Dr. Bachaspatimayum Bidyapati Sharma - A Singer profile
* Daniel Chabungbam
Bidyapati Sharma
"Thaklakhibadugi Nisanara
Nanggi Mityengnara
Nanaktagi Henningdare
Khong thangba thoklaktare
Eidi houjikta ngaokhatlakli"
(Lyrics: Nongmaithem Kiran)
This is a song sung by Dr. Bidyapati Sharma at one of his rarely performed musical shows to enthrall the crowd. Lambishida Ngaijarakli, haanglaba punshina kana amabu ... (by Londonbala), Chatkhinu keidoubage thammoise pare ... (by B. Jayantakumar), Thadoknaba Eega Thammoiga Punshigi Kangdanaba ... (by Nongmathem Kiran) also swift the emotions of every listeners to the song of Dr. Bidyapati Sharma.
One can hardly witness a Live Musical Shows from Dr. Bidyapati Sharma, because during 2007 to 2010, he has performed in only four solo concerts. The rare concert performanced by him are:
At Hotel Imphal: 2007 and 2008.
At Tampha Hotel: 2009.
And his last performance was at Classic Hotel on June 22, 2010.
Since then fans of Bidyapati Sharma are on the vigil to find a new date for his performance.
Dr. Bachaspatimayum Bidyapati Sharma was born and brought at Brahmapur Nahabam Bachaspati Leikai in Imphal East district in a family where music is the way of life. He is the eldest son of reknowned musicologist B. Jayantakumar Sharma and Manisangbi Devi. Since aged 5, Bidyapati was groomed by his father in the art of music.
Dr. Bidyapati Sharma became an approved Child Artist of All India Radio in the year 1971 and performed very frequently in children's programme as a singer. He learned the art of music known as Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet from Moirangthem Kumar Singh who teaches violin in Shri Shri Bal Mukunda Dev Government Music College, Imphal.
His next step in learning music was at the behest of the popular singer Ashem Bimola Devi who also teaches Gayan in Government Music College, Imphal. He then became the student of Government Music College and passed Sangeet Bisharad in Gayan under Bhatkhande Sangeet Bidyapeeth Lucknow in the year 1984.
Further, he passed his diploma in classical Manipuri dance from Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy in 1989. After completing courses in Music and dance from Manipur, he moved to Varanasi and completed his Bachelor in Music (Vocals) under Benaras Hindu University in 1994. He later completed his Master in Music (Vocals) in 1996 from the Performing Arts Faculty of the Benaras Hindu University.
After graduating his Masters in Music, he further did research on the topic 'Purvi Ang-gagee Chatnariba amasung chatnadraba Raag ga sing' at the Benaras Hindu University under the guidance of Dr. Ritwik Sanayal who is Reader in Music and Head of Department of Performing Arts Faculty of Benaras Hindu University. Dr. Sanayal is a national figure as a Dhrupad singer. Dr. Bidyapati Sharma was conferred the degree of Doctor of Music on February 16, 2001 on the topic 'Purvi Ang-gagee Chatnariba amasung chatnadraba Raag ga sing.'
Bidyapati Sharma
Since his childhood age, Dr. Bidyapati was a well known artist. He secured different positions in various state level competitions. Among which
Ø he secured First position in Classical Music in a Song Competition organized on the 12th anniversary of Sangeetacharya Maisnam Thambou Singh in 1974,
Ø First position in Light music in Music Competition 1979 organised by Apunba Manipur Matam Eeshei Kanglup (AMMIK),
Ø First position in Light Music in Music Competition 1980 organised by The Cultural Training Institute,
Ø first position in classical music at the Nehru Centenary State level music competition 1989 organised by Government Music College Imphal,
Ø First position in classical and light music
Ø Second position in Rabindra Sangeet at the 2nd Inter College Music Meet 1990 organised by Department of Education (U) Government of Manipur.
He participated at National Festival of Classical Dance and Music at Imphal in the year 2001 which was organized by Arts and Culture Department Government of Manipur. He was a delegate at the Shatra Sampan Divas Sangeet Samaroh held at 2001 in Varanasi and at the National Dhrupad Seminar in 1998 at Varanasi.
He was conferred Naad Shri Saman 2009 and also awarded Abhinandan Sangeet Samaroh for his excellent performance on Raag Puriya at the National Musical Festival on April 19 2009 organised by Naad Ouriya Musical Odyssey at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. He was awarded first position in Light Music (Ghajal) senior category at the All India Light Music Competition (film and non-film) 1995 held at New Delhi organized by Sangam Kala Group.
Dr. Bidyapati also conducted a music project at Indian High School, Dubai in United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2007. While his stay in UAE, he gave performance in a Mega Musical Concert at Burdubai where more than twenty thousand spectators come to witness the musical concert.
In Manipur, Dr. Bidyapati has to his credit as guest artist in selected musical shows and performed well to the wishes of the people. In 1989 Bidyapati Sharma performed at a musical festival where various reknown Shastriya Sangeet singers of India assemble at the open air theatre of Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy at Imphal.
He entertained the audience by perfoming Khayal and Dadra at the festival. He performed by giving performance of Khayal Bilambit Ek-taal and Tin taal of raag abho and also Dhruba Tin taal of Raag Bachaspati at the 3-day Festival of Dance and Music from 27 to 29 March 2001 at the JN Memorial Dance Academy Auditorium. After he got a big applause from the audience, he concluded by singing Dadra in Up-shastriya Sangeet.
Though, Bidyapati has keen interest in Khayal, he also performs Dadra and Ghajal of the Up-shastriya Sangeet under the guidance of his guru from Pakistan specialized in ghazal gayak Guru Ostad Gulam Ali. In this type of music called khayal, ghazal and dadra, etc Bidyapati worked day and night in learning music by listening only through audio cassettes of Ghulam Ali without having a glimpse of his guru, which could be described as the 'Eklavya' of Mahabharat. Nevertheless, Bidyapati is in top amongst khayal, ghazal and dadra singers of India.
An album from Bidyapati Sharma
Dr. Bidyapati has worked as Music Director for the films like Tulip, Yathang and Sakuntala. He has produced a solo audio cassette titled 'nanggi eeshei nanggi sur'. Besides working as a singer, he also teaches music to young artist that includes National Bal Shree Awardee RK. Sheityaditta, Chungkham Sangeeta, Laipubam Minerva and others. Altogether more than 500 hundred songs have been composed by Dr. Bidyapati.
He was a jury member in the Eastern Zone Youth Festival 2004 at Manipur University under the Association of Indian Universities, jury member in the National Youth Festival 2005 at Benaras Hindu University in Varanasi. Dr. Bidyapati was a jury member for the talent search scholarship of the Centre for Cultural Research and Training New Delhi for the year 2003 and 2005. In recognition to the contribution made by Dr. Bachaspatimayum Bidyapati Sharma in the field of music, Roop Raag a popular musical group of Manipur honoured him on the occasion of its 40th Anniversary celebration in 2000.
See a Photo Gallery on Bidyapati Sharma here