Talented classical music singer Kaberi Das, daughter of classical music exponent pundit Ramkanai Das, is continuing the legacy of her father by running a music school in New York, USA. Children, mostly having Bangladeshi origin, learn classical music at her music school named Sangeet Parisad.
In fact, it is the branch of Sangeet Parisad incepted in 1988 in Sylhet by her father. She initiated to introduce the branch in Jackson Heights in New York in 1997 as a home enterprise and subsequently got government approval. The music school formally started journey with 25 students in 2000. At present about 80 students are learning music at the school.
‘Usually the students are admitted at the early age and undergo learning classical music as first lesson. They can choose to learn any other music genres only after acquiring a good skill on classical music,’ Kaberi told New Age, while visiting Dhaka recently.
Kaberi also informed that she has opened the school out of her attachment to music. ‘It is not easy to open a school in New York as it is in Bangladesh since lots of government procedures are to be maintained even to open a music school,’ informed Kaberi Das.
‘But, even more serious problem I face from the students. In most cases they don’t want show determination to continue apparently difficult classical music,’ she said.
A determined Kaberi, however, wants to extend her school to other sates of the US.
As a singer she has received many awards over there including Pennsylvania State Award, National Folk Music Conference Award in New York, Culture and Literature Organisation of Florida Award and many more.
-With New Age input
