Listen: A Tribute To Dhruba Ghosh (1957-2017), A Rounded Musician Whose First Love Was The Sarangi

Not Set/ Listen: A tribute to Dhruba Ghosh (1957-2017), a rounded musician whose first love was the sarangi

In the past, this column has included a series of articles on sarangi solo recitals. These articles featured maestros who contributed to the field during the 20th century. But succeeding generations have also seen extremely talented sarangi players who have chosen to present solo recitals in addition to accompanying vocalists. One of the key figures […]

In the past, this column has included a series of articles on sarangi solo recitals.

These articles featured maestros who contributed to the field during the 20th century. But succeeding generations have also seen extremely talented sarangi players who have chosen to present solo recitals in addition to accompanying vocalists. One of the key figures in this context was Dhruba Ghosh, who concentrated on solo recitals over the past few decades. Sadly, he died of a heart attack on Tuesday, his untimely demise leaving many of his musical dreams unfulfilled.

Son and disciple of the illustrious tabla maestro Nikhil Ghosh, Dhruba Ghosh trained in vocal music and tabla before shifting to sarangi. He had one lesson from Mohammad Sagiruddin Khan, but he created his own identity as a sarangi soloist after incorporating elements from a variety of sources. For instance, he was influenced by sarangi wizard Bundu Khan’s recordings and by styles created by trendsetter vocalists Amir Khan and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. The tonal quality that he preferred suggested an influence of sarangi maestro Ram Narayan.

Here is a link to an exposition of the raag Jog followed by a short presentation in the raag Jogiya. Tabla accompaniment is provided by well-known tabla player Yogesh Samsi.

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