Debu Chaudhuri
{{Short description|Indian musician (1935–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox artist
| name = Pandit Devabrata (Debu) Chaudhuri
| image = Pandit_debu_chaudhuri_2014-06-24_10-36.jpg
| caption = Debu Chaudhuri (left)
| birth_name = Devabrata Chaudhuri
| birth_date = 30 May 1935
| birth_place = Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| death_date = 1 May 2021 (aged 85)
| nationality =
| spouse = Manjushree Chaudhuri
| field = Music sitar
| training = Senia Gharana
| movement =
| works = Published 6 Books, Composed 8 ragas
| patrons = Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan
| awards = Padmabhushan, Padmashree
| website = {{url|www.ptdebuchaudhuri.com}}
}}
Pandit Devabrata (Debu) Chaudhuri (({{langx|bn|পণ্ডিত দেবব্রত চৌধুরী}}); 30 May 1935{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QrkZAAAAYAAJ&q=Debu+Chaudhuri+b+May+30+,+1935|title = Reference India: A-F|year = 2003}} – 1 May 2021) was an Indian sitarist and teacher. He was conferred the Padmabhushan and Padma Shri awards. He was the writer of six books, composer of eight new ragas and numerous musical compositions. From 1963 he has appeared in numerous radio broadcasts, and he was a disciple of Mushtaq Ali Khan.{{cite book|title=India today|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nC9WAAAAYAAJ|access-date=17 March 2012|year=2008|publisher=Thomson Living Media India Ltd.|page=78}} He is considered a leading sitarist of Post War era.{{cite book|author1=James McConnachie|author2=Rough Guides (Firm)|title=World music: the rough guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QzX8THIgRjUC&pg=PA72|access-date=17 March 2012|year=2000|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=978-1-85828-636-5|page=72}} He is regarded as one of the leading proponents of Senia Style (or Gharana).{{cite book|author=John Shepherd|title=Continuum encyclopedia of popular music of the world: VolumeII: Performance and production|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pJvzEzjahkQC&pg=PA446|access-date=17 March 2012|date=27 February 2003|publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-8264-6322-7|page=446}} He was the former Dean and Head, Faculty of Music, University of Delhi.{{cite book|author=Dilip Ranjan Barthakur|title=The music and musical instruments of North Eastern India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oP4vH-4oSEcC&pg=PR5|access-date=17 March 2012|year=2003|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-7099-881-5|page=5}} His music is noted for its sweet singing ringing tone.{{cite book|title=The beat|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FAk5AQAAIAAJ|access-date=17 March 2012|year=1992|publisher=Bongo Productions|page=53}} He lived with his son, daughter-in law and niece at Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi.
Birth
Pt. Chaudhuri was born in 1935 in Mymensingh (now in Bangladesh).{{cite book|title=Sruti|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PSsqAQAAIAAJ|access-date=17 March 2012|date=1 January 1998|publisher=P.N. Sundaresan|page=17}} He started playing the sitar from four years of age. His first broadcast was at the age of eighteen at the All India Radio in 1953.
Death
Pt. Debu Chaudhuri died as a result of COVID-19 in Delhi, India, on 1 May 2021. He was admitted with COVID-19 along with dementia complications. He suffered a myocardial infarction (heart attack) around midnight and could not be revived.{{Cite web|date=2021-05-01|title=Sitar maestro Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri dies of Covid-19 complications|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/music/pandit-debu-chaudhuri-dies-of-covid-19-complications-7297498/|access-date=2021-05-01|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=पद्मभूषण से सम्मानित मशहूर सितारवादक पंडित देबू चौधरी का हार्ट अटैक से निधन|url=https://www.livehindustan.com/national/story-pandit-devabrata-chaudhuri-died-after-suffered-a-heart-attack-4006789.html|access-date=2021-05-01|website=Hindustan|language=hindi}}{{Cite web|title=Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri dies of Covid-19 complications – Celebrity Land International|url=https://celebrity.land/en/pandit-devabrata-chaudhuri-dies-of-covid-19-complications/|access-date=2021-05-01|language=en-US|archive-date=1 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501035252/https://celebrity.land/en/pandit-devabrata-chaudhuri-dies-of-covid-19-complications/|url-status=dead}} A few days after his death, his son Prateek Chaudhuri, a renowned sitar player, also died due to COVID-related complications.{{Cite web|date=2021-05-08|title=Prateek Chaudhuri passes away due to Covid: Remembering the renowned sitar player|url=https://indianexpress.com/photos/lifestyle-gallery/prateek-chaudhuri-passes-away-due-to-covid-remembering-the-renowned-sitar-player-7305965/|access-date=2021-05-14|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}
Training
He received his education in the University of Calcutta. He joined Delhi University as a reader from 1971 to 1982 and was the Dean and Head of Music Department from 1985 to 1988. He has served as a visiting professor at Maharishi International University (now called Maharishi University of Management), Iowa from 1991 to 1994.{{cite book|author=Ravi Bhushan|title=Reference India: A-F|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mWVmAAAAMAAJ|access-date=17 March 2012|year=2003|publisher=Rifacimento International|page=256}} He received his training in sitar under late Panchu Gopal Datta and Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan.{{cite book|title=Link|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OGxDAAAAYAAJ|access-date=17 March 2012|year=1979|publisher=United India Periodicals|page=82}}
Music
He started playing the sitar from four years of age. His first broadcast was at the age of eighteen at the All India Radio in 1953.{{Cite web|url=http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/arts/tied-to-his-strings|title=Tied to His Strings|access-date=2012-03-19|publisher=The Open Magazine|year=2010|author=Subhra Mazumdar }} He created 8 new Ragas viz. Bisweswari, Palas-Sarang, Anuranjani, Ashiqui Lalit, Swanandeswari, Kalyani Bilawal, Shivamanjari and Prabhati Manjari (in memory of his wife Manju). He has authored three books on Indian Music namely ‘Sitar and It's Techniques’, ‘Music of India’ and ‘On Indian Music’. He has recorded 24 CDs for 24 hours of the day in the United States.{{Cite web|url=http://ekikrat.in/Pandit-Debu-Chaudhuri|title=Pandit Debu Chaudhuri|access-date=2012-03-19|year=2008|author=Abhay}}
Style
He is considered a leading proponent of playing the repeated articulation of the pedal tone (also called the ‘’’Jod’’’) with the tonic pitch of the second string (also called the ‘’’Jodi’’’) string, by pulling the string across the fret that is allowed to die out before the basic alternation stroking is continued. He is considered one of the greatest sitar players of the era with Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ravi Shankar and Nikhil Banerjee. He is also unique in using the 17 fret sitar while most musicians use the 19 fret sitar.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/02/08/stories/2005020800310300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050211141506/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/02/08/stories/2005020800310300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2005-02-11|title=Classicist to the core|access-date=2012-03-19|year=2005|work=The Hindu|author=RANEE KUMAR}}
Contributions
=UMAK=
In April 2010 he started the UMAK (Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan) Center for culture in memory of his ‘’guru’’ Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article408618.ece|title=His master's voice|access-date=2012-03-19|work=The Hindu|author=MANJARI SINHA|date=23 April 2010 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1990–99}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaudhuri, Debu}}
Category:University of Calcutta alumni
Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Category:People from Mymensingh District