Vocal - Mitali Bhawmik

Tabla - Samir Chatterjee

Harmonium - Kedar Naphade

Come join us at the Chhandayan Center for an evening Vocal Performance by Mitali Bhawmik. This is Chhandayan’s annual fundraising event, so the concert will be preceded by a meet-and-greet at 7 pm with some finger food provided. We are raising money for Chhandayan’s new space and to support our cause. The concert will also be streamed live.

Mitali (Banerjee) Bhawmik 

Mitali (Banerjee) Bhawmik, an artiste of Hindustani Classical vocal music, was born in Nogaon, Assam, India. She started her initial lessons in music at an early age under tutor Sri Ajit Dutta. Later she had the privilege of receiving extensive training in Hindustani Classical vocal music from Late Pandit Biren Phukan in Guahati of Assam. For further training, Mitali moved to Kolkata in 1983 where she initially received lessons from Late Vidushi Meera Banerjee the highly acclaimed vocalist of that time. Since 1985 Mitali was under the tutelage of Late Padmabhushan Pandit V. G. Jog, the famous violin maestro. Mitali has also been receiving advanced training in semi-classical music from Smt. Dalia Rahut, a senior disciple of Vidushi Girija Devi, a legend of Indian Classical Music. Pandit Jog's vast and extensive experience in the different musical styles and traditions have helped Mitali to blend the best of a few styles (Gharanas) in her music in contrast to sticking to a single traditional Gharana. This has been the essence of Pandit Jog's philosophy in music and training methodology.

Mitali has performed in several concerts at prestigious venues in India, USA, UK, Amsterdam, and Germany and she has recently performed in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in Australia. A detailed list and information on career, please visit her website at mitalibhawmik.com. Her melodious voice and perfect rendition of the "ragas" have won her numerous laurels and appreciation from listeners and institutions. She also performed as a playback singer in Mira Nair’s acclaimed 2006 Indo-American drama film “The Namesake” (based on Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel ‘The Namesake’) which was released in USA in 2007. She has four CD albums of pure classical and semi-classical music (Thumri, Dadra, Kajri, Hori etc.), among others, to her credit. In her debut album Vandana, she was accompanied on the violin by her Guru Padmabhushan Pandit V. G. Jog.
 

Mitali is the Director of ‘Ethnomedia Music Studio’ (two centers in NJ, at Bridgewater & at Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Kendal Park) where she teaches and promotes Hindustani Classical Music to the younger generation in USA. She and her students have won the prestigious New Jersey Council of the Arts grant for 7 years. She is the recipient of the 2021 Excellence in the Arts Award from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission. Mitali also founded ‘Raag-Rang’, a non-profit organization which is promoting music in the community by arranging concerts by musicians from USA and India. 

Samir Chatterjee

Samir Chatterjee is a virtuoso Tabla player. He travels widely across the world throughout the year performing in numerous festivals as a soloist or with other outstanding musicians from both Indian and non-Indian musical traditions. Samir performed at the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway. He also performed at the UN General Assembly. His compositions are widely acclaimed as well as his writings. Samir is a firm believer in the transforming effect of music on the society and all aspects of his work reflects this conviction.    

Chatterjee began his studies early with Bankim Ghosh, Balaram Mukherjee, Rathin Dhar and Md. Salim. His later formation as a musician occurred under the guidance of Amalesh Chatterjee and Shyamal Bose. All of Samir's teachers have been from the Farrukhabad Gharana of Tabla-playing, which he now represents. 

Samir can be heard on numerous recordings featuring as soloist, accompanying many of India's greatest musicians and in collaboration with western musicians of outstanding caliber. In concert Samir has accompanied many of India's greatest musicians including Ravi Shankar, Vilayat Khan, Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Nikhil Banerjee, V.G. Jog, Shivkumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia, M. S. Gopalakrishnan, Amjad Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan, Lakshmi Shankar, L. Subramanium, U Srinivas, Shujaat Khan, Shahid Parvez, Ajoy Chakraborty, Rashid Khan, Kaushiki Chakraborty, to name only a few. 

Samir Chatterjee has been a catalyst in the fusion of Indian and Non-Indian music, in his own creations and others as well. He has performed with Pauline Oliveros, William Parker, Branford Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane, Joshua Bell, David Liebman, Ned Rothenberg, Mark Dresser, Dance Theater of Harlem, Boston Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, and other jazz, classical and Avant guard musicians and ensembles. He also collaborates with Sufi-Rock singer Salman Ahmad of Junoon from Pakistan. He is the composer and director of Tablaphilia, Indo-Flame, Chhand-Anand, RabiThakur, Meghadootam, and Dawn to Dusk and Beyond. He performs with Sanjay Mishra on his CD "Blue Incantation" featuring Jerry Garcia as guest artist. 

