Pandit Manas Chakraborty, the reigning maestro of international repute of Kotali Gharana is an outstanding luminary in the stardom of the musical-galaxy of India. Born in a highly traditional and illustrious family of sanskritologists and musicians, he could have no better Guru than his father Sangeetacharya Tarapada Chakraborty, the pioneer of this Kotali Gyaki.

Pt. Manas Chakraborty, the devout pursuer of various sources and streams of Indian Classical Music is enriched by his keen interest in Indian Philosophical traditions of all the existing Gharanas and Gayakies. The musical phenomenon of Pt. Manas Chakraborty has attained a new altitude which is his very own and individual and has initiated a new dynamics of allegiance to the human efforts towards life and its values. He sets his Khayal Gayaki in accordance with the character of Raga. The Maestro boldly makes the manifold moves of his style to achieve an integrated oneness of the eternal Indian ethos, to enrich the dimensions of a particular raga. His Thumris have created a landmark in the evolution of Hindustani-Music. The abstract soul of the Artist comes out with musical expressions by bol-banana and unfolds his fecund mind with delicacy in his delineation. Although, he was initiated in Lachao and Banarasi Thumris by his father he is not at all orthodox and has accepted improvisations and fusions with the Punjabi style and some folk elements in his thumri gayan. In his thumri gayaki one can notice the evolution of styles that has come through the ages and reached an ensemblic height in his style with lyrical values and poetic sensibilities of his own.

Manas is a versatile genius who has unsurpassed mastery of all languages of Khayal, Thumri and various other semi-classical styles of music such as Thumri, Dadra, Kajri, Chaiti, Jaad Ki Geet, Jhula, Hori, Birha, Pasar Ki Geet, Tappa, Bhajan, Ragpradhan etc. Most of his own created bandishes can be noted by his pseudonym ‘Sadasant’, ‘Sadasant Piya’ or ‘Sadapiya’ and he is distinctively adored among the music-lovers while rendering these for his emotional expression essentially romantic, with a great control over his voice with which he can pass-over whatever message he likes to attribute.

His recitals have earned an enviable distinction as an’ “Artist of Artists ”, in various concerts in both at home and abroad. ‘Talim’, ‘tabiat’ and ‘taiari’ with inborn artistry, profound knowledge, intellectuality and cerebral ability has given a new dimension to his unique style of rendition which is now being followed by many artists along with his own disciples. Thus presenting the obscure reality of music in a tangibly graceful elocutionary form with his kalabant gayaki, nayaki and majestic mizaaj has made him an institution by himself in the international realm of Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet. His contribution towards the Hindustani Classical Music for the last fifty years is undoubtedly worth-mentioning and as a ‘Guru’ he is great. The schooling of Indian Classical Music through the mentors of his family and the torchbearers, established around the globe has already entered the seventh- generation and now the new trend of ‘Kotali Gayaki’ is his single handed orchestration, which with the synthesis of diversities has finally created and defined the ultimate shape of ‘Kotali Gayaki’. His highly technical and eclectic approach though different from his father’s individuality, is finally convergent to the philosophical end of the essence of ‘Kotali Gharana’.


OTHER WORKS AND ATTACHMENTS…
An accomplished music-director, composer, lyricist and poet, Pt. Manas Chakraborty has been highly acclaimed for his published collection of Bengali poems from ‘Prativaas’, namely “Tumiyo Bhetore-Neel Nakhshatra”, essentially a landmark of his poetic-diction. Most of his classical compositions (bandishes) carry his pseudonym ‘Sadasant’. Moreover his huge compositions of Hindustani Semi Classical Music and Bengali commercial songs are highly appreciated by the connoisseurs and music lovers. He was attached with the West Bengal State Music Academy from its inception as a pertinent member of the general council and the working committee, and he was the active participant of all cultural affairs of the Academy. He is one of the directors along with Jnanprokash Ghosh to release a cassette ‘Gan-Shikhi-Gan-Gai’ from the said Academy and has also executed many musical workshops for the Academy in the district level for the upliftment of the general awareness of music. He is an approved lyricist of the All India Radio and the Saregama and many of his compositions have already been demonstrated by veteran artists on A. I. R and some of them are published recorded by himself and eminent artists like Sandhya Mukherjee, Protima Banerjee and other singers. He has also established himself as a playback singer in feature film, T.V serials & Dramas. He was in the editor board of India’s one of the significant tabloids of music & dance, ‘Damaru’. Presently he has to his credit a number of cassettes and compact disks released both from India and abroad by several companies like Saregama, HMV, Sagarika Acoustronics, Raga Music, Prime Music, Chhandayan (New York) and Maharishi World Center of Gandharva Veda, Holland.

