User talk:Vasugaya

Pandit Ravishankar Upadhyay
Pandit Ravishankar Upadhyay is one of the most eminent Pakhawaj Maestros of current times in India.

History/Parampara/Tradition
Pandit Jee is carrying a family Parampara (tradition) of Dhrupad and Pakhawaj that traces back 350 years back and he is representing the 13th generation of his reach family heritage. Among Pandit Jee's ancestors were Pandit Udhan Singh Upadhyay and Vudhan Singh Upadhyay who were Dhrupad singers in the royal court of Rajasthan. King Madan Ray of Bihar was astonished by their performance and invited the brothers to his state and gave them the post of Royal Court singers. Pandit Jee's Parampara(aka Gharana) is known as "Pandit Vasudev Upadhyay Parampara, Gaya, Bihar". Pandit Vasudev Upadhyay was Pandit Jee's grand father and he greatly reformed the Pakhawaj playing style of the family tradition with a lot of creativity and reforms.

Early Life
Pandit Jee was born in the village of Iswarpur, Gaya. He is the Son and student of the world famous Pakhawaj Maestro late Pandit Ramji Upadhyay. He started getting intense and fine training in the art of Pakhawaj playing from the tender age of 8 years.

Style
In his tradition the solo performance begins with a Stuti Paran(Chanting of deities) followed by Vistar of the theka(expansion of the Taal with Laykari), Mukhras (short bols that are kind of warm-up performance), Chakradars, Tehiyas, complex and large Parans, Padals and Relas. The style of Pakhawaj wadan of Pt. Upadhyay is characterized by clarity in padhant, pure pronunciation of words, mathematical work in music, miraculous Tihaiyan, difficult Laykariyan, Stuti, Chanda, Padala, difficult Parans, preparations of marvelous Relas. His bol recitations are very special part of his performance and are characterized by poetic and clear recitation depicting the deep inner meaning of the bol followed by replication of the same in the Pakhawaj. Pandit Jee stretches limit when it comes to render the sound quality of the 'Baya'.

Pandit Upadhyay has been performing as a soloist and also accompanied vocal and instrument presentations since early childhood at the most prestigious music conferences in India. He has traveled to twenty countries and presented to the world the reach tradition of Indian Classical Music.

Family and Students
Pandit Ravishankar Upadhyay is married to Vidushi Shree Malti Upadhyay who is the youngest daughter of Late Pandit Vidur Mallick of Darbhanga Gharana. Vidushi Upadhyay is an accomplish Dhrupad singer and Guru. They have three children-Rishi(Pakhawaj player), Milan(Dhrupad singer) and Mahima('Pakhawaj Lady"- one of the very few female Pakahwaj players).