Biography and Musical Lineage

 

Born in 1964 to a nationally respected family of musicians, Sri Gourisankar, the grandson of famed dhrupadiya (vocalist) Jotindra Mohan Karmakar, began studying and playing tabla at the young age of three years old under the able guidance of his father, Pdt. Shib Shankar Karmakar – a noted disciple of the tabla maestro, the late Ustad Keramatulla Khan. In conjunction with his studies, Gourisankar pursued the art and technique of tabla seriously and soon developed superb control over the instrument. Since 1979, he has been under the tutelage of the Tabla Maestro  Pandit Sankha Chatterjee, who is the only living Maestro who has studied with three legendary tabla Maestros in strict Parampara tradition. These legendary Masters are: Ustad Maseet Khan, Ustad Keramatullah Khan, and Ustad Allarakha Khan.

Background

Gourisankar a leading tabla Maestro of the present generation. He is an A grade artist of All India Radio and Television. He has toured internationally for the last 24 years and has performed with many eminent musicians. In 2008 he established the School of Indian Percussion and Music in Austin, Texas where he regularly teaches. His playing styles reflect a unique combination of the Farukhabad, Punjab and Delhi schools of tabla playing. He has accompanied eminent artists such as Pdt V.G. Jog, Pdt A.T. Kannan, Pdt Muneswar Dayal, Pdt. Manilal Nag, Lakshmi Shankar ,Ustad Shahid Parvez,Ustad Shujat Khan,Pdt Buddhaditya Mukherjee,Ustad Aasish Khan,Pdt.Tejendra Narayan Mazumdar, Pdt. Kushal Das and many more…

 

Education & Awards

 

• Graduate of Calcutta University (1987, Bachelor of Commerce)
• Bachelor of Music from Indira Kala University, M.P., India (1989).
• Sangeet Visharad Degree Prachin Kala Kendra, Chandigarh, India (Gold Medalist).
• Sangeet Prabhakar Degree of Prayag Sangeet Samity Allahabad, India.
• Sangeet Bivakar Degree, Bangiya Sangeet Parishad (Silver Medalist).
• Gold Medalist in Sangeet Visharad Prachin Kala Kendra, Chandigarh, India
•  Silver Medalist in Sangeet Bivakar Bangiya Sangeet
• “Best young tabla player of Bengal “ Year 1979
• Parampara Bishnupur Award 2010

Teaching Experience

 

• 15 years’ teaching tabla in the well known Shankar Kala Mandir Institution in Serampore, India which is affiliated with the RabindraBharatiUniversity.
• Taught over more than 100 students in the Guru-Shishya Parampara traditional style in India.
• Lecture demonstrations on Indian Classical Music in France, Germany and UK (1990-2000)
• Teaching assignment in UK (1997)
• Lecture demonstrations and class visits at TexasA & MUniversity, College Station (2000-2008).
• Lecture demonstration at the California Institute of the Arts (2005)
• Lecture demonstration and Workshop at TexasStateUniversity (2008) 
• Teaching assignment at Osnabrück‎, Germany at the Maharshi Mahesh YogiCenter (1990).
• Teaching at the School of Indian Percussion and Music, Austin, Texas (since 2008).

Discography

 

•  Tabla Solo By GOURISANKAR (Audio CD) Sarangi:Ramlal Mishra
•  Live Tabla solo by Gourisankar (DVD) Harmonium : Sameer Kotasthane
•  ‘Melody of Rhythm’ by Gourisankar (AUDIO CD) , 2011
•  Strings Tradition (Mamadou Diabate- Kora,Ustad Shujaat Khan- Sitar, Lalgudi GJR Krishnan- Violin, Gourisankar- Tabla, Murali Trichy- Ghatam) FELMAY Records Italy (Audio CD)
•  A SITAR RECITAL By Indrajit Banerjee – Sitar, Tabla – Gourisankar (Audio CD)Recorded in Boston ,USA
•  SITAR LIVE in Pennsylvania by Partha Bose, Tabla- Gourisankar, Beethoven Records India (Audio CD)
•  GLOBAL HARMONY By ATASH (World Music Audio CD)
•  SUR BIHAR By Indrajit Banerjee – Sitar, Gourisankar – Tabla (Audio CD)
•  MUSIC OF MAIHAR GHARANA by Shankar Bhattacharyya – Sarod, Gourisanakar – Tabla

National and International Performances

 

1) International festival of the performing arts- beit mery, lebanon, year 1994

2) “Theatre de la ville “paris year 1996

3) Radio france year 1997

4) “Golden jubili celebration of indian independence” in

reunion island and madagascar, represnted india year 1998 as a indian government delicate

5) “Days of india” festival in egypt & israel year 1994 represented india government

6) Inde-martinique festival the only tabla player has performed in year 1990 1992,2003

7)Readburg museum,zurich, switzerland,2005

8) “ “Musik der welt” “sound of india festivall” in bern ,sweitzerland year 2003

9) “Cite internationale universitaire de paris “ festival ,year 2004

10) “Parampara festival” in berlin year 1992

11) “ Neheru center” in london year 1998

12) “Midlands arts centre” in birmingham, england year 1998

13) “Ajaccio city festival” year 2004

14) Strasbourg festival, france 1992

15) Mit asha concert, boston 1996

16)Indian classical evening, purdue university 1996

17) Srerampur music festival, india (1996, 1997, 2000)

18)Uttarpara music festival, india 1998,2005

19) Bangasamelan , boston , 1999

20) Starlite festival, college station, tx., 2003

21) Bangamelaa, nashville, 2003, cincinnati 2004

22) City festival, torino, italy 2007

23) Global harmony concert with atash austin, tx 2005,2007

24) Lecture demonstration at durgin concert hall ,lowell university, ma 2007

25) Houston international festival with atash austin, tx 2007 &2011

26) Spicmacay texas a&m http://spicmacay.tamu.edu 2007

27) Manchester nh (cook auditorium dartmouth universiry) 2007

28) Icmca austin, maestro tejendra narayan mazumdar , 2008

29) Icmca austin with sitar legend ustad shujaat khan and flute maestro shashank

30) India classical musical society with legend ustad shahid parvez khan,dallas 2011

31) Malhar festival in kolkata organized my dover lane music conference 1999

Professional Objectives 

 

My professional objectives are to teach an Indian percussion, the Tabla, and pursue my career as a concert artist. A broader objective is to promote the integration of the Tabla and Indian percussion in general into the World Music scene as an important component of the international musical culture.

This can best be accomplished by teaching the basic theories underlying Indian percussion, along with the vocabulary and compositions of Tabla phrases, in particular, to interested students.  Theory and practice can be continued in depth in more advanced courses.  Different playing styles (Gharanas) of Indian percussion can also be covered.