Kedar Naphade

Kedar Naphade (born Jan 10, 1972) received preliminary training in Hindustani Classical Music from his grandfather, Shri Dadasaheb Naphade and from Shri Arvind Gajendragadkar. Since the age of 9, he has been a disciple of Late Pt. Tulsidas Borkar, arguably the greatest harmonium player of our times. Kedar has also had the privilege of training from Late Smt. Padmavati Shaligram-Gokhale, a veteran singer of the Atrauli-Jaipur gharana. She played a pivotal role in his musical development and sowed in him the seed that developed into a passionate love for the vocal art form. As such, like his guru Pt. Tulsidas Borkar, Kedar's music derives inspiration from the character of the traditional Hindustani vocal art form, as well as the dexterous harmonium wizardry of Pt. Borkar and his guru P. Madhukar—a genius and pioneer in harmonium performance technique. In addition to classical music, Kedar also plays the semi-classical forms of Marathi Natyasangeet (Stage Music), Bhajans, Thumri, Dhun etc.
Kedar has performed harmonium solo and has accompanied vocalists at numerous concerts in India, Europe and in the U.S. including prestigious festivals and venues such as the Alladiya Khan Smruti Samaroha, Dadar Matunga Cultural Center in Mumbai, The Lincoln Center in New York, The Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C etc. He has also been featured on NPR.

He has shared the stage with luminaries such as his guru Smt. Padmavati Shaligram-Gokhale, Pt. Jasraj, Smt. Veena Sahasrabuddhe, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Smt. Prabha Atre, Smt. Laxmi Shankar, Pt. Phiroz Dastur, Smt. Ashwini Bhide, Smt. Arati Ankalikar, Smt. Kaushiki Chakraborty and others. Kedar continues to maintain an active concert schedule and teach the next generation fo harmonium players in the US and Canada.

Come celebrate Diwali with us in Princeton, NJ

Chhandayan Diwali Celebration: featuring music, dance and other types of performances.

Sitting: Mostly sitting on chairs.
Dress Code: Festive.
Food and beverage: There will be snacks, meal and beverage available for purchase.

The event will start at 2 pm and end at 8 pm.

There will be fun activities set up in the adjacent room for youth, we encourage children to please participate in Rangoli decoration, craft and games. 

Program in the main hall:

Welcome
     Few words about Chhandayan

     Light Diya candles 

Chhandayan New York Tabla Ensemble
     Disha Das, Aditya Prasad, Kajol Chatterjee, Aditya Kumar, Suma Swaminathan

Chhandayan New Jersey Tabla Ensemble 

     , Ishaan Freeman, Keyur Thakar, Shiv Gandhi, Achal, Shiv Sharma, Harshal Joshi, Ravi Sood

      
Chhandayan Vocal Ensemble (NY, NJ, CT)

Tabla Duet - Aneesh Joshi and Aditya Joshi
Tabla Duet - Rahul Modi and Adarsh Tolat
Tabla Solo - Brandon Ram

4.15 pm - Debate: Deliberate Practice VS Dedicated Practice 

o   Five participants will be chosen for each side of the topic,
o   Each participant will be given 3 minutes to speak,
o   All Chhandayan Students are welcome and encouraged to participate, 

o   Moderator - TBD

Dinner Break

Deepsankar Bhattacharya - sitar,
Rohan Dasgupta - sitar.
Subrata Bhattacharya - tabla 

The Sensory Experiences of Indian Music
A Chhandayan Production
Out of a three-week residency

Supported by the New York State Council on the Arts

Steve Gorn (bansuri)
Kaustuv Kanti Ganguli (Voice)
Vinay Desai (Santoor)
Samir Chatterjee (Tabla)
Priyanka Tope (Dance)
Adam Taylor (light design)
Sharv Dave (Scientific research)

Prakriti – Nature
Samay – Time
Rasa – Essence, Emotion, Mood

You are warmly invited to an immersive performance of sound, silence, and sensorial depth to be presented by Chhandayan at Shanti Mandir, 51 Muktananda Drive, Walden NY 12586, Sunday July 20 at 4pm.

This presentation will mark the culmination of our three-week residency on The Sensory Experiences of Indian Music, graciously supported by the New York State Council on the Arts. During these three weeks, we have been exploring the affects of Indian music through  sensory integration.

