Shubh Maharaj is a tabla artist who follows the Benaras gharana (Banaras school of music). Born into a family of artists (from father and mother side) with a few generations associated with it, Shubh Maharaj is the grandson of the legendary tabla artist, Pandit Kishan Maharaj, arguably the most globally recognised, celebrated doyen of the Banaras Gharana. His father is the Kathak maestro Pandit Vijay Shankar, who was a senior disciple of Pandit Birju Maharaj. He delivers solo performances and also accompanies other artists.
Shubh Maharaj – The Tabla Player of the Benaras Gharana
Shubh Maharaj was born into a family of artists in Varanasi, with many generations dedicated to music or dance. He was born on 28 October 1987 in Varanasi to Pandit Vijay Shankar, a Kathak dancer. His mother is the daughter of Pandit Kishan Maharaj, one of the foremost exponents of the tabla. Both sides of his family were deeply rooted in Varanasi.
Shubh Maharaj inherited music from his mother’s side
Instead of following his father’s legacy, he chose tabla over kathak and took forward his maternal grandfather’s legacy as his father’s wish. He was only one year old when his father symbolically dedicated him at the feet of his maternal grandfather, marking his initiation into the art of tabla.
Many of his maternal ancestors performed Tabla, following Banaras Gharana, including his great-grandfather, Hari Maharaj, and great-granduncle, Kanthe Maharaj. There was a deep guru-shishya bond between Shubh and his grandfather.
He preserves the gharana’s stylistic purity
Shubh gave his first solo recital at the age of twelve and was described as a child prodigy. Since then, he has given many performances in India and abroad, as a solo artist and accompanist. He got the opportunity to perform in front of Pandit Ravi Shankar and received his blessings.
He has accompanied some great artists like Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Vidushi Girija Devi, Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra, Pandit Rajendra Prasanna, N. Rajam, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and Ustad Shahid Parvez.
Shubh has appeared at major festivals across the country. He performed at Baba Harivallabh Sangeet Mahasabha (Jalandhar), Dover Lane Music Conference (Kolkata), Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh (Varanasi), and Saptak Festival (Ahmedabad).
He aims to preserve the purist style of the gharana and also inspires youngsters to take music as a profession.
Awards and Legacy
He is a recipient of Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (Sangeet Natak Akademi, 2018), Kashi Yuva Gaurav (U.P. Tourism), and Yuva Ratna (Ganga Seva Nidhi). He is currently based in Delhi, and has disciples too. Apart from performances, he has also recorded music.
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