Chitrangana " Pakhawaj "

CHITRANGANA AGLE RESHWAL

' One of the world's only female professional Pakhawaj soloist '
When shy, petite Chitrangana Agle Reshwal sits on the stage skilfully handling the Pakhawaj, one finds it difficult to match the aural and visual input. The strong masculine sound of the ancient percussion seems quite the opposite to her delicate and tender personality. One comes to reckon that Limca Book rightly records that Chitrangana is the first ever woman Pakhawaj artiste in the world, for her joy is greater than distinction.
Indeed, it was this joy that made Chitrangana secretly try her hand on the Pakhawaj of her grandfather Pandit Ambadas Pant Agle, renowned internationally for his mastery over this instrument.
Steeped in the Nana Panse tradition, Pt. Ambadas Pant Agle and his musical household were rigid disciplinarians. Little Chitra would see her elder brothers being taken to task if they ever made a slip during riyaz.
Learning from her brothers when she mastered the basics with aplomb, orthodoxy bowed down to talent. Father Pt. Kalidas Pant Agle started giving lessons of the famous traditional Nana Panse school -- hitherto restricted to male scions -- to his daughter, Chitrangana.
Chitrangana Agle Reshwal is also the best example of native talent being nurtured through institutional training. Not only did she hails from a musical family, she learnt music formally, Ustad Allauddin Khan music Academy, under its scare music style scheme, sponsored a five year study of Pakhawaj with Raja Chhatrapati Singh. Raja Saheb was one of the great Pakhawaj exponents of Kudausingh Gharana. So, in this way the union of two great traditions in Pakhawaj - Nana Panse school and Kudau Singh school- materialized. She also got degree of M.A. in Kathak Dance which added to her versatility as an artiste and fortified her sense of rhythm.
Chitrangana received a two year scholarship from Ministry of Human Resource Development for learning the instrument. As an approved artiste, her solo recitals are regularly broadcast from AIR and Television. She was appointed Pakhawaj teacher by Ustad Allauddin Khan music Academy and central state Cultural Committee, Bhopal, under which she taught students for one month.
Besides giving solo performances and accompaniments at prestigious festivals in India and abroad, Chitrangana has been recognized as pioneer artistes of Pakhawaj throughout the globe.

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