Having attained the stature of one of the leading female vocalists of the country, Subhra Guha is regarded not only as the finest lady singer but also as an exponent of the Agra Gharana. Though belonging to the Agra Gharana, which is synonymous with the prowess and masculinity of Aftab-e-Mousiqui Ustad Faiyaz Khan, what makes Guha's rendition style uniquely different is her mature juxtaposition of her feminine charm with masculine grandeur that's inherent in the Gharana. Guha's voice effortlessly soars from one octave to the next mesmerizing her aficionados across the globe.
Coming from a music loving family, Guha started showing signs of exceptional talent at a tender age. She received her earliest training from late Shri Satish Bhowmick.
During her growing years, Guha took advanced training from one of the learned Pandits of the Agra Gharana, Pandit Sunil Bose.
Later in 1982, she joined the prestigious Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata where Bose was a guru. For ten years, she received uninterrupted training from him as a scholar of the academy. Subsequently, she also received training from the stalwart, Late Pandit K.G Ginde. Guha was fortunate enough to receive guidance under late Pandit D.T Joshi on musicality and aesthetics. It was from Joshiji that Guha learnt the art of thumri rendition. Special mention must be made of Pt Vijay Kichlu's constant support and valuable guidance in polishing and helping her to form the distinct structure in her style of gayaki.
Today, Guha is acknowledged as one of the finest thumri singers of the Poorab Ang among the younger generation of singers. Her voice is strikingly tuneful, exhibiting exquisite tonal malleability and is remarkably suited for khayal recital. Her style of rendition displays a mellow blending of vidya, impeccable raagdari and a rich gayaki that is both creative and aesthetically appealing. Her collection of rare thumri, dadra, kajri, chaiti, etc in pure Benaras tradition is also matchless. Equally impressive is her exhaustive collections of some rare raagas and compositions.
Over the years, Guha has intelligently maintained the balance between the two streams of khayal and thumri keeping intact the academic excellence with measured blend of aesthetics and musical semantics. Open throated 'akar', her taans and bol-bants are extraordinary features of her gayaki. Her command over laya is outstanding.
Guha is also a regular artiste of the All India Radio and Doordarshan and has cut albums with reputed companies including HMV, RPG, Music Today and IAM. Not just that, Guha remains the only female scholar to have risen to the stature of a guru at the prestigious Sangeet Research Academy and remained so for 11 years.
It is but natural for organizations across the globe to invite Guha regularly to perform at major conferences. Between balancing her engagements in India and her regular tours to Canada, USA, UK, France and Germany, Guha also finds time in offering talim to students. As she puts it herself, "My performances keep me busy. But as a student of Indian classical music, I see it as my aesthetic responsibility to pass on whatever I have learnt from my gurus to the next generation. Nothing surpasses the pleasure that one derives in initiating the young generation to our culture and show them how to love it as much as we and are ancestors have in the past."
|