Suranjana Das

Suranjana Ghosh

Suranjana Das (artist name: Suranjana Ghosh) was born in Siliguri in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Initially she was taught by her father Late Sunil Kumar Das. Later till date, she has been taught by Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. She has a Bachelor of Arts, (Hons in Percussion) and Master of Arts. (Percussion, Tabla) from Rabindra Bharati University of Calcutta and graduated with the highest marks. The studies also resulted in two gold medals as well as a regional (West Bengal) and a national award.

Suranjana is trained in Classical North Indian music and that was exclusively what she practiced and performed until the early 2000s. It is in this tradition her music is founded and still her main musical genre. In 2002, she visited Sweden for the first time and has since then encountered various genres such as jazz, Swedish folk music, ethno, flamenco and western classical music, adding Indian influences and tabla sounds. Venues and programs have been varied: Indian music nights, jazz clubs, chamber music, folk and jazz festivals, music colleges and churches. Concerts and tours have also been carried out in Great Britain, Norway, Greece, Switzerland, France, Russia and most recently in Egypt, Denmark and Lithuania. And of course in her native country India.

Over the years, Suranjana has been involved in and invited to participate in various music projects, workshops and festivals. Among others the Stockholm Jazz Festival, Urkult, Umeå Jazz Festival, Stallet/Stockholm (A Tribute to Ravi Shankar), Hijazz/Uppsala (Cosmic meeting), Sangeet Conference/Stockholm, Malmöfestivalen, Fasching and Nefertiti/Gothenburg.

She has also participated in numerous music conferences and festivals in India, such as Dover Lane Music Conference in Calcutta and for young talent and national youth festivals in Varanasi, Orissa and Gawahti. She has also performed at the Kalakshetra Dance and Music Institute in Chennai.

Projects and concerts in which she has participated include the chamber opera "Ännu" under the direction of composer Björn Linnman, the concert series "Tablas on Mozart" with the classical string ensemble Weber Quartet. She has also, together with the organist Andrew Canning, performed concerts in Uppsala Cathedral and at the Moscow International Organ Festival.

Suranjana has collaborated with artists such as Svante Henrysson, Max Åman, Max Schultz, Anders Hagberg, Goran Kajfes, Erik Steen, Jonas Knutsson, Erik Rydvall, Jonas Kullhammar, Lena Willemark, Ale Möller, Andrew Canning, Nino Ramsby, Lamine Cissokho (Ziguinchor, Senegal), Ahmad Al Khatib (Palestine) and Coste Apetrea. Internationally, Suranjana has also collaborated with artists such as Ustad Mahwas (Afghanistan), Ustad Kamal Sabri (Sarangi), Ustad Ashraf, Sharif Khan (sitar), Pandit Sanjay Guha (sitar), Karin Nakagawa (Koto, Japan). Suranjana also has her own group -the world music group "Teental".

Suranjana regularly teaches tabla playing. Some teaching takes place in workshop form at music festivals and at music institutes, folk high schools and music colleges/academies: the Erik Sahlström Institute in Tobo, the folk high schools in Sigtuna, Hola and Skinnskatteberg at the University of Gothenburg and the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. She has also played and conducted workshops in schools and in a so-called "Rhythm Day" together with percussionists. The traditions of different countries have come together in the world of music and given school children the opportunity to play together with artists such as James Bradely Jr, USA/drum set, Jack Sylla, Guinea/djembe, Mohammed Rubaie, Iraq/dumbek.

Suranjana composes her own music and participates in the works of other composers, most recently in the work Nature by the Australian composer Andrew Ford. The work was performed on a few occasions in autumn 2019 in Sweden and Lithuania.

Over the years, she has made four CDs with her own compositions.

• World music group Teental on tour (2021). Live concert at Regina Theater in Uppsala. Own compositions and melodies in the borderland between modern and traditional music.

• Longing (2014): Classical, temple music, folk music and own composed melodies - with rhythm in focus. Meditative, improvisation and tradition.

• Celebrating Kolkata (2011): A project with INFI ensemble - international network for women instrumentalists. A meeting between classical Indian music and original compositions.

• Vibration (2009): Classical form with Indian music, traditional hymns and a rare meeting between East and West. Collaboration with nine musicians from India and Sweden

In addition, she has participated in a few tracks on Goran Kajfe's album X / Y which has been Grammy NomiNominated.

She is teaching at Gothenburg university, world music department.

Name of Gurus Sen Sunil Kumar Das (her father). Padma Bhusan Jnanprakash Ghosh. Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri Education and musical qualification 1.B.A (Hons in Percussion) from Rabindra Bharati University (Calcutta), 1994 and secured 1st class Of 1. 2. Degree from M.A (Percussion, Tabla) from Rabindra Bharati University (Calcutta), 1996 and secured 1st class 1st. 3. 'B-Ed' from Rabindra Bharati University (Calcutta) and secured 1st class in 1999. 4. Sangeet Presented in tabla by Pracheen Kala Kendra (Chandigarh) during the session from 1985-86 and secured 1st Division with Distribution. Medals - for the highest position • Gold Medal in B.A (Hons. Percussion) from Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta. • Gold medal in M.A (Tabla) from Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta. Prices • 1st prize from Rajya Sangeet Academy 1989, organized by West Bengal State Music Academy. • 1st prize from the Calcutta Youth Festival 1995, organized by the West Bengal Government. • 2nd prize from The Dover Lane Music Academy 1995. • 1st prize from the Inter-Collegiate Oriental Music Competition (Tabla and Pakhwaj) for the 1990-91 session. • Nirod Baran Memorial Prize in B.A (Hons. Percussion) from Rabindrada Bharati University for safe first class. • Nirod Baran Memorial Prize in M.A (Tabla) from Rabindrada Bharati to secure first class