'Pioneer performer, composer, guru and music director of Indian classical music on Hansa Veena, the Indian slide guitar'.
Barun Kumar Pal is one of India's eminent and senior artistes. In the year 1972-73, he was the first artiste given an A Grade in Indian classical and light music on guitar by All India Radio.
Barun Kumar comes from an enlightened family of stalwarts of Indian classical music. A child prodigy, he performed at age 6 in front of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. And since he was 6 years old, Barun Kumar has been performing as a solo player and taking part in the seniors’ national orchestras in concerts and on All India Radio.
Barun Kumar is one of the pioneers in introducing the Hawaiian slide guitar in the world of Indian classical music. By adding sympathetic strings (as far back as 1971), changing the tuning method and techniques of playing, he improvised the Hawaiian guitar into a complete Indian Instrument suitable for rendering Indian ragas.
With his dedication and hard work, Barun became the disciple of sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar in 1978. Since then, as a senior disciple, Barun Kumar has worked with Panditji in many of his historical presentations and is part of the faculty at the Ravi Shankar Centre in New Delhi.
Barun Kumar has performed prestigious concerts extensively in India and all over the world. He has several audio discs, cassettes and CDs released all over the globe. His unique blending of the sitar and veena playing styles is remarkable and has created a firm position in the traditional Tantrakari Baaz (instrumental style) of Indian classical music. The Gayaki-ang (vocal style) with emotional rendering is reflected in his playing of the ragas.
Barun started learning the sitar from his father and eldest sister when he was 5 years old. At the same time, he was initiated in slide guitar. He started performing on radio at the age of 6 and became a regular part of the national orchestras (both seniors' and juniors') on the Hawaiian slide guitar. In 1971, he designed and introduced the improvised version of slide guitar, by adding extra strings as well as sympathetic strings, to suit the playing of Indian classical music in its true form. In 1972, he became the first A-grade artiste of AIR in light music on slide guitar. In 1973, he became the first AIR A-grade artiste in classical music on slide guitar. Since then, he has been working hard in the teaching, development, recognition and appreciation of the Hawaiian slide guitar as an Indian classical music instrument.
By God's grace, he got global recognition and appreciation of the new instrument as the 'Indian Classical Guitar', manufactured by Mr Bhabasindhu Biswas of Kolkata. In 1978, Barun became the disciple of Pt Ravi Shankar and worked with him in many of his ensembles, recordings and workshops.
Barun is considered as one of the torch bearers of the famous Maihar Gharana, established by the legendary Baba Allauddin Khan (the guru /master of Pt Ravi Shankar and many other stalwart artistes of India).
In the year 2000, Pt Ravi Shankar named and gave official recognition to a further developed and highly evolved version of the Indian classical slide guitar as the Hansa Veena.
The first Hansa Veena manufactured by M/S Rikhi Ram and Sons of Delhi was given to Barun by his guru Pt Ravi Shankar on Panditji's 80th birth day. This unique instrument was later launched in all over the world and soon became popular as an unique addition to the rich history of Indian musical instruments.
Barun is, thus, known globally as the pioneer artiste of the Hansa Veena and the Indian slide guitar. Barun Kumar Pal , as a senior Artiste of Radio and Doordarshan A selected A-grade Artiste in both Indian Classical music and Light music since 1972. Have performed in several national programmes of A.I.R. and National network concerts of Doordarshan.
Performed for the most honored concert of India, “The Radio Sangeet Sammelan”, in 1999 and 2006. A member of the the Audition committee of All India Radio Served A.I.R. as a staff musician, composer and programme planner for 20 yrs.
You tube links:
Exclusive preview of the new CD Soul to Soul n°2 recorded in France in 2011 - to be launched in 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDj4sza15m0
Excerpt of the CD Soul to Soul n°1 recorded in France in 2008 - launched in 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbJ2s115rEg
Excerpts from "Raga Jazz" with Ray Spiegel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J824Gp46cA
Raga Jazz-2 -Barun Kumar Pal and Ray Spiegel Enssemble, USA.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h170P8npKkQ