Suchitra Mitra
| Suchitra Mitra | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born |
19 September 1924 Gujhandi, Bihar, British India |
| Died | 3 January 2011 (aged 86) Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Genres | Playback singing, Rabindrasangeet |
| Occupation(s) | Singer in |
| Years active | 1941–2011 |
Suchitra Mitra (19 September 1924 – 3 January 2011) was an Indian singer, composer, exponent of Rabindra Sangeet or the songs of Bengal's poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore, professor, and sheriff of Kolkata, India. As an academic, she remained a professor and the Head of Rabindra Sangeet Department at the Rabindra Bharati University for many years. Mitra was a playback singer, acted in a Bengali films as well, and was many years associated with IPTA.
Mitra studied at the Scottish Church College, the University of Calcutta and at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal, India. She was also the Sheriff of Kolkata (2001). After prolonged illness Mitra died of a cardiac ailment on 3 January 2011, in Kolkata.
Mitra's father, the celebrated littérateur, Saurindra Mohan Mukherjee, was a close associate of the Tagore family of Jorasanko. Suchitra Mitra's natural aptitude in music was recognised by Pankaj Mullick, who gave her a first lesson in Rabindra Sangeet. From her childhood, as the youngest member of her family, Suchitra cultivated her love for the songs and poetry of Tagore. She had an unerring ear for music and a natural gift of voice and expression.
In 1941, Suchitra Mitra received a scholarship to Sangeet Bhavan in Santiniketan, where she had the opportunity of learning from some of the greatest exponents of Rabindra Sangeet - Indiradevi Chaudhurani, Santidev Ghosh, and Shailajaranjan Mazumdar. Having obtained her diploma from Santiniketan, Suchitra Mitra returned to Calcutta in 1945. In 1946, she received her master's degree in Bengali from Scottish Church College of the University of Calcutta. In the same year, her inherent love and commitment to Tagore's music encouraged her to found the Rabitirtha along with Dwijen Chowdhury (which was named by renowned historian and Tagore scholar Professor Kalidas Nag).Rabitirtha named in honour of the Nobel laureate, is one of the leading schools of Rabindra Sangeet in Kolkata. Founder and Principal, Suchitra Mitra was an active figure and inspiration behind this establishment. Her dedication, sincerity and comprehension of the subtle nuances underlying Tagore's songs is indeed praiseworthy.
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