Friday, August 16, 2013
PANDIT
SAMTA PRASAD (July
20, 1921, – 1994) was an Indian classical musician and tabla player
from the Benares gharana. He played tabla in many Hindi films including, Meri
Surat Teri Ankhen (1963) and Sholay (1975), and film
music composer Rahul Dev Burman was one of his disciples.
He
was the son of Pandit Hari Sunder, also known as Bacha Mishra, his grandfather
was Pt. Jagannath Mishra, and his ancestors included Pt. Pratap Maharaj, also
known as Gudai Maharaj.
He
was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1979, given by
the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance &
Drama and the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour given
by Govt. of India in 1991.
Samta
Prasad gave his first major performance at the "Allahabad Sangeet
Sammelan" in 1942, where he impressed the musicians present
there, and soon established himself as an accompanist as well as a
soloist.
Throughout
his career, he performed in various parts of India, such as Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Lucknow.
He also represented the Indian cultural team while abroad, in such places
as France, Russia and Edinburgh.
He
also played the tabla in Hindi films like, Jhanak
Jhanak Payal Baje, Meri Surat Teri Ankhen, Basant Bahar, Asamapta and Sholay.
It is believed that music director, S.D. Burman postponement of the
recording of song, "Nache mora manwa magan tikta dhighi
dhighi" being sung by Mohd. Rafi in the film Meri
Surat Teri Aakhen until the arrival of Pandit Samta Prasad from
Banaras.
He
died in May 1994 in Pune, India. He was on a visit to Pune to conduct a
coaching workshop organized by Naad Roop. The workshop was a success, but
Panditji's unexpected demise left a permanent scar on the minds of those who
attended the workshop.
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