Deben Bhattacharya
Encyclopedia
Deben Bhattacharya was a Bengali
radio producer
, record producer
, ethnomusicologist, anthropologist, documentary
filmmaker, photographer, translator, poet
, writer
, broadcaster
, lecturer
, and folk music
consultant
. He produced over 100 records, 23 films and published more than a dozen books in his lifetime and much of his work was carried out under the auspices of UNESCO
.
family that was settled in Benares for over 130 years. As a young man, he was influenced by the work of English poet
Lewis Thompson, which prompted him to move to England
, where he worked for the BBC
as a radio producer. Knowing a lot of Indians in London, he started to record Indian musicians on a Baird tape recorder
. When Bhattacharya had the idea to do field recordings in India, he was met with a financial dilemma of needing £80 for the tape recorder, £20 for the transformer, £25 for 20 blank tapes, plus about £60 for a one way boat ticket to Bombay. Sunday Wilson – a producer for the overseas service, commissioned him for six five-minute programmes, which garnered £30.6.0. Weeks after that, the poet Stephen Spender
, who had started his new magazine ‘Encounter
’, approached Bhattacharya to write an article on Indian poetry and advance him on two further articles. Argo Records
also advanced £25 and paid for the Gaumont-British machine, and the tapes against future royalties. He returned with enough material to make four or five records, and one of them was published, called "Songs from Bombay". This led to a trip through the Middle East
, recording music in every country, as well as other projects.
and Stockholm
he began making films in 1962 when his BBC Third Programme producer, Robert Leighton, introduced him to David Attenborough
, who was then an executive at BBC Television. When Bhattacharya told him that he would be going to India with an experienced cameraman, Attenborough offered him £1,000 to help with his expenses. Upon his return, the BBC edited the material into two films: ‘Kathakali
’, the classical dance drama of South India
, and ‘Storytellers from Rajastan’. Following this, Swedish Television gave him money to make a film in Hungary
. This led to film making in Romania
, Tibet
, China
, Bangladesh
, Nepal
and many other countries. Towards the end of his career, Bhattacharya had archived over 16,000 photographs related to his various projects.
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
radio producer
Radio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, ethnomusicologist, anthropologist, documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
filmmaker, photographer, translator, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
, lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
, and folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
. He produced over 100 records, 23 films and published more than a dozen books in his lifetime and much of his work was carried out under the auspices of UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.
Early career
Bhattacharya was born to an old Bengali BrahminBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
family that was settled in Benares for over 130 years. As a young man, he was influenced by the work of English poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Lewis Thompson, which prompted him to move to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he worked for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a radio producer. Knowing a lot of Indians in London, he started to record Indian musicians on a Baird tape recorder
Tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, tape deck, reel-to-reel tape deck, cassette deck or tape machine is an audio storage device that records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage...
. When Bhattacharya had the idea to do field recordings in India, he was met with a financial dilemma of needing £80 for the tape recorder, £20 for the transformer, £25 for 20 blank tapes, plus about £60 for a one way boat ticket to Bombay. Sunday Wilson – a producer for the overseas service, commissioned him for six five-minute programmes, which garnered £30.6.0. Weeks after that, the poet Stephen Spender
Stephen Spender
Sir Stephen Harold Spender CBE was an English poet, novelist and essayist who concentrated on themes of social injustice and the class struggle in his work...
, who had started his new magazine ‘Encounter
Encounter
Encounter may refer to:In psychology:*Encounter , an authentic, congruent meeting between individuals*Encounter group, a form of group psychotherapyIn games:*Encounter , an international network of active urban games...
’, approached Bhattacharya to write an article on Indian poetry and advance him on two further articles. Argo Records
Argo Records
Argo Records was started in December of 1955 to accommodate some of the rapidly growing recording activity at Chess Records. Originally the label was called Marterry, but bandleader Ralph Marterie objected, and within a couple of months the imprint was renamed Argo.Initially, Argo offered a...
also advanced £25 and paid for the Gaumont-British machine, and the tapes against future royalties. He returned with enough material to make four or five records, and one of them was published, called "Songs from Bombay". This led to a trip through the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, recording music in every country, as well as other projects.
