Rishabh Dhar- Percussionist, Composer & Innovator

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Rishabh Dhar
Pakhawaj Exponent, Percussionist, Innovator & Composer

Having born into a reputed musical family of Kolkata, I was strongly influenced by various forms of Indian classical music from childhood. Since the age of 3, I started learning " Pakhawaj ", one of the oldest and most exciting and versatile North Indian Classical percussion instruments ever, under the guidance of Pandit.Rajib Lochon Dey & Pandit.Apurba lal Manna(of LalaKebal Kishan Gharana),Pandit .Vittal Das Gujrati and Pandit.Manik Munde(of Nana Sahab Panse Gharana). I also studied the South Indian Ghatam & Konnakol(speaking the rhythm) under the guidance of Pandit. S.Shekhar.

My mother, Smt.Ashoka Dhar Nandy , who has been a student of Dhrupad Maestro Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar(Senior Dagar Brothers), is the first female Dhrupad vocalist from India. She has been the cultural Ambassador of India for decades.

Since the age of 19, I started connecting with open minded musicians from all over the world & have shared the stage with the likes of Victor Wooten, Steve Zerlin, John Wubbenhorst, Trilok Gurtu & many more. My experience, musical overview, passion and devotion gave him the opportunity to become a guest lecturer in London and Venlo. I started working with the London University(SOAS) & AMC since the year 2000 and also became a visiting faculty in Alandi Institute ( Venlo). In 2005, I was invited by the Conservatory of Rotterdam to be part of a special project called One world Many Music’s. In 2006 I had started my first own World Music Project “TAALMANTRA” which had earned appreciations from Various places in Europe & UK & India .

“Rishabh Dhar’s band FINGERPRINTS” was launched in 2009. Using a unique ensemble of instruments and an equally diverse influence of music from across the world, Fingerprints has travelled across the globe playing their exotic music. Fingerprints boasts of a wide variety of music catering to large range of audiene across the globe. Often described as a world music fusion ensemble, Fingerprints fuses – with much elan – the royal pakhawaj and the classical tabla, the dhak and dhol and African drums to Latino rhythms and then creates music based on Western Classical,Rock, Blues, Latin, Folk and Indian classical music. Since 2009 Fingerprints has done more than 250 events across India & Abroad.

I have been working regularly as a composer & producer in the television & film industry since 2010 as well. I had composed festival theme music for ABP Ananda Utsav(London,New Jersey)2011,Bangla Sangeet Purashkar 2011 & 2012(Film Festival Awards).
I did my first directorial debut as a music director for Mega Series “Swangsiddha” for ETV Bangla television channel in 2012 in India.

For more videos please visit: www.youtube.com/rishabhconcerts

A career spanning for almost 15 years of performing across the globe, I was chosen the Global Brand Ambassador for an UK based NGO called Calcutta Rescue for 2013.Calcutta Rescue was awarded as the best International NGO working in India in 2011.

Rishabh Dhar’s Fingerprints has performed in many festivals in the world including performances at the following major festivals:

1.Bath International Music Festival , UK
2. Brighton Festival , UK 3. Millenium Summit Festival Singapore
4.The North Sea Jazz Festival in Netherlands
5. World Sacred Music Festival , USA .
6. India Festival(In the Sporen Van India ) at Koninklijke Schouwburg,Den Haag.
7.United Nations Peace Summit at Madison Square Garden ,NYC.

Rishabh has also performed in major venues across the continents which include:

1.Royal Albert Hall,london
2.Koninklijke Schouwburg , Den Haag,
3.Theatre de la Ville, Paris
5.Purcell Room, London
6.ICC Berlin, Germany .
7.Theater De La Ville,Paris.
8.KOMMA, Worgl , Austria .
9.Smithsonian ,Washington DC.

- The countries which have hosted my performances so far:
UK,Holland,France,Germany,Austria,Belgium,Spain,Switzerland,Italy,USA,
MiddleEast ,Singapore,Thailand,Malaysia,Fiji Islands,Australia,New
Zealand & South Korea.

