Veteran tabla exponent Pandit Chandrakant Shantaram Kamat passed away following a massive heart attack at his residence around 8 am on Monday. Kamat, 76, had returned from his routine “morning walk,” when he suffered a heart attack.
Born on November 26, 1933 at Dhulia, Kamat spent his childhood in Sangeet Natak companies with his father and well-known singer-actor Shantaram Kamat. After acting as a child artiste in musical plays of Anandvilas Natak company, Kamat went on to join Prabhakar Natak company in 1940. During his nine-year-long association with Prabhakar, he acted in popular plays like Sanshaykallol, Ekach pyala, Umaji Naik and Paracha kavla.
Kamat, who learnt tabla while on the move with drama troupes, came to Pune in 1952. It was during these years that he came in contact with Kathak exponent Rohini Bhate, their musical association lasted for 15 long years.During his stint at All India Radio, Kamat got the opportunity to accompany veteran Indian classical musicians like Mogubai Kurdikar, Hirabai Badodekar, Bal Gandharva, Mallikarjun Mansoor, Kumar Gandharva, Kishori Amonkar, Prabha Atre, Jitendra Abhisheki and Firoz Dastur.
His most remembered performances include Geetramayan with Sudhir Phadke and special association with Manik Verma and Vasantrao Deshpande. During his 25-year association with Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, he accompanied him on Santawani, Panditji’s most widely received programme. Kamat holds the record of performing at the Sawai Gandharva festival for 50 consecutive years.
Musicians Shrinivas Joshi, Shrikant Deshpande, Arvind Thatte, Vijay Ghate, Suyog Kundalkar and many others paid him homage at Vaikunth crematorium where the last rituals took place. Kamat is survived by two sons — tabla players Bharat and Subhash Kamat.
“Today, we have lost an artiste who enriched the legacy of Banaras style. He accompanied me in a number of performances. May god bless his soul”
- Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
“He was the most dedicated tabla player I have ever come across. An artiste’s personality reflects in his art. His positive and creative persona reflected in his music”
- Pt. Vijay Ghate, Tabla player
“I have known his family for years. He used to play tabla at the Sawai Gandharva festival and I remember how Pandit Firoz Dastur would insist on Kamat’s accompaniment”
- Pt. Shrikant Deshpande, Musician
“I have had 27 years of association with him during my tenure at AIR. He was witty. Unlike many tabla players, he would take the backseat giving preference to the singer”
- Anand Deshmukh,Compere, Sawai Gandharva Festival
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