Samta Prasad | |
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 Samta Prasad accompanying sitar playerShahid Parvez Khan | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Samta Prasad Mishra |
| Also known as | Gudai Maharaj |
| Born | (1921-07-20)20 July 1921 |
| Origin | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh |
| Died | 31 May 1994(1994-05-31) (aged 72) |
| Genres | Indian classical music |
| Instrument | Tabla |
Samta Prasad (Hindi :पण्डित सामता प्रसाद; 20 July 1921 – 31 May 1994)[1] was anIndian classical musician andtabla player from theBenares gharana.[2][3] He played tabla in manyHindi films including,Meri Surat Teri Ankhen (1963) andSholay (1975), and film music composersRahul Dev Burman andBappi Lahiri were his disciples.[3][4]
He was the son of Hari Sundarrr, also known as Bachaa Mishra, his grandfather was Jagannath Mishra, and his ancestors included Pratap Maharaj, also known as Gudai Maharaj.[5]
He was awarded theSangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1979, given by theSangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama and thePadma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour given byGovt. of India in 1991.[6][7]
Pandit Samta Prasad was born on 20 July 1921, inKabir chaura,Banaras (Varanasi),Uttar Pradesh into a family steeped in the tradition oftabla andpakhawaj ofBenaras gharana, sometimes referred asPoorab baaj school.[8][9]
His preliminarytaalim (training) began with his father, who died when Samta Prasad Ji was just seven. Thereafter, he took the discipleship of Bikku Maharaj, himself a disciple of Baldev Sahai, and began to practice for long hours daily.[10]
Pt. Samta Prasad gave his first major performance at the "Allahabad Sangeet Sammelan" in 1942, where he impressed the musicians present there,[11] and soon established himself as an accompanist as well as a soloist.
Throughout his career, he performed in various parts of India, such asKolkata,Mumbai,Chennai andLucknow. He also represented the Indian cultural team while abroad, in such places as France, Russia andEdinburgh.
He also played thetabla inHindi films like,Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje,Meri Surat Teri Ankhen,Basant Bahar,Asamapta andSholay. It is believed that music director,S.D. Burman postponed the recording of the song,"Nache mora manwa magan tikta dhighi dhighi" being sung byMohd. Rafi in the filmMeri Surat Teri Aakhen until the arrival of Pandit Samta Prasad from Banaras.[12]
He died in May 1994 inPune, India. He was on a visit to Pune to conduct a coaching workshop organized by Naad Roop. The workshop was a success, but Panditji's unexpected demise left a permanent scar on the minds of those who attended the workshop.[citation needed]
He was awarded "Padma Shri" in the year 1972, and received the "Sangeet Natak Akademi Award" in 1979 and the President Scholarship in 1987. He achieved thePadma Bhushan in 1991.[13]
Amongst his noted disciples are Pandit Bhola Prasad Singh, Patna, Pandit Shashanka Shekhar Bakshi, Nitin Chatterjee, Naba Kumar Panda, Rahul Dev Burman (R.D.Burman, Gurmit Singh Virdee, Partha Sarathi Mukherjee, Satyanarayan Bashisht, (Late) Pandit Chandrakant Kamat, Pt. Manikrao Popatkar and Pt. Samta Prasad's son - (Late) Pandit Kumar Lal Mishra who died recently,[when?] a noted tabla player himself. Famous composer Bappi Lahiri was his disciple too.[10]
"1991: 27. Samta Prasad" (Official spelling)
12. ^ Life history of thePandit Gudai Maharaj.
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