Deba Prasad Das | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1932 Keul Chabi Sua, Cuttack, India |
| Died | 16 July 1986 |
| Occupation | Classical dancer |
| Parent(s) | Durga Charan Das Indramani Devi |
| Awards | Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award World Development Corporation Award |
| Website | Official web site |
Deba Prasad Das was an Indian classical dancer, considered by critics and connoisseurs as one of the four first generation gurus of the Indian classical dance form of Odissi. His Odissi style is robust and unique. [1] [2] He was a recipient of the 1977 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. [3] and 1974 Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. [4]
Deba Prasad Das was born in 1932 in a Karana family [5] at a small village near Cuttack called Keul Chabi Sua, in the Indian state of Odisha to Indramani Devi and Durga Charan Das, a police officer. [6] [7] He lost his mother at an early age and was brought up by his grandfather who was a local violin player. [6] Das did his early schooling at Puri and started picking up music and dance at the age of six from a nearby traditional school (Pathara Akhara) run by Mohan Chandra Mohapatra. [1] [6] However, he had to move to Behrampur when his father was transferred there. [7]
When Das was 14, his father sent him to the music school of Radha Raman Ray, a music director working with New Theatres. [6] He worked there for a monthly salary of approximately ₹ 3 plus food and assisted the performers in the green room. Soon, he worked his way up as a gate man, a ticket collector and finally as a prompter. The break came when Guru Pankaj Charan Das and later, Moha Mohapatra started associating themselves with the New theatre and Das got a small role, appearing only at the beginning of the dance cramas. Later, when New Theatres closed down in 1949, he moved to Annapurna [6] and worked there for a few years where he had the opportunity to work alongside the renowned Odissi exponents such as Pankaj Charan Das, Kelucharan Mohapatra, Kumar Dayal Sharan and Mayadhar Raut. Annapurna also became defunct by 1953 by which time Deb Das had already mastered the dance form of Odissi. [7]
The next move was to Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, a school of dance music, where Das joined as a faculty member for Odissi in 1964. [6] Here, he tutored Indrani Rahman [7] a Bharatanatyam dancer at that time, whom he taught Odissi. [6] [8] and the association with Rahman brought Das into public notice when the Rahman took her guru along with her for concerts. [1] In 1957, Indrani Rahman presented an Odissi demonstration choreographed by Deba Prasad Das at the Dance Festival and this performance is reported to have assisted Odissi to be taken notice as a classical dance form. [7] Later, in the same year, Rahman made her debut performance of Odissi at a show witnessed by Kapila Vatsyayan, Charles Fabri [9] and others, and this is known to have brought the Deba Das style of Odissi into public notice.'Sabda Swara Pata' is an important feature of this style of Odissi. [7]
Das, a representative of Gotipua Odissi culture [1] [10] and considered by many as one of the four first generation gurus of Odissi, [1] [2] is known to be founder of the Deba Prasad Gharana. [11] [12] He had many disciples such as Indrani Rahman, Bijayalaxmi Mohanty, Oopali Operajita, Pushpa Mahanti, Srinath Raut, Sudhakar Sahoo, Durga Charan Ranbir, Dhuleswar Behera, Anita Singhdeo, Sangeeta Dash, Sujata Mishra, Ramli Ibrahim, Gajendra Panda, Manoj Behera, Gopa Biswhas, Gayatri Chand, Atashi Tripathy are among many others who have emerged as noted exponents of Odissi. [7] Notable Bharatanatyam guru Leela Ramanathan had also taken Odissi training under him. He has also choreographed many dance dramas and solo numbers. [11]
Recipient of Senior Research Fellowship from the Government of India, Deba Prasad Das also received the World Development Corporation award in 1983 [6] and the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1974. [4] [7] Sangeet Natak Akademi honored him with their annual award in 1977. [3] A book on him and his work "Guru Debaprasad Das: Icon of Odissi" was authored by Gayatri Chand, a senior dancer of Deba Prasad Das style, after 25 years of his demise in 2012.
Kelucharan Mohapatra was a legendary Indian classical dancer, guru, and exponent of Odissi dance, who is credited with the revival and popularizing of this classical dance form in the 20th century. He is the first person to receive the Padma Vibhushan from Odisha.
Indrani Rahman was an Indian classical dancer of Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Odissi, which she popularised in the west, and later settled in New York in 1976.
Odissi music is a genre of classical music in India, originated from the eastern state of Odisha. The traditional ritual music for the service of Lord Jagannatha, Odissi music has a history spanning over two thousand years, authentic sangita-shastras or treatises, unique Ragas & Talas and a distinctive style of rendition.
Gotipua is a traditional dance form in the state of Odisha, India, and the precursor of Odissi classical dance. It has been performed in Orissa for centuries by young boys, who dress as women to praise Jagannath and Krishna. The dance is executed by a group of boys who perform acrobatic figures inspired by the life of Radha and Krishna. The boys begin to learn the dance at an early age until adolescence, when their androgynous appearance changes. In the Odia language, Gotipua means "single boy" (goti-pua). Raghurajpur, Odisha is a historic village known for its Gotipua dance troupes. The dance of the Gotipuas is accompanied by traditional Odissi music with the primary percussion being the Mardala.
Guru Mayadhar Raut is an Indian classical Odissi dancer, choreographer and Guru.
Guru Pankaj Charan Das (1919-2003) was an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and the Ādi Guru of Odissi dance. He is known as the 'Father of Odissi dance'.
Geeta Mahalik is an Indian Odissi dancer. The Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri in 2014 for her services to the field of art and culture.
