Samrat Pandit (born in 1982) is an Indian classical

vocalist Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...

. He sings

khyal Khyal or Khayal (ख़याल / خیال) is a major form of Hindustani classical music in the Indian subcontinent. Its name comes from a Persian/Arabic word meaning "imagination". Khyal is associated with romantic poetry, and allows the perfo ...

(pure classical genre) in the

Patiala gharana The Patiala ''gharana'' (, ) is one of the vocal (tradition, school, or style of music) of Hindustani classical music, named after the city of Patiala in Punjab, India where it was established. The ''gharana'' was founded in the mid to late 19th ...

(singing style), and semi-classical like

thumri Thumri () is a vocal genre or style of Indian music. The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb ''thumuknaa'', which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, dr ...

and

Tappa Tappa is a form of Indian semi-classical vocal music. Its specialty is a rolling pace based on fast, subtle and knotty construction. Its tunes are melodious and sweet, and depict the emotional outbursts of a lover. Tappe (plural) were sung mostly by ...

Early life

Samrat Pandit was born in Kolkata, India. He belongs to a family of musicians and is the 6th generation from his family into music. He was taught music by his father,

Jagdish Prasad Jagdish Prasad (1937 - 18 July 2011) was a Calcutta-based Indian classical vocalist of the Patiala gharana. Early life and training He received his initial training from his father Badri Prasad. Badri prasad ji was the court musician of the ...

, a

Hindustani classical Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...

singer, himself a direct disciple of

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (2 April 1902 – 23 April 1968) was an Indian Hindustani classical vocalist, from the Patiala gharana.All India Radio All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All ...

in Bhopal. He started touring with his father when he was adolescent, accompanying him on stage. His mother, Sandhya Pandit, an English teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya (Central Government school), accompanies him on stage, playing the

tanpura The tanpura (), also referred to as tambura and tanpuri, is a long-necked plucked string instrument, originating in India, found in various forms in Indian music. It does not play melody, but rather supports and sustains the melody of ...

Career

Samrat launched his solo career in 2001, while continuing to offer vocal support in his father’s performances. He is a certified

All India Radio All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All ...

artist since 2009. He participated in TV shows accompanying his father and as a solo artist, in local channels Om Bangla TV, government channel

Doordarshan Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest b ...

and national channel Zee 24 Taas. He did his first solo album in 2012 "''Patiala Prince''", released with the support of

Girija Devi Girija Devi (8 May 1929 – 24 October 2017) was an Indian classical singer of the Seniya and Banaras gharanas. She performed classical and light classical music and helped elevate the profile of thumri. She was dubbed as the 'Queen of Thumri ...

, Satish Vyas, Samresh Chowdhury and

Rashid Khan Rashid Khan Arman ( ps, ; born 20 September 1998) is an Afghan international cricketer and a former captain of the national team. In franchise leagues, he plays for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Adelaide Strikers in Aust ...

. Samrat sings thumri,

bhajan Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...

tappa Tappa is a form of Indian semi-classical vocal music. Its specialty is a rolling pace based on fast, subtle and knotty construction. Its tunes are melodious and sweet, and depict the emotional outbursts of a lover. Tappe (plural) were sung mostly by ...

and khyal.

Performances in India

He performed at the

Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Festival The Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav (formerly known as the Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav and simply known as Sawai) is an annual Indian Classical music festival held in Pune since 1953. The festival is hosted by the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Man ...

as a solo artist in Pune, in 2012 and 2017. He also performed at the Thumri Festival in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders wi ...

, organized by

Sahitya Kala Parishad Sahitya Kala Parishad (साहित्य कला परिषद) (Academy of Performing and Fine Arts) is the Cultural wing of the Govt. of National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) of Delhi for music, dance, drama & fine arts, established ...

, department of Art, culture and languages of the Government of Delhi, at

Kamani Auditorium Kamani may refer to: Places * Pobiti Kamani or ''Pobitite Kamani'', a rock phenomenon in Varna Province, Bulgaria * Kamani, Bhamo, a village in north-eastern Burma * Kamani, Iran, a village in Hamadan Province, Iran * Kamani, Georgia, a village ...

. In his native Kolkata, Samrat appeared in notable venues including the

ITC Sangeet Research Academy ITC Sangeet Research Academy is a Hindustani classical music academy run by the corporate house, ITC Ltd. It is located in Kolkata, India. Noted musicians associated with the academy include Ulhas Kashalkar, Falguni Mitra, Ajoy Chakrabarty, Us ...

in 2010 and the Salt Lake Music Conference in 2011. He performed with other musicians like

Ramdas Palsule Pandit Ramdas Palsule (born 30 March 1963) is an internationally-acclaimed Tabla virtuoso from Pune, India. He is also an A grade artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan. Early life Ramdas was born in well-educated family in Pune. His fat ...

, Dilshad Khan and Ramkumar Mishra.

Tours

Samrat Pandit concert at Sawai Ghandarva Pune

* 2013 Europe : he participated in the fusion project of Nevcivan Özel in Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall, one of Turkey's major concert halls. * 2015 North America and Europe, including concerts in London and Toronto. * 2016 Europe : he was the first khayal singer to perform in the country of Lithuania in the capital Vilnius. * 2018 Europe including shows in Germany and Greece

Music influences

Samrat's musical influences are his father

Barkat Ali Khan Ustad Barkat Ali Khan (1908 – 19 June 1963) was a Pakistani classical singer, younger brother of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and elder brother of Mubarak Ali Khan, and belonged to the Patiala gharana of music. Early life and career Barkat Ali Kha ...

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (2 April 1902 – 23 April 1968) was an Indian Hindustani classical vocalist, from the Patiala gharana.Bhimsen Joshi Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi BR (; ; 4 February 1922 – 24 January 2011), also known by the honorific prefix Pandit, was one of the greatest Indian vocalists from Karnataka, in the Hindustani classical tradition. He is known for the ''khayal ...

Ali Akbar Khan Ali Akbar Khan (14 April 192218 June 2009) was a Indian Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod. Trained as a classical musician and instrumentalist by his father, Allauddin Khan, he ...

Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North In ...

, and the

Ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

He also listens to other musicians including

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

, and he appreciates world music and

Balkan music Balkan music is a type of music found in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. The music is characterised by complex rhythm. Famous bands in Balkan music include Taraf de Haïdouks, Fanfare Ciocărlia, and No Smoking Orchestra. Historica ...

Personal life

Samrat has graduated in English at the

University of Calcutta The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, C ...

. He is also an ex-boxer and likes physical activities. He appreciates adventure sports like mountain hiking and still does

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-conscio ...

Award

He received the Sangeet Shiromani Award from the governor of Maharashtra in 2014.

Discography

*2009: ''In rare moods'' with Pandit Jagdish Prasad - double DVD *2012: ''Patiala Prince'' *2016: ''Live in Goa'' - DVD *2017: ''Live in Delhi''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pandit, Samrat 21st-century Indian male classical singers Patiala gharana 1982 births Hindustani singers Singers from Kolkata Living people University of Calcutta alumni