Radhika Samson - Odissi Dance
Ramanan - Hansaveena
Aditya Phatak -Tabla
Come join us at the Chhandayan Center for a performance featuring Odissi Dance and an instrumental performance on the Hansaveena - a unique instrument based on the guitar. The performance will also be streamed live.
Radhika Samson
Sitar player and Odissi dancer , Radhika Samson is an accomplished performing artist based in New Delhi. She is an empanelled artist of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations . She has received a Nritya Bhushan from Pracheen Kala Kendra and is an alumna of the prestigious Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University. She is the founder of Sadhana- School of Music , Dance and Arts, which promotes the arts and has brought together several young artists and promoted their cause. Radhika has dedicated numerous years to the field of art and worked consistently towards building a stronger foundation in music and dance, while popularising and propagating Indian Classical arts amongst the current generation.
Radhika has been an immensely talented dancer since childhood. Seeing her inherent passion for music and dance, her parents channelized her interests and initiated her into the classical art form, ‘Odissi’. Their encouragement and support further gave her the opportunity to develop a keen interest in the performing and creative field. Radhika received her initial training from Guru Dilip Mohapatra. During the course of her rigorous training with Guru Dilip Kumar Mohapatra, prestigious performances began coming her way. With her determination and sincerity she blossomed into a proficient and professional Odissi dancer. Radhika’s performances in prestigious platforms have been highly appreciated. She gained popularity and recognition amongst critics and connoisseurs, for her remarkable confidence and grace in blending abhinaya and nritta in its pure form. Currently Radhika is taking advanced training under the tutelage of Smt. Sujata Mohapatra, leading soloist and disciple of Late PadmaVibhushan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra. She is training many young talents at her school- Sadhana. Radhika is known for her creative abilities and innovations in Odissi . Her prowess , for envisaging new concepts and choreographies has been widely acknowledged. Radhika has imbibed the purity, aesthetic spirit and sensibility of Odissi Dance through many years of her disciplined training. She promises to carry on the rich tradition of Odissi dance through her dedication and commitment.
Ramanan
Ramanan Venkatraman, also known as Ven Ram, is a Producer, Musician and Song Writer based in New Delhi, India. Ram is a person with immense love for sound and music. He has been active in the music circle since a very young age from the beginning of his musical career. His knowledge for music and sound grew over a period of time and this led to him developing his own style of guitar playing and composing.
While studying audio engineering in the Chennai, he got the opportunity to meet and work with eminent artists, music directors, film directors and audio engineers. Owing to his creative working style and strong technical base, Ram has earned a lot of popularity and appreciation from numerous musicians as well as established studios.
Ramanan was a senior disciple of the late Pandit Barun Kumar Pal (Guruji) and trained in the true Guru Shishya Parampara. On many occasions he has given various performances with the guidance and love from Guruji. The style of playing would mostly be termed as the Senia Maihar Gharana Style, however, Ramanan says that mostly it is Guruji's style, which includes everything from the Gharana without fail, but it also has a touch of his musical sense in such a way that it sounds like a completely different world and side of music altogether. Ramanan has expanded his horizons with this instrument and is developing a new dimension with his creative abilities.
In 2014, Ramanan, along with two of his close associates, Radhika Samson (Odissi Dancer & Sitar Player) & Pranav Ramji (Tabla Player), started a Performing arts school called, Sadhana – School of Music, Dance & Arts. The school has more than 150 students learning various art forms. Courses offered at Sadhana are very diverse. It’s teaching philosophy is based on experiential learning. Sadhana focuses on building performing skills and thus organizes events every month to give opportunities to the young budding talents to perform. All these innovation came from the Ram’s personal attachment towards music and stage performances.
Aditya Phatak
Aditya Phatak is a young student of Indian music, with special aptitude in Tabla. He started playing tabla at the age of two, even before he was tall enough to reach the drums. He was initially inspired by his grandfather Deepak Phatak and guided by his uncle Shivraj Phatak. Since February of 2008, when he was four years old, he came under the loving mentorship of Pt. Samir Chatterjee in the formal Guru-Shishya (master-disciple) relationship. Seven years into his talim (grooming), through utmost sincerity and diligence, Aditya qualified to make his entry into the field of performance. His music is certainly worth listening to. He is also studying Hindustani Classical vocal music with Smt. Rucha Jambhekar.