-For more information's please visit these following links:

www.facebook.com/rishabhdhar
http://www.rishabhdhar.com/
www.youtube.com/rishabhconcerts
www.soundcloud.com/rishabh-dhar
www.onepoint.fm/rishabhdhar

I have had an enviable head-start in music.I was born in a celestial musical nest in Calcutta.I am Rishabh Dhar the son of Dhrupad Exponent Smt.Ashoka Dhar Nandy the first female Dhrupadia in India.She is the oldest disciple of Late Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar sahab the great Dhrupad Maestro (One of the Senior Dagar Brothers).I was born and brought up in the Ustad Nasir Moinuddin Dagar Dhrupad Sangeet Ashram amidst an ambiance reverberating to the vibrations of the tanpura.The
actual training started as a toddler listening to the Maestro's singing all the time.
I play Pakhawaj the oldest North Indian classical percussion drum. I had my extensive training in Pakhawaj from the early age of 3years,under the guidance of Pandit.Rajib Lochon Dey & Pandit.Apurba lal Manna(of Lala Kebal Kishan Gharana),Pandit .Vittal Das Gujrati and Pandit.Manik Munde (of Nana Sahab Panse Gharana).I have traveled and performed worldwide
with various famous musicians of India.I have played with Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar Sahab,Pandit Uday Bhawalkar,Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar,Ustad Bahauddin Dagar,Smt Ashoka Dhar Nandy,Pandit Ajoy Chackraborty,Pandit Tanmoy Bose,Ustad Taufiq Quereshi(brother of Ustad Zakir Hussain) and many more famous personalities of Indian Classical Music.I have been a part of Various World Music Projects like "TAALTANTRA" of Pandit Tanmoy Bose & "LARITMA" a fusion project in Germany & "The Drums Of India" recreated by Mallar Ghosh the son of
Legendary Tabla Guru Pandit Gyan Prakash Ghosh. In 2005 I started my own World Music Project “TAALMANTRA” which have already earned appriciation from Various places in Europe & UK. Since 2009 Taalmanta became “Fingerprints” & have been extensively performing since then.
I have been associated with AMC(Asian Music Circuit) in UK and taking workshops and teaching at SOAS(University of London) & also in Venlo(Holland) since 2000.
The countries where I have performed so far are UK,Holland,France,Germany,Austria,Belgium,Spain,Switzerland,Italy,USA, MiddleEast ,Singapore,Thailand,Malaysia,Fiji Islands,Australia,New Zealand & South Korea.

Some Major Performances in India:
a)Spic Macay National convention in IIM Joka in the year 1996 with Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar and Sri.Uday Bhawalkar.
b)15th Baba Beharam Khan Dagar Dhrupad Samaroah in Jaipur in the year 1999 with Srimati Ashoka Dhar.
c)Dhrupad Mela in Varanasi in 1999.
d)Performed at the Auroville in pondicherry in 2000 with Srimati AshokaDhar.
e)Performed at the International Music Festival in Varanasi in 2001.
f)Spic Macay National Convention in IIM Joka in 2001.
g)Played with Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar in 2001.
h)Playing with Grammy Award Winner Pandit Tanmoy Bose and Bikram Ghosh in their project with World Percussion in 2002 and 2003.
i)Played with Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar in Calcutta on 28th of December 2002.
j)Played with Sri Mallar Ghosh son of the legendary Gyan
Prakash Ghosh in the Drums of India.
k)Played with Pandit Uday Bhawalkar on the 12th June 2003 in Calcutta.
L)Played with Pandit Tanmoy Bose and Ustad Taufiq Qureshi on the 26th December 2003 in Calcutta.
m)Played with Pandit Tanmoy Bose and Ustad Taufiq Qureshi on the 17th January 2004 at the Science City Auditorium(Calcutta).
n)Played with Ustad Bahauddin Dagar & Smt. Ashoka Dhar Nandy on the 11th July 2004 at the Birla Academy of Art & Culture.
o)Playing with various musicians in India regularly.