We would like to share the essence of our probe in a 90-minute multi-sensory performance, followed by space for reflections, and a shared dinner with the artists.

To honor the subtlety of this offering, we kindly request that guests:

• Arrive 30 minutes early to settle into the quietness of the space,

• Avoid socializing upon arrival, and embrace a gentle, inward presence,

• Arrive fresh, free from odor or fragrance,

• Arrive free from lingering taste in the palate,

• Wear white cotton or natural-fiber clothing — soft textures that invite stillness and allow sound to be absorbed rather than deflected,

• Refrain from the use of mobile phones and similar devices, for any purpose and adding sound to the performance,

• Participate in a post-performance online survey/feedback.

Because of the nature of the performance, it cannot be streamed. Please do not expect any spoken words to precede the performance.   

This won't be just a performance; it is expected to be an attunement — of inner and outer worlds, of breath and vibration — a shared field of resonance.

Admission is free, but space is limited.

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to info@chhandayan.org as soon as possible so we can plan for seating and attendance. Please wait for a reply from us.

Music as a Multisensory Experience

Music has a remarkable ability to engage multiple senses simultaneously, creating a rich, holistic sensory experience. Auditory stimulation combines with physical movement and emotional response to activate diverse pathways in the brain. Beyond the auditory system, music engages tactile, visual, and proprioceptive senses, offering a dynamic and layered sensory input.

One of music’s unique strengths lies in its ability to influence how we process sensory information. The steady rhythms and repetitive structures found in music help coordinate and organize sensory input—especially beneficial for individuals with sensory processing challenges. Music provides a predictable and structured environment, supporting self-regulation, attention, and focus. It can also help modulate levels of alertness, making it easier to adapt to various sensory stimuli.

Benefits of Music in Sensory Integration

Music offers a wide range of benefits when integrated into sensory-based practices. Its ability to engage multiple senses simultaneously makes it a powerful tool for enhancing sensory processing, motor development, emotional regulation, and social connection.

One of the primary benefits is improved sensory processing. Music helps the brain organize and interpret sensory information more effectively. Music also supports the development of motor skills. Musical activities promote coordination, balance, and fine and gross motor control.

Rhythmic movement reinforces sensorimotor pathways and encourages physical engagement. In addition, music fosters emotional and social growth. It provides a safe space for emotional exploration and self-expression, which promotes emotional awareness and regulation.

Participating in group music therapy encourages social interaction, cooperation, turn-taking, and nonverbal communication, helping individuals build confidence and connection.

One of music’s key strengths is its ability to regulate sensory experiences. Elements like rhythm, tempo, and dynamics can influence levels of arousal and attention. Calming music can reduce anxiety and overstimulation, while upbeat, rhythmic music can promote alertness and focus. Through guided music therapy, individuals can learn strategies to better manage their sensory environment.

In essence, music is a transformative force in sensory integration. It not only nurtures the senses but also empowers individuals to regulate their emotions, express themselves, and engage more fully with the world around them.

To effectively use music for sensory processing improvement, it is important to create a sensory-friendly environment. This includes using soundproofing materials, adjusting volume levels, and selecting appropriate types of music based on individual needs and sensitivities.

Incorporating music into daily routines can also be beneficial. For instance, playing calming music during mealtimes or baths can create a soothing atmosphere and reduce stress, particularly for individuals with heightened sensory sensitivity.

Therapeutic listening, rhythmic entrainment, or musical improvisation can be used to target specific sensory challenges. These structured, personalized approaches provide meaningful opportunities for sensory regulation and integration, supporting overall well-being.

Come celebrate Diwali with us in Princeton NJ.

The festival will feature variety of performances of dance and music.. There will be snacks, meal and beverage available for purchase. 

Program:

Welcome
Vocal performance by Aishani Singh, with Maulik Mehta on tabla,
Vocal performance by students of Raag Rang,
Vocal performance by SvarNaad Ensemble,
Tabla Solo - Aditya Joshi,
Chhandayan NJ Tabla Ensemble,
Kathak Demonstration by Sneha Bolisetty,
Panel Discussion by Samir Chatterjee, Hidayat Husain Khan, and Dr. Antonio Merolli,
 
Break

Hidayat Husain Khan - sitar,
Dibyarka Chatterjee - tabla 

Come celebrate Diwali with us in Northern Virginia (near Dulles Airport).

