Chandra Nath Shastri

Pandit Chandra Nath Shastri (, , 23 December 1948), is one of the leading tabla (Indian hand percussion) artists and musicians from India, currently based in Kolkata. He belongs to the Benares gharana style of Hindustani classical music. He is a retired staff artist of All India Radio and performed regularly for public-television broadcaster Doordarshan. He is also an expert astrologer.
Early life and family.
Born in the Dhakuria area of Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, in a well-known Bramhin (pandit) family, Chandra Nath Shastri was raised in a musical atmosphere. Soon his parents and family relocated to Varanasi ( Banaras, Benares, Benaras), Uttar Pradesh (UP), where he undertook training in the Benares gharana style. He was influenced by poet and lyricist Rabindra Nath Tagore. His grandmother, Smt. Indira Devi was niece of Rabindra Nath Tagore. His father, Dr. Mouli Nath Shastri, was a physician by profession but he was also a spiritual guru and musician (tabla player), vocal student of Rabindra Nath Tagore, and had directed and acted in theatre ("Muktisnan", 1937; "Sancharini", 1963). His grandfather, Shri Priya Nath Shastri, was one of the first three trustees of Visva Bharati University.
Academics.
Shastri completed his intermediate schooling at C. M. Anglo Bengali Inter College, Varanasi, UP. He then graduated in science from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
Musical career.
Shastri's father noted his interest in Hindustani classical music from a very young age and taught him to play some "taals" on tabla. At age 5 Shastri began learning from his guruji, Pandit Anokhelal Mishra of Banaras, and later from his son, Pandit Ramji Mishra. Shastri and his elder brother, Partha Nath Shastri, would go to Pandit AnokhelalJi to learn tabla. Shastri became a fifth-generation tabla maestro of Benares gharana. As a young teenager he became close to Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra, Pandit Kishan Maharaj, Pandit Samta Prasad, Pandit Sarda Sahai, and Ustad Karamatullah Khan.
Chandra Nath Shastri became the champion in an All India Radio (AIR) national competition at age 23, and from a young age was often referred to by the title "pandit". He became an AIR staff artist, Indian National Television Channel (Doordarshan) artist and also a stage performing artist. As a regular performer on TV, radio and stage, he has made several thousand performances and recordings. Now he is retired from AIR.
Performances.
Shastri has performed in many concerts, including tabla solos, percussion ensembles, and accompanied with instrumentalists and vocalists, and worked with numerous music composers and film directors.
He also performed with musicians including: Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra, Pandit V. G. Jog, Ustad Sagiruddin Khan, Ustad Rashid Khan, Pandit Lalmani Misra, Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta, Pandit Shrichand Mishra, Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh, Pandit Rabindra Narayan Goswami, Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan, Pandit , Bidushi Purnima Sen, Singh Bandhu Brothers, Pandit V. Balsara, Pandit Ramesh Mishra, Manilal Nag, Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, Debashish Bhattacharya and many more.
Shastri judged many musical competitions and talent-hunt contests. He conducted research in Indian music and produced unique works on music, especially in the field of tabla. He is also an expert with Pakhawaj, Khol, Mridangam and other Indian percussion instruments.
Personal life.
Shastri teaches tabla and other musical instruments, and has taught in many music schools, academies and institutes.
Shastri also studies spirituality. His father, the late Dr. Mouli Nath Shastri, was grand disciple of spiritual guru Sri Bijoy Krishna Goswami and disciple of Sri Kiran Chand Darbesh Ji Maharaj. Shastri has researched the connection between music and spirituality and gives advice on this topic. He is also an expert astrologer.