghazals
 Search Site   
CD   
Advanced Forums

Pt Radhika Mohan Moitra (1917-1981)

Dates 13-Feb-1917 to 1981
Genre Hindustani - Ghulam Ali Gharana (Murad Ali Branch)
Instrument Sarod

  Profile
  Discography
  Related Artists
  Links

Profile

Pt Radhika Mohan Moitra is one of the most celebrated Bengali musicians of the 20th century. An expert in Sarod he developed his own style to expand on the Murad Ali branch of Ghulam Ali Sarod Gharana. For long he was the voice of the music scene in Calcutta along with his friend and famous Tabla player Pt. Jnan Prakash Ghosh.

Radhubabu as he was fondly called by his many disciples and followers, was born in Calcutta in 1917 into a rich family. Due to his immense interest in music, he took up music as his profession, first learning under Ustad Amir Khan who belonged to the Murad Ali line of Ghulam Ali (Bangash) Sarod Gharana, also called Shahajahanpur Gharana. Later he trained under Ustad Dabir Khan of Rampur Gharana, who was a Dhrupadiya.

Ever an experimentalist, Radhubabu combined the the stylist elements of the two schools to develop his own style. This style complements the style Maihar style developed by Allaudin Khan. Radhubabu's Jod always settled into the three beat gait. He also played Jhala and Ulta-Jhala after the concluding part of the Alap portion. Pt. Radhika Mohan Moitra would attempt some Raga Vistar after delivery of the Sthayi, and this is traced to the influence of his Dhrupad Taalim. He also used Todas in profusion while playing the faster portions of Vilambit and Madhya Laya Gats. He was considered to be one of those who have complete control over the technique.

Among many of his disciples is the famous sarod master Pt Buddhadev Das Gupta and Sitar master Subrato Roy Choudhary. Naturally Jnanbabu received several awards including Sangeet Natak Akademi award from the Govt of India in 1972.


Related Artists

Teachers & Influences Ustad Amir Khan, Ustad Dabir Khan
Disciples & Followers Pt Buddhadev Das Gupta, Subrato Roy Choudhary
Similar Artists Ali Akbar Khan, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
Worked With Pt Jnan Prakash Ghosh

Links

The web page will open in a new window

   Musical Nirvana . com Top Last Updated on 12-May-2003