Sahana Banerjee

Sahana Banerjee is one of India's front-ranking sitarists, belonging to the Rampur Senia Gharana whose lineage traces back to Mian Tansen. Born in Kolkata on 30 August 1973 into a family of rich musical heritage, she was recognised as a child prodigy at the age of four. She was initiated into vocal music by her mother, the singer Chhabi Banerjee of the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana, and learned the sitar under her father, sitar and surbahar maestro Pandit Santosh Banerjee, imbibing a blend of Dhrupad ang and Khayal gayaki. An A-grade artiste empanelled with All India Radio and Doordarshan, she has toured widely under SPIC MACAY and collaborated on cross-cultural projects across Europe. She founded the Swarasudha baithak series and the all-women ensemble Mohini, and received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (2013-14) for sitar.