Pandit Samaresh Chowdhury is one of very few distinguished, younger generation classical vocalists of our time. Polished as it is, his vocal technique is primarily a testament to the rigorous training and grooming of his early years. Son of the famous “Sangeetacharya” (an honorific title for great accomplishment in music) the late Amaresh Chowdhury, Samaresh Chowdhury began his early training under the strict supervision of his illustrious father.

Later, he entered into pupilage with the world-famous sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar who swiftly recognised his talent and deep commitment to classical music. His ability to bring a refined freshness and spontaneity to raags that have already been sung thousands of times over hundreds of years, made Samaresh Chowdhury, with is extraordinary range and control over the octaves, stand out for listeners and critics, alike.

KHAYAL
Khayal (meaning “imagination” or “the imagined” in Persian) is a romantic and ornate style of singing a classical raag (or melodic scale). It is relatively modern compared to “Dhrupad” which is an older, more austere style associated with devotional and temple music. The lyrics of Khayal can also be devotional but its style is essentially softer than Dhrupad allowing the singer a greater range of improvisation techniques. The majority of song texts are in the female persona, even if they’re being sung by a man. The female depicts the pining lover while her Beloved is male — whether human or God. A Khayal recital is divided into a slow-tempo, introductory section known as “Vilambit” (the vocal equivalent of the instrumental “Alaap”) from where it moves into “Madhyalay” (or medium tempo) often followed by a brief “Drut” which is even faster — either double or quadruple of the original introduction. Different song verses, usually ancient compositions in mediaeval or classical Hindi, are sung in the different sections. Apart from the song text, the faster section can include “taans” (fast melodic passages) or “sargam” made up of abbreviated syllables of the various notes of the raag, (the Indian solfa).