Ajoy Chakraborty

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Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty (Bengali: অজয় চক্রবর্তী; surname also spelled Chakrabarty, Chakravarty, Chakravorty, Chakaraborty, Chakravarthi, etc.; b. Calcutta, West Bengal, India, 1953) is a renowned Hindustani classical vocalist from India. He is the foremost exponent of the Patiala Gharana (tradition) of vocal music, in the lineage of the great Bade Ghulam Ali Khan; Chakraborty is the disciple of Ustad Munawar Ali Khan (d. 1989, the younger son, disciple, and heir of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan).[1]

Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty is considered to be one of the finest vocalists currently performing in India today. He is a veritable trendsetter, demonstrating an amazing mastery over diverse forms of classical, light-classical and even modern vocal music. He showed extraordinary promise in vocal music and at the tender age of three, began taking lessons from his father Shri. Ajit Chakrabarty. He then learnt from Shri. Pannalal Samanta and Shri. Kanai Das Bairagi and later became a student of Padma Bhushan Pandit Jnan Prokash Ghosh. In 1969, his training took a decisive turn as he became a disciple of Ustad Munawar Ali Khan, son of the legendary maestro of the Patiala-Kasur gharana (school), Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. His imagination and sensitivity to lyrics, coupled with his uncanny sense of rhythm, has made him the authentic exponent and leading representative of the famous Patiala gaikee (style of singing).