Bickram Ghosh


Maestro Bickram Ghosh is one of India's greatest classical tabla players. He is revered globally for his dexterity on the tabla and also for being one of the pioneers of an experimental fusion music. He is an extremely successful film music director having scored for 36 feature films, one of which got him an Oscar contention. Ghosh is known to experiment and reinterpret music and culture; he dabbles in a vast repertoire of musical genres, from classical, rock, new-age, fusion to film music.
Bickram Ghosh is one of the most well known names in the world of Indo-fusion music. Having performed the world over with the greatest names in classical music, Bickram went on to form his band Rhythmscape.
Bickram played on four albums that were nominated for Grammies including George Harrison's Brainwashed. He played on "Full Circle" with Pandit Ravi Shankar which won Shankar a Grammy. Bickram's subsequent super successful solo albums like Beyond Rhythmscape, Folktail, Drum Invasion. Kingdom of Rhythm, Interface, Electro classical, Transformation etc. have consolidated his position as a pioneer of a new fusion sound.
Bickram has composed for 36 feature films so far including the Mira Nair presented, Sooni Taraporewala directed Little Zizou, Bickram has now teamed up with Bollywood singing star Sonu Nigam and together the duo have just begun their journey as co- composers in Bollywood with three films, the first of which - Jal, recently made headline news with an Oscar contention for the best original score.
Rhythmscape, Bickram’s band has performed throughout the length and breadth of India made its UK debut in 2003 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. In 2004 Rhythmscape performed at the Forum at Barcelona where the band shared the stage with Sting, Phil Collins, Norah Jones and Bob Dylan. In 2005 yet another concert at the Rhythm Sticks Festival in London the band performed to a sold-out house. The press rightly praised Bickram, "Captivating, colourful and charismatic are the words which popped into my head as I sat enthralled by a performance by one of India’s leading artists.
The son of the illustrious tabla maestro Pandit Shankar Ghosh and well known vocalist Sanjukta Ghosh, Bickram also learnt the nuances of Carnatic percussion from the great Maestro of the mridangam Pandit S.Sekhar.
Bickram Ghosh was the brand ambassador for the Indian Election commission in 2011 in West Bengal and his participation led to a record 8.5 percent increase in urban voting. He has over 100 albums to his credit and his albums have won several awards. In 2012 Bickram was awarded the prestigious Banga Bhushan award, the second highest civilian State award in West Bengal and in 2015 the Sangeet Maha Samman, the highest musical recognition in West Bengal.
In 2012 Bickram had recreated the Indian National song Vande Mataram with 22 of India's greatest musical. Bickram has four GIMA awards to his credit. Bickram was the only tabla maestro to perform for the finale of the Commonwealth games in 2010. He was one of the Composer's for the opening of the Indian Super League. This year he added another feather in his cap by composing and presenting an extravaganza with 120 artists for the T20 World Cup finals.

Early life

Ghosh was born in Kolkata, West Bengal to the tabla maestro Pandit Shankar Ghosh and classical vocalist, Sanjukta Ghosh. He studied at La Martiniere Calcutta and graduated in English from St. Xavier's College, Kolkata and Masters in English Literature from Jadavpur University.
He started learning tabla from his father, Pandit Shankar Ghosh, who had played with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.

Career

Ghosh has performed with well-known performers including Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar. He also performed in jugalbandis with his father in some concerts. Ghosh worked with George Harrison just before the ex-Beatle's death.
Ghosh performs in various avatars. His long-standing band, Rhythmscape, which performs neo-fusion music, celebrated their 10th anniversary in 2011. To celebrate the occasion Rhythmscape collaborated with Greg Ellis to perform in Kolkata and Mumbai, an event organized by Folktronic. The band also released their second album, Transformation, which went on to win the Best Fusion Album at the Indian Recording Arts Awards 2012.
Ghosh performs within Troikala with Assamese folk/indie singer Papon and Scottish singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni. Troikala was curated and organized by British Council in association with Folktronic. He performed as part of fusion Sufi act, "Sufusion" with vocalists Ambarish Das and Parvati Kumar, keyboardist Indrajit Dey, and drummer Arun Kumar.
Ghosh collaborated with Sonu Nigam to compose the music for the film Jal. Ghosh has also scored music for many movies including the Mira Nair production, Little Zizou.
Ghosh launched his music company, Melting Pot Productions, in October 2010.

Recent activities

On 1 October 2012, Ghosh won the 2012 Global Indian Music Academy Awards in the Best Pop/Rock Single category for his composition, Vande Mataram, featuring a host of artists across India, including Sonu Nigam, Shankar Mahadevan and Sunidhi Chauhan.
In June 2012, Ghosh performed a concert "One World Fusion Extravaganza" at Shilpakala Vedika auditorium in Hyderabad to mark World Music Day. He appeared in an episode of MTV Roots. Ghosh taught a percussion course entitled "Repercussion" for Ace Open University via online streaming.