Minati Mishra was an Indian classical dancer and actress, known for her expertise in the Indian classical dance form of Odissi. She was reported in 2011 to be the oldest-living Odissi performer. The Government of India honored Mishra in 2012, with the fourth-highest civilian award of Padma Shri.
Aruna Mohanty is an Odissi dancer, choreographer and guru. She is currently the Secretary of the Orissa (Odisha) Dance Academy. She has received a number of awards for her work, including the Padmashree award.
Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya is a performing arts-cum-educational institution in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
Bhubaneswar Mishra was an Indian music director, a noted composer of Odissi music and a classical violin player. Born in Paralakhemundi, Mishra was exposed to and developed an inclination towards classical Odissi music at a very young age. Later, he acquired training and proficiency in Odissi, Hindustani and Carnatic styles of playing the violin. In All India Radio Cuttack, he came under the influence of Singhari Shyamsundar Kar, Kashinath Pujapanda, Balakrushna Dash and others. He teamed up with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia to score music for Hindi and Odia films.
Mardala is a classical percussive instrument native to the east Indian state of Odisha, traditionally used as the primary accompaniment in Odissi classical music. The instrument is different from other instruments that might have similar names in the Indian subcontinent due to its unique construction, acoustic features and traditional playing technique.
The Gitaprakasa is a 16th-century musical treatise belonging to the tradition of Odissi music, written by the musicologist Krusnadasa Badajena Mahapatra. Mahapatra was a court musician of Gajapati Mukundadeba. It is the second earliest music treatise discovered from Odisha. The Gita Prakasa is one of the cornerstones of the Odissi music tradition and is widely quoted by later authorities such as the Sangita Narayana and the Sangita Muktabali.
PanditGopal Chandra Panda is a Guru of Odissi classical music, vocalist, researcher and composer. A disciple of Singhari Shyamsundar Kar, he has authored several books such as Odissi Raga Ratnabali & Odissi Raga Darpana, and is acclaimed for his efforts to collect & document several traditional Odissi ragas from the hinterlands. Panda served as a lecturer and head of department in the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya for nearly three decades. He has performed in music festivals across the country and is the founder of the Gopal Panda Odissi Academy. In 2011, Panda received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contributions to Odissi music.
PanditRamarao Patro is an Odissi music Guru, Odissi Bina exponent or Binākāra, noted composer & vocalist. He has composed music for hundreds of Odissi dance items and has worked closely with the founding Gurus of Odissi dance including Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Deba Prasad Das & Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra. He has widely performed Odissi Bina recitals across the state. He presently teaches Odissi Veena to students at Guru Ramhari Das' Odissi Gurukul at Biragobindapur, Puri, Odisha. Patro is the very last Guru and artiste of the Odissi Veena.Patro started his initial training at the age of six in the Gandhiji Sangita Kalamandira established by Acharya Tarini Charan Patra in his hometown. He initially trained under Guru Bauribandhu Das and Guru Krusna Chandra Brahma. He then learned vocal Odissi music and the intricacies of the Bina in the Odissi style of music from Tarini Charan Patra himself. He later joined the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya as a student and continued his musical education there. He is the author of a voluminous book 'Odissi Sangita Baridhi' documenting details of 60 Odissi ragas and 140 traditional Odissi compositions as taught by Guru Tarini Charan Patra.
PanditRamhari Das is a leading singer, composer, musicologist and Guru of Odissi music. Known for his renditions, compositions, lecture-demonstrations and writings, Das has served as a professor and led the Odissi vocal department in prominent musical institutions of Odisha, including the Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya and the Utkal University of Culture. He is the founder of Ramhari Das Odissi Gurukula at Biragobindapur, Puri. For his contributions to Odissi music, Das received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2008.
Dhaneswar Swain is an exponent and Guru of the Odissi Mardala, the traditional percussion instrument of Odissi music. He is known for his rhythmic compositions and fingering techniques, as well as his efforts to promote solo Mardala recitals and group presentations combining traditional percussive instruments from Odisha. He is the founder of Vadya Vani Gurukula, an institution for training and research in Odissi Mardala and other traditional percussion instruments of Odisha.
Shyamamani Devi is a Odissi classical music vocalist composer. A disciple of Gurus Singhari Shyamsundar Kar and Balakrushna Dash, she is known for her popular renditions of classical Odissi music, such as Odissi, Chhanda, Champu, etc. authored by medieval Odia musician-poets such as Upendra Bhanja, Kabisurjya Baladeba Ratha, Banamali Dasa, Gopalakrusna and others. She is also known for her renditions of light music such as traditional Odia folk music ,Odia film music and adhunika songs. In 2022, she was awarded the Padma Shri for he contributions to Odissi music.
The Sangita Narayana is a 17th-century musical treatise belonging to the tradition of Odissi music, written by musician Kabiratna Purusottama Misra and attributed to Gajapati Sarbagya Jagannatha Narayana Deva of Paralakhemundi. It is one of the most important musical treatises discovered from Odisha and is one of the fundamental texts followed in Odissi music till date. The treatise was first published by the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1966, followed by a critical edition published by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in 2009. Manuscripts of the work are found across India, indicating its national circulation. In 1987, Jonathan Katz in his D. Phil. thesis extensively analysed the musicological portions of the Sangitanarayana.
Baradi is a rāga belonging to the tradition of Odissi music. Falling under the meḷa Barādi, the raga uses komala rusabha, komala dhaibata and tibra madhyama swaras and is traditionally associated with the karuṇa rasa. The raga is mentioned in treatises such as the Gita Prakasa and Sangita Narayana. This raga has been used by the 12th-century Odia composer Jayadeva in his Gita Govinda along with its angaraga Desa Barādi.
