Pyaar Ka Pehla Khat

Sri.Sougata Banerjee comes of a family that overflows with talented performers of Hindustani Sangeet. The doyen of Vishnupur Gharana Sangeetaacharya Satya Kinkar Bandyopadhyay being his grand father,Sougata’s father Prof.Sri Nihar Ranjan Bandyopadhyay is a well known Hindustani Musician.
In 1993 Sougata came in contact with his present guru Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasrajji found in Sougata a disciple already well-groomed in Hindustani music from his experience received in his family.

Sougata received an “All India Senior National Scholarship” in 1997. Sougata was fortunate to receive “Sri, Jadu Bhatta Award” from the Salt lake Music Circle in 2008.His professional life flowered with his becoming a graded artist of A.I.R & T.V.

Sougata is not only a performer but a skilled teacher of Hindustani music, he has taught for six years at Pt.Jasraj Music Foundation at Atlanta, Tampa, L.A, all in the U.S . At present he has with his wife Smt.Chandra Banerjee(also a disciple of Pt.Jasraji) established his own school at Mumbai, where he is staying.
Sougata was lucky to perform before many established masters at different places in India & abroad of Hindustani music, first and foremost of whom is certainly his Guruji Pt.Jasrajji. In one occasion at the end of his concert with his illustrious Guruji at Tampa. Pandit Jasrajji in appreciation of Sougata’s musical skill proudly and affectionately bestowed on him the title of “Pandit”.

Sougata was also fortunate to perform in front of Pt.Ravi Shankarji in U.S.
Pt. Ravi Sankarji sat with Sougata performing more than an hour & Panditji was visibly delighted to hear that Sougata is the grandson of Sangeetacharya Satya Kinkar Bandyopadhyay the doyen of Vishnupur Gharana.
At the end of the concert Pt. Ravi Shankarji had exclaimed in delight “Aaj ka Shaam(Evening) Ban Gaya”