Program:

New York Tabla Ensemble
(Arjun Patel, Vibhaav Sharma, Noelina Arceniegas,
Shwe Than Kyo),
Juilee Joshi (vocal),
New Jersey Tabla Ensemble
(Harshal Joshi, Shiv Sharma, Keyur Thakar, Ishaan Freeman),
Aditya Bala (tabla solo),
Harshal Joshi (vocal),
Abhiraman Senthilkumar (tabla solo), 
Mahilan Guha (tabla solo),
Taarun Ganesh (vocal)
Ramakrishna Gopinath (mridangam)
Vishnu Sreehari (violin),
Brandon Ram (tabla solo)
Kanjonavo Sabud (sitar)
Siddharth Komaragiri (tabla) 

Special attractions: 

Tabla Beats by Siddharth Komaragiri
Vocal Recital: Ms. Sanghamitra Chatterjee,
Manav Khurana (tabla)
Indian Classical Guitar: Suman Laha,
Monir Hussain (tabla).

Chhandayan Diwali Celebration, A Social Event with Music and Food

This year Chhandayan's celebration of Diwali, the festival of light, will be specially dedicated to dispelling darkness. We would also remember and pay homage to the lost souls and celebrate their legacy, particularly from the field of Indian Music.

We invite the entire community to participate in this program by sharing music, dance and food. Please contact us immediately, latest by August 31st, 2021, at info@tabla.org with your willingness and proposal to participate.

Music will be performed by several young aspiring musicians who perform a crucial role in fulfilling Chhandayan’s mission.

Performance 1: Tabla Solo
Aditya Phatak - tabla,
Anish Dharam - harmonium

Performance 2: Regional Songs
Arnav Pofale - Gujrathi song,
Sayli Limaye - Marathi songs,
Gayatri Phatak - Bengali song,
Manav Khuran on tabla with all artists

Performance 3 - Harmonium Solo
Anish Dharram - harmonium,
Neel Khare on tabla

Performance 4 - Classical vocal
Ayan Rivu Sinha - vocal
Aditya Phatak - tabla
Anis Dharam - harmonium

Performance 5 - Jazz Ensemble
William Schetelich (trumpet), Aditya Phatak (tabla), Rikhav Sanjeev (bass), Dana Saba (piano) and Xander Naylor (guitar) will perform ‘To-I-Light’, ‘Set You Free - Come, Dance With Me’ and ‘Dhyan’.

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. Eleven 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. Aditya has also been studying Hindustani Classical vocal music with Smt. Rucha Jambhekar for the past ten years.

Anish Dharam is 16 years old. He is an 11th grade honors student at J P Stevens high School in Edison, New Jersey. Anish started learning Harmonium and Indian classical music at the age of 7 under the guidance of Shri Hemant Kulkarni, recently he started his music journey with Shri Kedar Naphade. Anish also learns Keyboard under the guidance of Shri Bobby Chatterjee. He has won several music competitions and awards. Anish has performed at many events here in US, also in Pune and Hyderabad in India. Anish has accompanied many renowned artists from US as well as India including Shri Sridhar Phadke, Vidushi Radha Desai, Vidushi Bharathi Prathap to name a few. He is a fellowship award winner from IndianRaga, an Indian-American organization which connects over 3000 artists globally. Anish also sings in choir and has performed in the 2018 and 2020 All Eastern Junior high honor choir and the 2019 National junior high Honor Choir.

Arnav Pofale has been learning Hindustani classical music from the age of 5 from Smt. Pradnya Jadhav Solat who is a disciple of Smt. Arti Ankalikar ji. Arnav is in 7th grade at Iselin Middle School (IMS). Arnav has participated in many local, state level and international level classical and semiclassical competitions and won numerous awards. He has won the Marathi Vishwa Swardhara Competition several times. He has won the New Jersey state award at Meri Awaj Suno competition in 2019. Along with the singing he is also getting Tabla training from his guru Shri. Suryaksh Deshpande. Arnav was selected by Dr. Saleel Kulkarni to sing in the album Abhijaat’s Bhimrupi song. In addition to music, he is a passionate basketball player.

Gayatri Phatak is 13 years old and has been studying Hindusthani classical vocal music for the past seven years from Smt. Rucha Jambhekar. Gayatri has performed at several cultural programs within New Jersey and has also won accolades in the Marathi Vishwa Swar Dhara competition. Outside of classical vocal singing, Gayatri enjoys singing in the school choir, playing saxophone in the jazz band, playing classical piano, and studying jazz, tap, and ballet styles of dance.

Rikhav Sanjeev is an incoming sophomore at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. He has been playing bass guitar for the past 5 years and has played in a few jazz and rock bands, both in and outside of school. He has also been learning Indian classical vocal music from Pt. Samarth Nagarkar for the past 2½ years. Outside of music, he likes playing tennis, watching sports, and spending time with his family.

