meet the artist Bickram Ghosh

Bickram Ghosh Biography

World-famous percussionist and New-age star, Bickram Ghosh is ranked amongst the greatest Tabla players of India. Equally brilliant within traditional as well as experimental genres, Bickram has carved out a unique niche for himself in his diverse avatars as a classical musician, new – age artiste, and composer. He is heralded as a multi-talented virtuoso. His already huge body of work in diverse artistic areas such as classical performances (he has played with literally every top Hindustani and Carnatic Classical artist in the country- especially Pt Ravi Shankar with whom he performed for 11 years), new-age experimental music (he is widely considered a pioneer in this area), recordings (over 100), film scoring (34 films in Hindi and Bengali), Documentary scoring, Television work, Acting (he has appeared as a hero or guest actor in 5 films) and brand ambassador (he was a and ambassador for the election commission for the 2011 polls in West Bengal) has established his reputation as one of the most versatile artists of today. Son and disciple of the great Tabla maestro-Pandit Shankar Ghosh, Bickram has also learned the nuances of Carnatic percussion from Pandit S. Sekhar. He performed for over a decade with the legendary Pandit Ravi Shankar who honed his skills in the art of accompaniment.

Bickram is widely considered to be one of the greatest ambassadors of the tabla today. While his achievements as a classical tabla player (who has performed for years with the greatest of names like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma and literally every other top name in the music world) have brought him widespread admiration and respect, his pioneering work in the field of new-age music have brought him an iconic status amongst the youth of the country and also among audiences who are not avid listeners of classical music. In fact, it is widely acknowledged that his work in this field has created a revival of interest in classical music and many of those who only swayed to the rhythm and melodies of film and popular music now are drawn to this new form of classical-based fusion that Ghosh has created. The versatility of this dynamic artist also extends to film, television, teaching, and modeling. Other than Ustad Zakir Hussain, he is the only other tabla player who is approached for endorsement projects which cash in on his popularity. Through his manifold activities, he has been able to raise the status, respect, and admiration associated with the age-old Tabla manifold. In his own words, “It is important that we present our Indian traditions to the next generation in a form which makes being Indian trendy and attractive. It is only when the youth are drawn in will they actually realize the depth of our own culture. We must present the greatness of our culture to them in a manner that is contemporary and creates a sense of pride in them. Otherwise, they will gradually become more and more alienated.”

Bickram has been recently awarded the second-highest West Bengal state civilian award of Banga Bhushan.

Country: India

Band: Bickram Ghosh