Story of Deva

Debapriya Adhikary

Story Of Debapriya Adhikary

“I didn’t start music to be a professional performer, my mother said Music is the best wisdom I wish you to grab, knowledge to make your best friend forever. To my mother it was meant to be a part of life which requires diligent submission. So, she never shown any mercy to wake me up at chilling dawns even, sometimes scolding and today I understand the benefit of those…and I am today an open person to accept anything that comes my way as I know Music keeps connected to the Supreme.” ….(smilingly) says Debapriya

Debapriya Adhikary was born and brought up at the industrial township of Sindri in Jharkhand at a simple educated Bengali family. From his childhood he was attentive towards arts so, never didn’t formally learnt the seven notes Sa Re Ga Ma sitting with anyone. He just adopted it listening to his Mother Anita Adhikary singing and practising, who was working herself at FCIL and a busy homemaker too. She was a disciple of Pt. Shivnath Jha popularly known as Taanraj (Master of trills).

Musical journey Of Deba

Seeing his interest and admiration she nourished him with rudiments of music for few years. Then realising the spark in his son, she became very determined to get him the best training so, she took him to Pt. Samaresh Chawdhury of Senia and Maihar Gharana, who later made Debapriya his Gandabandh disciple. For 14 years from the age of 8 he got his tutelage. She used to make a long travel to Durgapur from Sindri to his Guruji (Mentor) as for her Music without missing classes at any condition or season or festivities.

“Mom never let any excuse to come in front when it came to learning. I had seen her got completely drenched in heavy rain while reaching the railway station taking me and my younger brother to reach the station walking as no vehicles were active because of water logs and my papa was away too for office projects. She knew she could get us dry clothes in train but she had to remain wet standing at the door for 4 hours to get dry yet she wouldn’t say let’s not go to today’s class.” ….adds Debapriya.

Debapriya’s voice is not only a treat to the ears of music lovers but a journey to experience subtleties and strength at one time. Pt. Chawdhury’s training gave him an immense insight about Voice Culture, smoothness and clarity in executing trills.

Finally his training with the legendary Padma Vibhushan Girija Devi of Benaras Gharana as a Gandabandh disciple for 11 years, has helped him acquire mastery on Thumri, Tappa,Tap-Thumri, Dadra, Kajri, Jhula, etc alongwith many unknown treasures and khayal tradition of Benaras too he got from her.
Dr. Girija Devi further nourished his mind and voice with strength, power and ideas to see beyond the world of notes and said words.

Debapriya also got blessed insights from Pt. Kumar Prasad Mukherjee of Agra and Rampur Sahashwan tradition who gave a complete new dimension to his thought forms to create surprises. He also got nurtured with Pt. Vijay Kichlu of Agra who gifted him with many Bandishes and definitely the beauty to look into ragas and their technical beauties. Above all Debapriya is a keen listener and developed many finer elements with Samanwaya Sarkar while doing and practising Duet , and also listening to Masters of other traditions.

His excellence to create beauty blending tradition and innovation, depth of knowledge and training over the 3 decades with Masters and Stalwarts of Indian Classical Music, make him distinguished. Debapriya, is an A graded artiste of All India Radio and National & Presidant Award Winner and one of the finest vocalists of the country of the younger generation, with a silken voice and uncanny command over the octaves. His style of singing is marked by both elegance and grandeur that transcends the audience to a rare height of emotional excellence. His neatness and clarity of gamaks and their variations, intricate taans(trills) meends (gliding between note), chuts (sharp jumpsbetween notes), pronunciation of notes (swargam) and other elements. Debapriya’s perfection of thoughts and understanding of voice to keep even intricate elements soothing to ears got him admirers from around the world. Debapriya’s interest and keenness towards learning and merging arts and science enriched him physically and emotionally with the training under the school of Pranic Healing a gift by Master Choa Kuk Sui and Fitness studies. In his childhood he got exposure to learn Kathak Dance with Smt. Ajanta Jha a disciple of Pt. T L Rana and learnt it conscientiously for long 7 years to develop his artistry and understanding.

With developed and gifted virtues Debapriya has earned a name and fame around the globe. He completed his Masters with Music and also did Junior Research Fellowship under Ministry of Culture, Govt of India on the subject “ History of Thumri & Girija Devi’s contribution to the subject”.

Presently Debapriya is getting nurtured by Pt. Uday Bhawalkar on rudiments and nuances of Dhrupad.