New Delhi: Hailing from the revered Dhrupad Gharana, Sumeet Anand Pandey is all set to bring alive the magic of the most ancient form of Indian Classical Singing – Dhrupad, that dates back to the fifteenth century – in front of the millennials this December with the virtual launch of his album – Morning Meditation – Darbhanga Dhrupad Tradition.
As the tenth generation singer of Darbhanga Dhrupad Tradition, Sumeet has harbingered a renaissance of sorts with this launch. During the tough covid era, why should ears be deprived of choicest of Indian Classical melodies? And what better way than going online in order to connect the youth of the nation with their rich cultural heritage!
The album is launched on Naxos World (now part of ARC Music, UK) and available for online streaming on leading platforms. https://smarturl.it/morningmeditation
Beautifully designed CDs with Madhubani Paintings on its cover can be ordered online. As the title suggests, the album has morning raga Ahir Bhairav as the main track. An extended Dhrupad alap followed by a composition set to choutal, ‘Shyam Sundar ko Pratah Samay’ takes listeners into a meditative and spiritual state. Additional track is an uplifting sargam ki Bandish in raga Bhairav set to sooltal. Pakhawaj accompaniment is provided by Pandit Radheshyam Sharma.
Great grandson of Musical Maestro Bihar Ratna Pandit Ram Prasad Pandey, Sumeet is a privileged soul to have acquired training under grandfather Shri Birendra Mohan Pandey with occasional guidance from maternal grandfather Padma Shree Pandit Siyaram Tiwari, thereby providing Sumeet with not just the inherent qualities, but also the skill set to have a rich understanding of the art form and a very strong foundation. He has formally trained in Dhrupad under Guru-Shishya Parampara from living legend, senior most artist of Darbhanga tradition, Dhrupad Maestro, Pt Abhay Narayan Mallick, Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee and top grade AIR artist.
With the release of his debut Dhrupad album, Sumeet yearns to take responsibility to propagate a tradition that has conquered the test of time and eras and to those who seek to quench their palette with the ragas and alaps of Dhrupad music.
About Sumeet Anand Pandey: Sumeet is a Science Grad, holds a Master’s degree in Advertising, a Doctorate in Management and has worked as a brand manager in a reputed MNC! But then, there is something they call destiny and one’s true calling. Perhaps, that is exactly what Sumeet Anand paid heed to and let his “Antardhvani” (which was also the name of his musical band in college) reveal itself. His true musical legacy has played a great role in his finding of himself and has helped him in nurturing his talent to yet another level.
One of the most promising Dhrupad artists today, Sumeet devoted himself to musical training after completing his education under the wing of Pandit Abhay Narayan Mallick (grandnephew and master disciple of Padma Shree Pt. Ram Chatur mallick) who polished him into a professional Dhrupadiya. Sumeet believes in keeping up with the traditional form of Dhrupad thus emphasizing on the melodic expanse and composition equally. His layakari leaves the audience spellbound! As a devotee of music, Sumeet bestows himself to it in the form of research work, his management experience, as an organizer, festival curator, speaker, musician, writer, thinker, trainer and as a humble human being. He collaborates with artists from various genres within India and worldwide to create new music and to cultivate the art.
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