Chandrakant Kamat

Chandrakant Kamat
Pt. Chanrakant Kamat
Background information
Birth name	Chandrakant Shantaram Kamat
Born	November 26, 1933(1933-11-26) Dhule, Maharashtra, British India
Origin	Dhule, India
Died	June 28, 2010(2010-06-28) (aged 76) Pune, Maharashtra, India
Genres	Hindustani classical music
Instruments	tabla
Years active	1989–2010
Associated acts	Samta Prasad

Chandrakant Kamat (November 26, 1933 - June 28, 2010) is a Hindustani classical tabla player of the Benares Tabla Gharana.^[1]

Early life and training

Kamat was born in Dhule to a Saraswat Brahmin family with strong musical traditions. His father, Master Shantaram Kamat was a renowned Natyageet musician. Kamat started as a child artist in the Natak (musical plays) of his father's theatre company, Anandvilas and began learning the Tabla at a young age. Kamat learned from gurus Raghunath Shivalkar, Rambhau Vasht, and D. Y. Kadam and also trained in Indian classical dance.^[2]

Performing career

In 1952, Kamat shifted his base to Pune and became among the most trusted Tabla accompanists for his performances with Kathak dancer Rohinitai Bhate. In 1964, Kamat became a Gandabandhan disciple of Samta Prasad of the Benares gharana.

From 1956 to 1991, Kamat also provided Tabla accompaniment in Sangeet Nataks (Marathi musical plays) that featured artists like Smt. Hirabai Badodekar, Smt. Jyotsna Bhole, Chhota Gandharva, Shripadrao Nevrekar. During this time, Kamat also worked as a staff artist for AIR, Pune.^[1]

Awards and recognition

• 1999 - Sangatkar Puraskar
• 2001 - Vasundhara Pandit Puraskar

Recipient of several prestigious awards, like Sangatkar Puraskar in 1999 and the Late Vasundhara Pandit Purskar given in 2001, Pandit Kamat also trained his sons, Subhash and Bharat, who are among the promising tabla artistes in the country.

Death and Legacy

On the morning of Monday June 28, 2010, Kamat died of a cardiac arrest.

Kamat was among the preferred choice for Tabla accompaniment for India's top musicians, including Bhimsen Joshi, Begum Akhtar, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Bal Gandharva, and Kumar Gandharva among others.

Kamat's performances also extend to programs on Bhavgeet, Lavani, Thumri, and most notably Geet Ramayan.

Kamat holds the record for performing at the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival for fifty consecutive years.

Students

Pt.Chandrakant Kamat has taught tabla to many students including two sons, Subhash Kamat and Bharat Kamat, who are also Tabla players carry on his legacy.Other students are shri.Yogesh Awlaskar,Shri.Nikhil Parchure.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Tabla maestro Pandit Kamat passes away". The Times of India. June 29, 2010. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Tabla-maestro-Pandit-Kamat-passes-away/articleshow/6103722.cms. 
2. ^ Press Trust of India. http://www.ptinews.com/news/750678_Tabla-player-Chandrakant-Kamat-passes-away. 

External links

• Chandrakant Kamat's obituary - The Times of India

Persondata
Name	Kamat, Chandrakant
Alternative names
Short description	Musician
Date of birth	November 26, 1933
Place of birth	Dhule, India
Date of death	June 28, 2010
Place of death