CHITRANGANA AGLE RESHWAL
PAKHAWAJ ARTISTE
When 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 Chitrangana would see her elder brothers being taken to task if they ever made a slip during riyaz.
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 Gharana – 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 Sangeet Academy, under its Durlabh Sangeet Shaili 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 Gharana and Kudau Singh Gharana – 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 Akashwani and Doordarshan. She was appointed Pakhawaj guru by Ustad Allauddin Khan Sangeet Academy and Madhya Pradesh 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.
PERFORMANCES – INDIA
Darbar Festival, London
TANSEN SANGEET SAMAROH, GWALIOR.
CHAKRADHAR SAMAROH, RAIGADH.
SAPTAK SAMAROH, AHEMDABAD.
BHARAT BHAWAN,BHOPAL.
DHRUPAD SAMAAROH, AURANGABAD.
KUMAR GANDHARVA SMIRTI SAMAROH, VIJAYNAGARAM.
USTAD AMIR KHAN SAMAROH, INDORE.
ZIA MOHIUDDIN DAGAR SMRITI SAMAROH, MUMBAI.
HARIDAS SAMAROH, MUMBAI.
NANA PANSE SAMAROH, DAMOH.
RASHTRAPATI BHAWAN, NEW DELHI.
ITC SANGEET SAMMELAN, KOLKATA.
NAARI CELEBRATING THE FUTURE OF A GIRL CHILD YEAR 24th APRIL 2011
SHANISHCHAR JAYNTI FESTVAL. INDORE 2011.
DHRUPAD MELA, VARANASI 2011
DRUPAD JOGALBANDI UTSAV BHOPAL 24-27 NOV 2011.
KALIDAS SAMAROH,UJJAIN, JAN 2015
PERFORMANCES – ABROAD
JAZZ FESTIVAL, NORWAY.
SINASE BAND FESTIVAL, PORTUGAL.
FESTIVAL OF INDIA, SOUTH KOREA.
INDIAN GROUP OF MUSIC, DOHA, U.A.E.
MILAPFEST, U.K.
WOMAD FESTIVAL, ABUDHABI.
HONOUR, AWARDS
‘FIRST EVER WOMAN PAKHAWAJ ARTISTE IN THE WORLD’
(LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS) 2000
Swati Tirunal Award, Drupad Samiti Varanasi 2019
Madhukar Samman, Madhukar shodh sansthan 2017
Laurel Award, South Korea 2009
Silver Medal III Delphic Games Jeju, Korea 2009
Amarnath Mishra Gold Medal, Varanasi
Prathama, IGR Manav Sangrahalya, Bhopal
Taalmani Sur Singar Sansad, Mumbai 1995
Taalratna Bhatkhande Shiksha Samiti,Raipur
Mahakaal Samman, Ujjain
Abhinav Kala Samman, Bhopal
Vidyasagar Award, Music Forum Mumbai 2005
SANSKRTIC YOGDAN PURASKAR, PUNYASPARAN MUMBAI 2010
NAADYOGI SAMMAN-NAAD YOG SANSTHA, 24 DEC 2011, INDORE
NAARI, PESHKAR FOUNDATION 2011-12 MUMBAI
Residence
INDORE, M.P.,INDIA