AWARDS AND FELICITATION…
Dishari Award (Twice) — West Bengal Journalists’ Association.
Maharishi Award (1987) — Maharishi world Centre of Gandharva Veda, at U.K. Roydon Hall.
Girija Shankar Memorial Award (1989) — Girija Shankar Smriti Parishad.
Jadubhatta Award (1995) — Salt-Lake Cultural Association (for his outstanding contribution as Guru in Indian Classical Vocal Music and also his upcoming disciple Sri Subhashish Mukherjee was the recipient of this award as the able shishya.)
Outstanding Citizen Award (2000) — English Teaching Union.
Appreciation Award for his excellent performance at 15th Master Dinanath Mangeshkar
Award from Bharati Kala Kendra, Lucknow
Sangeet Samman 2011 by The Dover Lane Music Conference
Heritage Samman 2011 by Tower Heritage Society

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES…
All India Music Conference, Calcutta
Surdas Music Conference, Calcutta
Rag-Ranjan Festival, Bombay
Vaskar Rao-Sangeet & Nritya Sammelan, Chandigarh - (Prachin Kala Kandra)
Swai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav - Pune
Dover Lane Music Conference, Calcutta – 15 times
Academy of Indian Arts and Music - Calcutta
Sangeet Research Academy – Several times
Indira Kala Sangeet Biswa Vidyalaya (Khairagarh), Gwalior
Vishnu Digambar Jayanti, Concert Delhi
Alauddin Music Conference, Maihar
National Fare Festival Calcutta
5th Rimpa Music Festival (arranged by Ravi Sankar Institute of Music & Performing Arts)Benaras
Uttarpara Sangeet Chakra - Several Times.
Annual Festival of Lucknow Marris College.
Master Dinanath Mangeskar Sangeet Sammellan, Goa
Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture; Calcutta, - on 132nd birth
Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
Rajya Sangeet Academy,Ezcc, Music Conference – Several times
Saptak - Ahmedabad
Park Circus Sangeet Sammelan, Calcutta
World Music Day, organised by (W.B Govt. and EZCC) - Calcutta
21st Death anniversary of Ustad Alauddin Khan, at Rabindra Sadan, Calcutta
organised by W.B.
State M. A.
Unity and National Integrity Music Festival, - Ministry of Culture and Information,
EZCC. Calcutta
Shruti, - New Delhi
Calcutta 300th Birth Anniversary Celebration,W.S.M.A, EZCC.
Siliguri and Jalpaiguri Utsav, W.B.S.M.A
Sarbabharatiya Sangeet Samaj - Several times,
Bangla Sangeet Mela
I. T. C. Sangeet Sammelan Several times
Biswa Banga Sammelan
AALAP - Baroda.
Banga Sanskriti Utsav
Tripura Govt. Music College
Tarapada Music Conference - 12 times.
IICMA - Calcutta
Biswa Bharati Santiniketan.
Rabindra Bharati University - Culcutta.
Sutanuti Parishad
Kolkata Shryadhyanjali
Dakshini Music Conference
Sangeet Ashram
Sabrang Music Festival
Paramparik Annual Festival – Several times
Indo Occidental Symbiosis
Bishnupur Festival, W. B Tourism
Bangiya Sangeet Parishad
Moore Avenue Music Conference

TOURS ABROAD…
Performance in UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Holland etc. several times