Shamik Bose
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Shamik Bose was born in Kolkata to a family of dancers and musicians and his musical journey would be incomplete without going back a couple of generations. His grandfather, Jyotiranjan Sengupta was a physicist while his grandmother, Pushpa Sengupta was a homemaker with an expertise in playing the sitar. This sowed the first seeds in the making of a family that found a balance in the sciences and the arts. Their three daughters ended up being either scientists or in the arts. While two daughters Sutapa and Sudipta Sengupta became microbiologist and geologist respectively, Shamik's mother Sunanda Bose (nee Sengupta) took to the arts and specialized in the creative style of dancing first at Santosh Sengupta's troupe and later in Uday Shankar's ballet troupe. Shamik's father, Shanti Bose, was also a dancer and had risen to be the Ballet Master and later Assistant Director at Uday Shankar's troupe. Shamik's sister followed the path of the parents and became an Odissi dancer.
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Shamik's knack for music was recognized early by his parents who initiated his musical training at the Bengal Music College and then under Panchugopal Mukhopadhyay. It was always a difficult balance between the riyaz and studies, where the latter always took priority. It was not until Shamik started training under Srimati Kabita Gupta, a foremost student of Pandit Amiyaranjan Bandyopadhyay, that the intricacies of raagas were first brought in front of him. He learned the specifics of several raagas and bandishes that were very characteristic of the Bishnupur Gharana. Soon academic studies took a higher priority and after a hiatus of a couple of years, Shamik was extremely fortunate to become a disciple of Sangeetacharya Amaresh Chowdhury of the Senia Gharana, who was at that time one of the last leading vocalists of the Gharana. During those years of talim, Shamik was introduced to a whole new world of Senia gayaki that remained true to musical aesthetics by immersing the mind and soul into the notes. Various items specific to the Senia Gharana such as the Dhrupad Alaap, Layakari, Chhandabhed, Bolbaat, Boltaan and Taans became a part of his Khayal.
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Shamik's passion for geology was also initiated within the family, from his maternal aunt Prof. Sudipta Sengupta who is a world renowned structural geologist. Therefore, his passion for both music and science had to be balanced in order to get meaningful outcomes from both. Shamik lost his Guru the same year he moved to the USA for graduate and doctoral studies in Structural Geology and so started another hiatus of 7 years. Toward the end of his PhD at Oklahoma University, he started becoming more active on stage and performed in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. In 2010 after completing his PhD, Shamik moved to Houston to work in the oil industry along with his wife Rumela Bose and started teaching music in 2014. He has been active in several aspects of the classical musical scene in Houston, being involved with the Indian Music Society of Houston and accompanying on the tanpura several visiting artists from India including Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar, Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra and Omkar Dadarkar. His students at the Aroha School of Music have been performing on stage for various programs and occasions in the Houston metropolitan area.
