Debu Chaudhuri

Pandit Devabrata (Debu) Chaudhuri ((Bengali: পণ্ডিত দেবব্রত চৌধুরী); 30 May 1935[1] – 1 May 2021) was an Indian sitarist and teacher. He was conferred the Padmabhushan and Padma Shri awards. He was the writer of six books, composer of eight new ragas and numerous musical compositions. From 1963 he has appeared in numerous radio broadcasts, and he was a disciple of Mushtaq Ali Khan.[2] He is considered a leading sitarist of Post War era.[3] He is regarded as one of the leading proponents of Senia Style (or Gharana).[4] He was the former Dean and Head, Faculty of Music, University of Delhi.[5] His music is noted for its sweet singing ringing tone.[6] He lived with his son, daughter-in law and niece at Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi.

Pandit Devabrata (Debu) Chaudhuri
Debu Chaudhuri (left)
Born
Devabrata Chaudhuri

30 May 1935
Mymensingh, Bangladesh
Died1 May 2021 (aged 85)
Delhi, India
EducationSenia Gharana
Known forMusic sitar
Notable workPublished 6 Books, Composed 8 ragas
SpouseManjushree Chaudhuri
AwardsPadmabhushan, Padmashree
Patron(s)Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan
Websitewww.ptdebuchaudhuri.com

Birth

Pt. Chaudhuri was born in 1935 in Mymensingh (now in Bangladesh).[7] He started playing the sitar from four years of age. His first broadcast was at the age of eighteen at the All India Radio in 1953.

Death

Pt. Debu Chaudhuri died as a result of COVID-19 in Delhi, India, on 1 May 2021. He was admitted with COVID-19 along with dementia complications. He suffered a myocardial infarction (heart attack) around midnight and could not be revived.[8][9][10] A few days after his death, his son Prateek Chaudhuri, a renowned sitar player, also died due to COVID-related complications.[11]

Training

He received his education in the University of Calcutta. He joined Delhi University as a reader from 1971 to 1982 and was the Dean and Head of Music Department from 1985 to 1988. He has served as a visiting professor at Maharishi International University (now called Maharishi University of Management), Iowa from 1991 to 1994.[12] He received his training in sitar under late Panchu Gopal Datta and Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan.[13]

Music

He started playing the sitar from four years of age. His first broadcast was at the age of eighteen at the All India Radio in 1953.[14] He created 8 new Ragas viz. Bisweswari, Palas-Sarang, Anuranjani, Ashiqui Lalit, Swanandeswari, Kalyani Bilawal, Shivamanjari and Prabhati Manjari (in memory of his wife Manju). He has authored three books on Indian Music namely ‘Sitar and It's Techniques’, ‘Music of India’ and ‘On Indian Music’. He has recorded 24 CDs for 24 hours of the day in the United States.[15]

Style

He is considered a leading proponent of playing the repeated articulation of the pedal tone (also called the ‘’’Jod’’’) with the tonic pitch of the second string (also called the ‘’’Jodi’’’) string, by pulling the string across the fret that is allowed to die out before the basic alternation stroking is continued. He is considered one of the greatest sitar players of the era with Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ravi Shankar and Nikhil Banerjee.[3] He is also unique in using the 17 fret sitar while most musicians use the 19 fret sitar.[16]

Contributions

UMAK

In April 2010 he started the UMAK (Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan) Center for culture in memory of his ‘’guru’’ Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan.[17]

References
  1. "Reference India: A-F". 2003.
  2. India today. Thomson Living Media India Ltd. 2008. p. 78. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  3. James McConnachie; Rough Guides (Firm) (2000). World music: the rough guide. Rough Guides. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-85828-636-5. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  4. John Shepherd (27 February 2003). Continuum encyclopedia of popular music of the world: VolumeII: Performance and production. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 446. ISBN 978-0-8264-6322-7. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  5. Dilip Ranjan Barthakur (2003). The music and musical instruments of North Eastern India. Mittal Publications. p. 5. ISBN 978-81-7099-881-5. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  6. The beat. Bongo Productions. 1992. p. 53. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  7. Sruti. P.N. Sundaresan. 1 January 1998. p. 17. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  8. "Sitar maestro Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri dies of Covid-19 complications". The Indian Express. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  9. "पद्मभूषण से सम्मानित मशहूर सितारवादक पंडित देबू चौधरी का हार्ट अटैक से निधन". Hindustan (in Hindi). Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  10. "Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri dies of Covid-19 complications – Celebrity Land International". Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  11. "Prateek Chaudhuri passes away due to Covid: Remembering the renowned sitar player". The Indian Express. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  12. Ravi Bhushan (2003). Reference India: A-F. Rifacimento International. p. 256. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  13. Subhra Mazumdar (2010). "Tied to His Strings". The Open Magazine. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  14. Abhay (2008). "Pandit Debu Chaudhuri". Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  15. RANEE KUMAR (2005). "Classicist to the core". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 February 2005. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  16. MANJARI SINHA (23 April 2010). "His master's voice". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
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