Publications
Chhandayan publishes new original works in the forms of printed materials, such as books, or recorded music such DVDs, CDs, Cassettes, etc. These treasures are Chhandayan’s contribution in the evolutionary process of Indian music.
CD
Shikhar Tala (17 beats)
Gajajhampa Tala (15 beats)
Joymangal Tala (13 beats)
Rudra Tala (11 beats)
Nasruk Tala (9 beats)
Pashtoe Tala (7 beats)
Samir Chatterjee – Tintaal solo in three different tempos without any accompaniment. It has an extensive liner note.
DVD
This is an instructional DVD of tabla by Samir Chatterjee covering beginner to advanced levels technique and examples of solo and accompaniments with different types of music. It goes with the voluminous book titled ‘A Study of Tabla’ also authoured by Samir Chatterjee.
Live recording from Chhandayan’s All Night Concert ’05
Aashish Khan – Sarode
Samir Chatterjee – Tabla
A Ballet on Tagore by Samir Chatterjee
It is a ballet on the emotional life of Rabindranath Thakur, known as Tagore. The music in seven movements is composed by Samir Chatterjee. The performance in this recording was conducted by Cristiano Tiozzo. Dance was choreographed by Daniel Beck.
Musicians : Kavita Shishir Shah – voice ; David Siegel – violin; Benjamin Sutin – violin; Tina Chang-Chien – viola; Isabel Castellvi – violoncello; Greg Chudzik – bass; Erika Dohi – piano; Elise Shope – flutes; Pawan Benjamin – saxophones, clarinet, bansuri; Hunnah Ross – bassoon; Stuart Breczinski – oboe; Justin Doute –percussions; Stephen Cellucci – tabla; Abhik Mukherjee – sitar; Margaret Mackenzie – harp
Dancers and actors : Emanuel De Jesus, Vanessa Martinez, Rafi Hakim, Sasha Kaufman, Lana Cencic and others
Composer and Director : Samir Chatterjee
Conductor : Cristiano Tiozzo
Narration : Pinky Ghoshal
Choreography : Ryan Daniel Beck
Technical director : Todd Miller
Videography : Sarwar Harun
This is a live recording of the first performance of Tablaphilia, a magnificent tabla symphony based on the theme of Chaturashram , the Indian philosophical way of looking at life in four segments. The performance took place at Chhandayan’s 2008 All-night concert in New York city. There are 22 tabla players playing over forty dahinas, who are also occasionally singing.
Books
Author: Samir Chatterjee
A comprehensive 654 page book on Tabla covering history, theory, basic to advanced techniques, listing of 50 taals with descriptions and Theka, innumerable compositions in Tintaal, Jhamptaal, Ektaal, Roopak, Arachautal, Pancham Sawari, Nasruk, Dadra and Keharwa), as well as biographies of 100 Tabla players from past and present. The book is also accompanied by an instructional DVD. Foreword is written by Pt. Ravi Shankar The book is already in the libraries of major institutions in the west and being used as a text book at Manhattan School of Music for the ‘Music of India’ class.
Author: Samir Chatterjee
This book is a brief introduction to Indian music history and theory in the context of the history and culture of the Indian subcontinent. It is being used as a text book at several unoversities, colleges, conservatoriees and other types of educational institutions. The cream of the following topics have been put within a very short space in a simple and clear language.
Some chapter titles:
* Early settlements
* History of Invasions
* Religions
* Chaturashram, four stages of human life
* Chaturvarna, four levels of social responsibility
* Vedas, the Two Epics and other scriptures
* A few Important Musical Texts
* Guru-Shishya Parampara
* Raga and Tala
* South Indian (Karnatic) and North Indian (Hindustani) music systems
* Indian Musical Instruments
* Different styles of Hindustani music
* Different styles of Karnatic music
* Gharana
* Swara-Shruti
* A chronology of Ragas
* A few common Talas
* A few practice scales
* A few rhythmic exercises and compositions
* Similarities and differences between Indian Music and other types
* Rasa
* Riaz and Sadhana
* Biographies
* Non-classical types of Indian Music
* Influence of Indian musical elements in non-Indian music
* Influence of non-Indian musical elements in Indian music
* Effectiveness of Indian music on well-being
* Some popular customs, values and practices
Author: Samarth Nagarkar
In an incredible effort, this short book takes one through a musical journey of a lifetime. From mastering a single note to the complexities of raga exposition and emotional expression, from the basic musical perception of time to masterful and intricate rhythmic play, it explores a student’s journey through learning, assimilation and an ultimate alchemic transformation into an artiste. For connoisseurs as well as newly initiated musicians it unravels the deepest mysteries and lays out innermost concepts of the great art form that is Indian classical vocal music for all to appreciate and partake of.
Cassettes
Samir Chatterjee – tabla solo
Matta Taal & Tintaal
with Pandit Ramesh Misra on Sarangi (Live Recording)
Songs of Tagore – Sanghamitra Chatterjee (Vocal), Samir Chatterjee (Tabla), Jerald Coen (Music Score)
This music was initiated and is used by Battery Dance Company of New York for performances
Audiobook consists of CD Set (3 CDs)
Read by: Steve Gorn and Samir Chatterjee