Career
Bhattacharya continued to earn international recognition as an expert on ethnic folk music, dance and poetry and was employed to help teach ethnic music and bring ethnic musicians to Sweden. Living for periods of time in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
he began making films in 1962 when his BBC Third Programme producer, Robert Leighton, introduced him to David Attenborough
David Attenborough
Sir David Frederick Attenborough OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA is a British broadcaster and naturalist. His career as the face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years...
, who was then an executive at BBC Television. When Bhattacharya told him that he would be going to India with an experienced cameraman, Attenborough offered him £1,000 to help with his expenses. Upon his return, the BBC edited the material into two films: ‘Kathakali
Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...
’, the classical dance drama of South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, and ‘Storytellers from Rajastan’. Following this, Swedish Television gave him money to make a film in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. This led to film making in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and many other countries. Towards the end of his career, Bhattacharya had archived over 16,000 photographs related to his various projects.
Partial filmography
- Waves of Joy: Anandalahari - Director
- The Cosmic Dance of Shiva - Director
- The Chanting Lama - Director
- Silk and Strings: Taiwan - Director
- Raga - Director
- Painted Ballad of India - Director
- Krishna in Spring - Director
- Jesus and the Fisherman - Director
- Faces of the Forest: The Santals of West Bengal - Director
- Echoes from Tibet - Director
- BuddhaBuddhaIn Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
and the Rice-Planters - Director - Chinese OperaChinese operaChinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE...
- Director (1983) - Land of Smiles: Thailand - Director (1973)
- Bali: Isles of Temples - Director (1973)
- Ecstatic Circle: Turkey - Director (1972)
- Adaptable Kingdom: Music and Dance in Nepal - Director (1972)
Partial discography
- Bedouins of the Middle East 1955-60 - ARC Music
- Sounds of West Sahara: MauritaniaMauritaniaMauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
- ARC Music - Maqams of SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
- ARC Music - River Songs of Bangladesh - ARC Music
- Unknown Artist - Treasures In Sound - India UAUAUA or ua may refer to:* Unmanned Aircraft* Universal Audio Inc, a designer and manufacturer of audio signal processing hardware and software.* German submarine U-A, a German submarine of the Second World War...
International, 1967 - The Living Tradition Music From Turkey - Argo RecordsArgo RecordsArgo Records was started in December of 1955 to accommodate some of the rapidly growing recording activity at Chess Records. Originally the label was called Marterry, but bandleader Ralph Marterie objected, and within a couple of months the imprint was renamed Argo.Initially, Argo offered a...
, 1968 - The Living Tradition Music From Iran - Argo, 1971
- The Living Tradition - Songs of KrishnaKrishnaKrishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
- Argo, 1971 - The Living Tradition Music From Bangladesh - Argo, 1972
- The Living Tradition - Songs And Dances From MacedoniaRepublic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
- Argo, 1972 - Various - Folkmusik Från Rumänien - Caprice Records 1972
- 2 Ragas - Sveriges RadioSveriges RadioSveriges Radio AB – Swedish Radio Ltd – is Sweden's national publicly funded radio broadcaster. The Swedish public-broadcasting system is in many respects modelled after the one used in the United Kingdom, and Sveriges Radio - like Sveriges Television - shares many characteristics with...
- Musique Folklorique Du Monde: Yougoslavie - MusidiscMusidiscMusidisc is a French record label that provides music and home video distribution. It was founded in 1927, and purchased by Universal Music Group in 2004.-History:...
- Musique Folklorique Du Monde: Iran - Musidisc
- Various - Sacred Temple Music Of Tibet - ARC Music 1998
Books
- Songs Of The Qawals Of India: Islamic Lyrics Of Love And
- Songs Of The Bards Of Bengal
- Love Songs of Vidyapati