Voice of kabyageeti falls silent

Krishna Chattopadhyay

Calcutta, May 23: Krishna Chattopadhyay, who used to sing the compositions of Atulprasad, Dwijendralal and Himansu Datta in a voice that was at once gracefully melodious and disciplined, sensuous and expressive of deep spirituality, died in Delhi after prolonged illness on Saturday afternoon.

Her sensitive renderings of kabyageeti, as these songs were known collectively, were unmatched by any other singer save Manju Gupta, who predeceased her.

Krishna Chattopadhyay was 74 and left behind her sons, Anandajit and Bikramjit Ray.

She was born into a deeply religious family in Krishnagar, though she spent most of her time in Calcutta.

Her father being Harendranath Chattopadhyay, a well-known singer of yesteryear, Krishna Chattopadhyay received musical training from her childhood and till late in life she used to follow his instructions.

Harendranath Chattopadhyay was a protégé of both Atulprasad and Dwijendralal and she had inherited Atulprasad’s legacy from him.

She found another mentor in Dilip Kumar Roy, under whose guidance she had taken up Dwijendrageeti. She began recording at a young age under her father’s guidance and leaves behind a vast repertoire of kabyageeti, which, beside their musical excellence, would serve as a guide for future generations.