SHOWCASE July/August 2009

In July and August we are delighted to showcase Assamese Friend, Gitika Saikia. Gitika is championing Assamese Friends and was one of the first people to sign up. We are fortunate in the UK to have such a talented artist living in our small community. An artist who is very popular with her audiences. It is therefore a privilege and an honour to count her as our friend and a delight to showcase her on Assamese Friends.

Many of you will know Gitika and for those who have not met her will no doubt recognise her photograph. For several years a poster of her welcomed people to Assam in Gauhati airport.

Gitika has a long track record in the musical field, and is one of the most reputed Goalpariya folk singers, although she is equally well versed in modern as well as classical songs. Hailing from Guwahati, she started learning classical and folk music at the age of nine. At the age of ten, she was trained in Goalpariya Lokageet under the tutelage of her maternal aunt – legendary singer Pratima Barua Pandey. At the same time, she took training in classical music under Dhiren Das.

Gitika has a passion for music and with this passion and hard work was awarded a Professorship in Indian Classical Music.

While studying in Handique Girls College, she underwent intensive training in classical music under maestro Jatin Sarma at the Narayan Sangeet Vidyalaya of Maligaon and got the Visharad degree in 1977. During the period, she had also secured the Sangeet Prabhakar degree, standing first class first, under Allahabad University.

During the’60s and ’70s, she was an immensely popular singer, performing on AIR, Guwahati and on different stages of the state. She was virtually a regular artiste on the Guwahati Bihu Sammilan stage of Latasil. She was felicitated at the Silver Jubilee function of the Sammilan. In 1965, a musical feature titled Mahut Bandhu Re on Goalpariya Lokageet, led by Gitika and Late Rituparna Sarma in the Yuva Vani programme of AIR, Guwahati, made a huge impact on the listeners. Since 1980, after her marriage with Dr Adhita Nanda Saikia, she has settled in the UK, along with her husband and two daughters – Dr Samantha and Monica– who have inspired and encouraged her to continue her musical journey. She has been performing folk and classical on prominent stages of UK including London, Birmingham, Leicester, Bradford, Keithley, Barnsley and Nottingham etc. Presently residing in Yorkshire, Gitika has served as an Indian music teacher at Blackburn College for nine years, and at Bradford College for ten years. To date, she has been devoting her time to practising vocal music.

Regarding her album Megh Meghali, after a break, the folk songs are bound to be popular. While releasing the album, Dr Lakshahira has rightly said– “It is praiseworthy that Gitika has never forgotten her dear Luit. She has never forgotten her roots. It proves her dedication, devotion and determination, which are the essential aspects of a successful singer. All the songs of the album are soothing and remind us of Pratima Barua Pandey.” The album has been dedicated in her memory. In an interaction, Gitika said– “I am glad that I have been able to dedicate my album to my maternal aunt. It was she who had advised my mother to let me take up singing sincerely.” Megh Meghali, with concept by Bithika Dutta, is produced by Surajit Dutta, with apropriate music arrangement by Paresh Kakati and Kanak Medhi. It is an album worth listening to and preserving. Kudos to Gitika.

Gitika will be performing in July in the North of England, we will post the details of this as soon as they are available.

Gitika has kindly allowed us to place a song on our website for our friends to enjoy. Listen here

Also this month we present Mr Manoj Baruah (from India) a regular visitor to the UK.

Manoj started learning violin from his brother, Deepak Baruah, at the age of ten. He went on to study with Smt. Sulaya Banerjee of Kolkata and Professor Sisirkana Dharchowdury. He has an M.A. in instrumental music from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. Currently he is researching the evolution of violin in Indian music at Vishwa Bharati University, Shantiniketan.

He is a regular performer on All India Radio and Doordashan TV and has toured in India, Bangladesh, the UK, Germany, Switzerland and France. In 1997 he was awarded a National Scholarship by the Indian Government. He has received other awards from the West Bengal Academy of Dance, Drama and Visuals, the All Assam Violin Competition, Hiren Roy Smriti Puraskar from Rabindra Bharati University and the Maya Mitra Memorial Instrumental Competition from the Aurobindo institute of culture.

Manoj has released CDs on the Urban Prayer label and has composed and played music for film and TV.