The Das Family Lineage - Toronto Tabla Ensemble

The Das Family Lineage
Pandit Chitresh Das
Ritesh Das
Renowned Kathak dancer, Pandit Chitresh
Das, and brother Ritesh Das were born in
Kolkota, West Bengal to parents Nrityacharya
Prohlad Das and Smt. Nilima Das. Their
parents opened a music and dance academy,
Nritya Bharati, the first of its kind in Kolkata,
which allowed the sons immediate exposure
to dance, music and tabla at young ages.
Nritya Archarya
Prohlad Das
Smt Nilima Das
The brothers grew up in the rich artistic
environment of their parent’s dance and
music school, Nritya Bharati, where they were
continually surrounded by artists of all kinds
including many of the great gurus. Ritesh
Das spent many long hours learning and
practicing tabla under the guidance of many
great mentors and musicians.
Ritesh Das’ first tabla teacher,
Pandit Shankar Ghosh
The Das Family Dance and Music School,
Nritya Bharati, in Kolkata, India
Pandit Das at age
nine performing
with the great tabla
master Pandit Samta
Prasad. Seated in
front is Chitreshji’s
Guru, Pandit Ram
Narayan Misra.
Pandit Ram
Narayan Misra
The Das family school, Nritya Bharati in Kolkata, was the first government-recognized music and dance institution of
independent India. This excellent teaching facility continues today under the guidance of Pandit Chitresh Das. Nritya Bharati
was a regular destination of many great Indian classical music and dance icons.
Nritya Bharati dance room: third from left is Chitreshji’s mother, Nilima Das,
Pandit Das (age 9), to his right is the great Rukmini Devi Arundale.
Front from left: Nanku Maharaj (Benares Gharana tabla master),
Ramnath Misra (sarangi - Pandit Ramesh Misra’s father); Amala Shankar
(wife of Uday Shankarji); Prahlad Das (Pandit Das’ father); Uday Shankarji
(elder brother to Ravi Shankar); Pandit Das and Nazim Ali Khan. (c. 1970)
Pandit Chitresh Das being presented an award Ustad Vilayat Khansahib’s mother.
To her right is the great harmonium player Mantu Banerjee, to Chitreshji’s left are
Daggarsahib and Sabir Khan. (1982)
Performing with the Ali Akbar College
of Music’s New Maihar Band and
Zakir Hussain for PBS. (1972)
Ritesh Das at age 22, on stage with his
guru, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri.
An intense passion to spread art and knowledge beyond
the borders of India, brought both brothers to the USA
(Chitreshji in 1970 and Riteshji in 1979).
Joanna de Souza began studying with Pt Chitresh Das in 1978, and
lived in the Das family home in Kolkata India from 1985
to 1987. In early 1988 Riteshji and Joannaji moved to Canada
and began their ongoing work together, in Toronto Ontario.
Pt Chitresh Das, Joanna de Souza and
Marni Ris, 1983. Photo credit: Ritesh Das
Ritesh Das’
Teachers & Guru
Pt Chitresh Das’
Guru
Pt Ram Narayan Misra
Pt Shankar Ghosh
Pt Chitresh Das
Ritesh Das
Ustad Zakir Hussain
Chhandam Dance Ensemble New York
Chhandam School of Dance, Mumbai & Kolkata, India
Chitresh Das Dance Companies: San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacremento
Pt Swapan Chaudhuri