Some Major performances Abroad:

a)Performed in Germany with the invitation from Duetsch Indische Gessel Schraft and Indo-German Soceity in Kassel,Koln,Bonn and Meckenheim in August 1999 with Srimati Ashoka Dhar.
b)Performed at various venues in USA including UCLA,UCSC and EWCC in September 1999 with Srimati Ashoka Dhar.
c)Performed at the Millenium Summit in Singapore in December 1999.
d)Performed in Various venues in the UK with the ICCR in October 2000 with Srimati Ashoka Dhar.
e)Performed in France(Paris) in October/November 2000 with Srimati Ashoka Dhar.
f)Performed in Germany,France,Holland,Belgium and Italy with Srimati Ashoka Dhar in April/May 2001.Played with Ustad Bahauddin Dagar in paris.
g)Toured UK,Germany and Holland.Given workshops at the
SOAS(University of London).Given a three day Rhythm Workshop in Venlo(Holland).Performed with DIG Mainz in October and November 2001 with Srimati Ashoka Dhar.
h)Performed in Germany,France,Holland and Italy with Srimati Ashoka Dhar in April and May 2002.
i)Performed in UK and Holland with Smt Ashoka Dhar in October and November 2002.
j)Performed in UK, Holland, Germany and Austria with Smt.Ashoka Dhar in April and May 2003.
K)Performed in Germany with Various World Music Projects in September and October 2003.
L)Performed in UK,Holland,Germany and France with Smt.Ashoka Dhar in November and December 2003.
m)Performed in Holland & Germany with Smt.Ashoka Dhar in April and May 2004.
n)Performed in Germany, Switzerland & Spain with various World Music projects in September/October 2004.
o)Performed in UK, Holland & Germany with Smt.Ashoka Dhar in
November/December 2004.
p)Performed in Holland & Germany with Smt. Ashoka Dhar in May/June 2005.
q)Performed in Holland, Germany & UK with invitation from AMC & Nehru Center London in October & November 2005 with Smt.Ashoka Dhar.
r)Performed in UK,Holland,Germany & Austria with invitation from ICCR & University of Vienna in March & April 2006 with Smt.Ashoka Dhar.
s)Performed in Fiji Islands & Australia with the invitation from
ADIDAM(Adi Da Samrajashram,Naitauba)in June & July 2006 with Smt.Ashoka Dhar.
t)Performed & Toured with Smt.Ashoka Dhar Nandy(Dhrupad
Exponent)in various places in Germany,Holland,Italy & UK with the invitation from Adidam,Aurobindo Ashram(Auroville international Meet),Asian Music Circuit of London & Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, London in September,October & November 2006.
u)Toured & Performed as a part of the prestigeous North Sea Jazz Festival with own group “TAALMANTRA”in January 2007 in Theater Zwembad De regents (Den Haag), Sociëteit De Burcht (Leiden), Theater Holendrecht (Amsterdam) e.a.
v)Toured & Performed with Smt.Ashoka Dhar Nandy in various places in UK,Germany,Holland,Belgium& Italy. Also Performed with Gianni Ricchizzi in Roma(Italy) at the prestigeous Teatro San Genesio festival on 3rd April 2007.
w)Toured & Performed with Smt.Ashoka Dhar Nandy in Fiji Islands & Australia in July & August 2007.
x)Toured & Performed with TaalMantra & Smt.Ashoka Dhar Nandy in Holland,Germany,Belgium & UK in september/December 2007.
y)Toured & Performed with Smt.Ashoka Dhar Nandy in Holland,Germany & Belgium in March & April 2008.