Sayli Limaye is a sophomore at South Brunswick High School. She has been learning Hindustani Classical vocal music for the past 11 years from Shrimati Rucha Jambhekar and is now also learning under the guidance of Pandit Vijay Koparkar Ji. She has won various awards in Indian Classical music, including at the Gaan-Nipun Spardha held by the Pandit Jasraj Institute in 2016, the yearly Swaradhara Competition held by Marathi Vishwa, Chaitradhun 2020, and The Dream Voice USA 2020. She has a passion for music, and hopes to continue pursuing it in the future. Along with her interests in vocal music, Sayli also enjoys writing poetry and learning violin.

Will Schetelich is a trumpet player that focuses on jazz and improvisation. He has been playing trumpet for 8 years, but has been exposed to music since he can remember. Will grew the most in working with Jazz House, and grew as a trumpet player and musician there. Will loves being active at the gym, reading, and playing chess. He is committed to Montclair University to study music performance and education.

Neil Khare began learning tabla from his father and currently learns from Shri Amod Dandawate. He has received many awards in the Instrumental tabla solo category and has accompanied several artists in the Tri-State area. Besides his musical passion he enjoys playing and coaching basketball. He is 19 years old and is currently a sophomore in college. He looks forward to continuing his passion for tabla and requests for all of your blessings for his future success.

Manav Khurana is 16 years old and has been learning tabla for the past five years. His initial training was under the guidance of Shri Kumar Raj Gandharva, and he subsequently learned from Sabir Hussain of the Punjab Gharana. For the past three years he has been studying with Shri Dibyarka Chatterjee of the Farrukhabad Gharana, who is the son and disciple of Pandit Samir Chatterjee.

Ayan Rivu Sinha, 21, is a disciple of Padma Shri Honored Pandita Tripti Mukherjee-ji and Pandit Rattan Mohan Sharma-ji at the Pandit Jasraj Institute of Music (PJIM) in the USA. Ayan was initiated into Hindustani Classical Music by his mother, Smt. Nidrita Mitra-Sinha at the age of 5, and has been learning Hindustani Classical vocal from PJIM since the age of 9. He has been fortunate to receive special guidance from his Bade Guruji, Sangeet Martand Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj-ji on several occasions and his blessings are always with him. Ayan was born and brought up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. In 2021 he has graduated from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio with BS degree in Nutritional Biochemistry and a minor in Chemistry.

Also performing with the young performers is Xander Naylor

Since relocating to New York City, native son Xander Naylor has become increasingly known in experimental circles for ear-opening forays with his eponymous, free-jazz trio. On his solo debut, Notes, the son of noted Vermont secessionist Thomas Naylor applies a similarly unchained approach, fleshing out humble, cyclical instrumental sketches with both caution and whimsy. The result, while even less accessible than his previous trio work, is nonetheless fascinating, and it reveals a genuinely independent and curious mind.

Guitarist Xander Naylor is exploding onto the scene with his work as a solo artist, composer and leader of Xander Naylor Sound Machine. Spinning through a diverse set of scenes, he has found homes in free improv, indie rock, experimental jazz and, through his years of study with tabla maestro Samir Chatterjee, North Indian music. His latest solo album, Arc, creates a stimulating mash-up that is both startling and comforting in today's tumultuous world.

Chhandayan Center for Indian Music in New York City will return to normal operation with this unique program on the significant day of September 11.

This event will bring healing, rejuvenation and well-being through Music, Meditation, light Yoga, accompanied by authentic, nutritious Indian food and beverages.

There will be three sessions of 75 minutes, with a 15 minute break in between.
The 1st session will concentrate on the Immune System,
the 2nd session will be on Agony and Anguish, and
the 3rd session will be on Rest, Relaxation and Rejuvenation

Yoga and Meditation will be guided by RAJASHREE

Music will be provided by Steve Gorn (flute), Sanghamitra Chatterjee (vocal), Abhik Mukherjee (sitar), and Dibyarka Chatterjee (tabla)

All attendees are required to email vaccination documents to info@tabla.org at the time o registration and prior to the event.
Please come prepared to wear masks and follow other protocols as part of COVID safety measures.

Please inform us of any special conditions you may have,
Please wear something white, decent and comfortable,
Please bring your own yoga mat, cushion (if needed),

Beverages will be served during the breaks, and there will be an Indian vegetarian dinner at the end.

Registration is $150, including dinner.
First 100 registrations only.
10% Early bird discount (until August 10th), and on group purchases of 10 and more.