Sreyashi Mitra – A name that represents the rich heritage & core traditions of music of Bengal.
Hailing from a family of internationally acclaimed Rabindra Nritya Natak artists from Shantiniketan, music comes naturally to Sreyashi. An exponent of serveral genres of Bengali music – Rabindrasangeet, Folk and Adhunik (Modern)
Her association with music over three decades has taken her to several parts of the world – both to the West as well as the Far-East. In addition to numerous performances in the U.S.A, Singapore, Thailand, Argentina and India, she has to her credit several successful albums in Rabindrasangeet. She has been sponsored by the Department of Culture, Government of India on numerous occasions.
Cinema For A cause has recently shot some of her finest songs to be released on YouTube soon. We had the great opportunity to know her more…
Early childhood memories of Ranbindra Nath Tagore
Sreyashi’s grandparents lived in Santiniketan. Her mother and siblings were all educated and brought up in the ashram. Most of cultural events were related to Brahma Samaj and the Ashram. Along with being brought up in a beautiful environment, she had a huge exposure to Calcutta Cultural Circle due to her father’s profession.
Who/ what inspired her to pursue Rabindra Sangeet
It was her mother who first took Sreyashi to Pandit Prasad Sen and then to Pandit Subho Guhathakurta to enroll her in the children’s section in Dakshinee. She was just 6 yrs old then. She developed an instant love for singing and thus her learning started and continued for over two decades!
Most favourite singer and why
In her words: There aren’t any particular singer I adore. Some songs are better portrayed and stylised by a lot of commendable artists. I hear those from their recording. In general, I follow Subinoy Roy’s style as I have been mentored by him after my Diploma Studies. I also took deep expressions from Arghya da later in life.
What initiated the beginning of Sangeeti – your music band
In her words: My inspiration came from people who was eager to learn and perform as a group. They came steadily and stood by me. They are a part and parcel of our happy family. We are a very pleasant bunch of self contained unit.
What is the eligibility to be a member of your band
They are all Diploma holders and have basic skills in the area of music
Future plans regarding band ‘Sangeeti’
I plan to do a lot of shows which can be designed with a story to tell. These can be a part of co-production with dancers, fine artists and film makers. Here the story telling is more important than the art.