Kanika Banerjee

Kanika Banerjee, also known as Kanika Bandyopadhyay (12 October 1924 – 5 April 2000), was a famous Bengali singer known for performing Rabindra Sangeet. She frequently performed on All India Radio Kolkata and at institutions across India, Europe and America. With over 300 gramophone records, she was praised for her distinct voice and ability to express the subtle emotions in Tagore’s songs while staying true to the notes.

Biography

Early life She was born on 12 October 1924 at Sonamukhi in Bankura district, West Bengal. Kanika studied at Visva-Bharati University. In 1986, she received Padma Shri award from the Government of India. Her alma mater (also home turf) Vishva-Bharati University, bestowed upon her Desikottama, its highest award in 1997.

Death Kanika died at the age of 76, on Wednesday 5 April 2000, at SSKM Hospital in Calcutta after a prolonged illness involving lung and cardiac problems. She left behind her a school of music, with numerous students, who bore the legacy of her very own stylization of Rabindrasangeet. Of her students, Rezwana Chowdhury Banya, the singer from Bangladesh, is perhaps the most well-known, for her striking similarity to Kanika's singing style. Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave a condolence speech saying that Kanika "was among the best exponents of Rabindra Sangeet. Generations of music lovers were charmed by her golden voice."

Excerpt from Obituary In his obituary: "Nightingale of Rabindrasangeet is no more" published on 5 April 2000, Sankar Ray summarizes his experience of Kanika Bandyopadhyay as a singer:

A recollection of Banerjee describes hearing her sing on an All India Radio programme broadcast from Santiniketan Ashramik Sangha during a rainy evening in 1960. The writer recalled her rendition of s contribution to the cultural life of Santiniketan.

Musical style Kanika Bandyopadhyay was a contemporary of other notable exponents of Rabindrasangeet, namely Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, Chinmoy Chattopadhyay, Suchitra Mitra, Debabrata Biswas, Sagar Sen, Sumitra Sen, Rezwana Choudhury Bannya, Santidev Ghosh and Subinoy Roy. In particular, her musical style has often been compared and contrasted with that of Suchitra Mitra. While both singers excelled in songs of love and worship (puja and prem), Kanika's oeuvre was melodious yet melancholy, plaintive yet soul-stirring, whereas Suchitra was bold and strong in her renditions.

Personal life Kanika was married in 1945 to Birendra Chandra Bandyopadhyay, former deputy librarian of Viswa Bharati University and a renowned poet. The couple had no children; but later she adopted her younger sister's only son Priyom (Tanaji, the name given by Mohor di). In her later life, Kanika receded to a reclusive lifestyle and led the simple life of an ashramite in Santiniketan.