Z)Toured & Performed with John Wubbenhorst ,Facing East
Productions,Sarbari Gangopadhyay(Dhrupad Vocalist),Nancy
Kulkarni(Chello) & Steve Zerlin,Victor Wooten in (USA) New York
City,Baltimore,Maryland,Virginia, Ashburn, Rhode Island & Washington DC.With memorable performance at the Smitsonian Institution(Fleer & Sackler Gallery) in May 2008.
i)Toured & Performed with Smt.Ashoka Dhar Nandy in Fiji Islands (Naituaba Island) Australia,New Zealand & Korea in July 2008.
j)Toured & Performed with Taalmantra & Smt.Ashoka Dhar in
UK,Holland,Belgium,Austria & Italy in October & November 2008.
k)Toured & Performed with Smt.Ashoka Dhar in Germany,Holland,Belgium in April/May 2009.
l)Toured & Performed with Fingerprints in Netherlands at the prestigious India Festival at Schouwburg in Den Haag(In the sporen Van India),Amsterdam & UK in September 2009.
m)Toured Germany,Holland with Smt.Ashoka Dhar in October/November 2009.
n)Toured Austria with Fingerprints in February 2010.
o)Toured Germany,Netherlands in April/May 2010 with Smt Ashoka Dhar.
p)Toured Germany,Holland,France,Belgium & Austria with Smt.Ashoka Dhar in May/June 2011.
q)Toured UK with Fingerprints(Harrow Arts Center,Camden Town Hall,Southampton)in September 2011.
r)Toured Germany,Holland in October 2011 with Ashoka Dhar.
s)Toured Holland,Germany in April/May 2012 with Smt.Ashoka Dhar.
u)Toured September to November 2012 in Holland,Germany,France,Belgium,Austria with Fingerprints & Smt.Ashoka Dhar Nandy
v)Toured April & May2013 to Holland,Germany & Switzerland with Ashokaji
w)Toured September & October to Germany,Holland,Austria,Spain & Switzerland with Smt.Ashoka Dhar
x)Toured Bangladesh with the invitation from the foreign minister of Bangladesh as a delegate to perform in Dhaka for Diwali 2013 with Smt.Ashoka Dhar Nandy.

Discography:
1)CD S released from the MAKAR RECORDS of France and from Alandi In Holland in 2001.
2)Cds and Cassette released from HMV in India with Pandit Ajoy
Chackraborty(Kheyal Style).
3)Cds released from the sony music with Pt.Tanmoy Bose in his album ofWorld Music called "TaalTantra".
4) CDS released from Sony Music with Pt.Tanmoy Bose in his album called "Navras".
5)CDS released from the Riverside Studious in Alkmaar(Holland)with Smt.Ashoka Dhar Nandy in October 2005.
6)Recorded from Riverside Studious in Alkmaar(Holland) for a double CD pack with Smt.Ashoka Dhar Nandy in 2009.

Some Major achievements:
a)Awarded Scholarship from the Sangeet Natak Academy for three years from 1995 to 1997.
b)Stood First in the competition held by Rajya Sangeet Academy in 1998.
c)Awarded scholarship from Ramakrishna Mission, Golpark for 2001 and 2002.
d)Featured in a film made by Sri Gautam Ghosh on the Doyens of Indian Classical Music with Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar.
e)Featured in the Film called "THE RECLUSE" made by Arvind Sinha on the life of Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar.
f)Also featured in the the film Dhrupad made by Arvind Sinha in 2001.
g)Given solo interviews for the German Radio "DW" in Koln in 1999.
h)Working at the London University "SOAS"(School of Oriental and African Studies)as a visiting Lecturer from 2001.
i)Played in the Special Indian DVD Rom project called "One World,Many Musics" an interactive educational production of Codarts Research (Conservatory of Rotterdam) in 2005.

j)Rishabh Dhar’s Fingerprints have composed & Performed the Festival Theme Music for ABP Ananda Utsav 2011(held in London & New Jersey),Bangla Sangeet Purashkar 2011 & 2012,Shera Bangali,KKR(Kolkata Knight Riders),Radio Mirchi Rockbaji & Friends 91.9fm Music Festival in 2011.Apart from these important festivals we have played for various corporates houses across India.In the last two years we have played more than 100 concerts across India.

k) I was chosen the Global Brand Ambassador for an UK based NGO called Calcutta Rescue for 2013.Calcutta Rescue was awarded as the best International NGO working in India in 2011.