THE ARTIST
Shailendra Mishra, a Master in percussion Music, is a disciple of Shri Arjun Rai, Pt. Anand Gopal Bandopadhyay and a Gandabandh Shishya of Pt. Sameer Chatterjee. He represents both Banaras and Farrukhabad Gharanas. He also received the able guidance of Late Pt. Shyamal Bose.
An ‘A’ grade artist from AIR (All India Radio) he has played in various national and international conferences and concerts with renowned artists like late Pt. V.G.Jog, Pt. Rajan-Sajan Mishra, Pt. Shrikant Bakre, Vidushi N. Rajam, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Pt. Nityanand Haldipur,Late Pt. Vishnu Prasanna and many more.
Shailendra had a leaning towards Tabla playing from his childhood. He started his ‘Taleem’ in tabla at the tender age of 7 under the guidance of Shri Arjun Rai. Seated behind his drums, he seems to have entered a world of his own. His whole being seems to participate in the various aspects of rhythm, keeping the beat, reciting the Bols and indicating the pattern with immaculate ease. He plays passages effortlessly with unbelievable clarity, incredible tone modulation and a subtle charm typical to his style.
For those who are not so familiar with Indian Classical music it is to be noted that there exists a huge wealth of mathematics within the realms of our music. He is striving to convey this to today's youth with the adept training that he imparts to his students. He resents the fact that not many youngsters today realize the importance and impact of our Indian Classical Music. He wants to evoke a similar aesthetic sensibility for Tabla in his students as he himself feels.
HIS BACKGROUND
Born and brought up in Kolkata in a family where music was only appreciated but not considered as a serious art that can be taken as a profession, Shailendra's intense passion towards music can only be considered inborn. His early exposure to musical envoirnment and constant encouragement from his grandfather,and father, proved to be his strength. Constant support and able guidance from his Guru, Pt. Sameer Chatterjee who is also his mentor, enhanced his talent.
Since he started his Taleem at an early age of 7, he started performing with maestros like Pt. Shrikant Bakre, Pt. Ullas Kashalkar, Pt. V.G.Jog and the like at an early age too.
His education and his music went along side by side for a long time and he graduated in the science stream. There was a lot of pressure from his family as they believed in the so-called 'secure jobs' of Medicine, Engineering and Defence. But when he completed his graduation, he believed that he could no longer ride in two boats and decided to devote his entire attention to music as his soul lay in it.
Being a true musician at heart, his inclination towards vocal music was natural and thus he also learnt vocal music for a few years.
