Calcutta, Feb. 28 :
Calcutta, Feb. 28:
Bikrambhai, you've won the Grammy! That was Amaan Ali Bangash's wake-up call from New Delhi to Bikram Ghosh's New Alipore home, early on Thursday.
Calcutta had just taken centrestage for a magic musical moment at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, hosting the 44th Annual Grammy Awards. When Pandit Ravi Shankar's album Full Circle at Carnegie Hall 2000 won the World Music Album award, Bikram Ghosh and Tanmoy Bose - the city-based tabla players who had accompanied the sitar maestro at the concert - had no idea about their share of Grammy glory.
Till young sarod star Amaan called Bikram. 'For a moment, it didn't register, as the awards had slipped my mind. Then, when it sank in, I started calling up all my well-wishers,' said the 35-year-old tabla exponent.
For Tanmoy, the all-important call came from Rabin Pal, Ravi Shankar's secretary in Calcutta, who runs the cultural organisation, Jalsaghar. 'Soon after Rabinda broke the news, Amaan called from Delhi to congratulate me,' said Tanmoy, 35.
For Ravi Shankar, who spent his childhood in Calcutta and retains a 'strong bond' with the city, this is his third Grammy, after West meets East with Yehudi Menuhin in 1968 and The Tribute to Bangladesh in 1972.
'At 82, any award holds equal importance for me, but I do agree that the Grammy is special. I was more excited when I won it the first time, being the first Indian to do so, but, nevertheless, this is a great feeling too,' said the master from New Delhi. 'I am in no physical condition to go and collect the award. Bikram could well pick it up for all of us.'
The album, recorded at Carnegie Hall, comprises ragas Kaushi Kanhara and Mishra Gara in the traditional format of alaap, jor, jhala and aochars. Bikram and Tanmoy even played a teental (16 beats) duet, before accompanying Shankar. Anoushka assisted her father on the sitar.
Ravi Shankar had first performed at Carnegie in 1938 as a supporting player and instrumentalist in brother Uday Shankar's dance troupe. 'Since then, I have performed around 19 times there but at this particular concert, I was fortunate to have my daughter Anoushka with me. Besides, Bikram and Tanmoy provided fantastic accompaniment to make this album memorable.'
Full Circle at Carnegie Hall 2000 - produced by Hans Wendi and recorded by Tom Lazarus. Angel Records - is, of course, 'very special' for the young tabla duo from Calcutta. 'For Tanmoy and me, the concert at Carnegie was a high point as it draws top-notch performers and an international audience. And getting a Grammy for that is like a wonderful gift,' said Bikram, who has been playing with the sitar legend for the past 10 years, besides experiments with various forms of fusion.
Tanmoy joined Team Ravi Shankar three years ago. 'In this short while, I have been enriched by this association,' said the tabla player, whose Taalyaagna with Subhankar Banerjee struck the right rhythm recently.
India's date with the Grammys comes seven years after Mohan Veena exponent Viswa Mohan Bhatt won the World Music Album award.