Personal life

He married actress Jaya Seal in 2004.

Discography

New-age experimental
YearAlbumRecord Label
2001Drums of India: Father and SonBiswas
2003Definitive Collection- Rhythm & ZenSony Music
2003Best of Swar UtsavMusic Today
2003RhythmscapeNavras
2007Pulsating Drums Music Today/Living Media
2007Drum InvasionMusic Today
2007Beyond RhythmscapeSagarika Music
2008Interface Thoughtify
2008FolktailThoughtify
2009The Kingdom of Rhythm Saregama
2009Journey with the Master Percussionists of IndiaDrumzine
2009Decade of Great Fusion 2000-2009EMI Virgin
2009Electro ClassicalSony BMG
2009White NoteSony BMG
2010TablasphereVeecon Music & Entertainment
2011Blazing DrumsTimes Music
2011Talking Drums: Masters of PercussionMusic Today
2011Tagore LoungeVeecon Music & Entertainment
2011TransformationSony Music
2013NazrulaanaTimes Music
2014The Music RoomTimes Music

Collaborations
YearAlbumRecord Label
1997Chants of India- Ravi Shankar/ George HarrisonEMI Angel
1997Nomad ChristmasNomad/Music of the World
2000Cello- Barry PhillipsGourd
2000India: Jewels of the SubcontinentLatitudes/Music of the World
2001/2002The Afro-Indian Project: Travels with the AfricanArc Music
2002Kora So Far- Ravi Terra Nova
2002Axiom of Choice- UnfoldingNarada
2002Brain Washed- George HarrisonCapitol/EMI
2008One- Bickram Ghosh and the Mezcal Jazz UnitSaregama

Classical solo
YearAlbumRecord Label
1996Talking TablaMusic of the World
1998Language of Rhythm: Drumming From North & South IndiaMusic of the World
2004Tabla OdysseyMusic Today
2006Drumscape Saregama
2008Pride of Bengal- Pandit Shankar Ghosh and Bickram GhoshRPG

Classical accompaniment
YearAlbumMain ArtistRecord Label
1995Mukundarasam: Songs of Lord KrishnaDr. Balamurali KrishnaChhanda Dhara
1995Twilight MelodiesAjoy ChakrabartyChhanda Dhara
1996ThumrisAjoy ChakrabortyIndia Archives
1996KirvaniTarun BhattacharyaMusic of the World
1998AnoushkaAnoushka ShankarEMI Angel
1999Raga Mala Ravi ShankarEMI Classics
2000Mental BlissTarun BhattacharyaMind of Light
2000AnouragAnoushka ShankarEMI Angel
2001VairagyaAjoy ChakrabortyNavras Records
2001Live at Carnegie HallAnoushka ShankarEMI Angel
2001Full Circle: Carnegie Hall Ravi ShankarEMI Angel
2001Hypnotic SantoorTarun BhattacharyaBiswas
2002In PortraitRavi ShankarNaxos
2002Raga Basant MukhariTarun BhattacharyaIndia Archives
2004Raga Rasa: That Which Colors The MindKartik SeshadriTraditional Crossroads
2005A Spiritual JourneyTarun BhattacharyaUniversal Music
2005RiseAnoushka ShankarAngel Records
2006Raag RageshriTarun BhattacharyaUniversal Music
2008Musical HorizonTarun BhattacharyaHorizon
2010CrossroadsTejendra Narayan MajumdarIndya
2011The Very Best of Ravi ShankarRavi ShankarEMI Classics

Experimental accompaniment
YearAlbumMain ArtistRecord Label
1992Songs of NatureVishwa Mohan Bhatt, Tarun Bhattacharya, Ronu MajumdarOriginal Music Impressions
1993Travellers TaleRonu MajumdarMagnasound/ OMI
2005SpiritsU. Rajesh, Pete LockettLiving Media India/ Music Today
2006Golden Krithis Vol. 3 – Beginning of the BeginningA. Sivamani, Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma, Bickram Ghosh, Kalaimamani M.K.S. Siva, Vishwa Mohan BhattFontana India
2008Monsoon MelodiesU. RajeshKosmik

Filmography

Actor :
Music director :
YearFilm
2004Iti Srikanta
2005Devaki
2008Neel Rajar Deshe
2009Piyalir Password
2009Risk
2012Nobel Chor
2013Aborto
2015Kadambari
2015Ebar Shabor
2015Har Har Byomkesh
2015Swade Ahlade
2016Eagoler Chokh
2020Asur

Music director :
YearFilmNotes
2009Little Zizou
2010Gumshuda
2013Sooper Se Ooper
2014Jal
2016Chowky
2016Happy Anniversary
2016Band of Maharajas

Reportedly, he recently is working as a music supervisor in a musical short film called Dawshodishi Kore Aalo.