Raka Mukherjee
Date : Saturday, January 13, 2007 06:30PM
Venue : NGMA
Address : Near Regal Cinema, MG RoadColaba
Ravindra Natya Mandir, Sun Jan 14 5.30pm 2009

If, like many of Mumbai’s classical music connoisseurs, you still remember Raka Mukherjee’s performance at the Shudhha Madhyam Utsav hosted by Kalabharati in 2001, you’re in luck. Kolkata-based Mukherjee is in town this fortnight for two performances: on January 13, she will sing at a concert organised by Udayan, and on January 14, Swaralaya will host a recital by the silken-voiced singer.
A student of Gyanprakash Ghosh, Mukherjee has won acclaim for her distinctive style of singing. Her music never abandons its delicacy of sound and exactitude of pitch. Mukherjee’s enunciation of ragas, be it a placid late afternoon raga like Dhani or a pensive midnight raga like Bageshri, always touches the right chords. Her slow and gradual rendering of alaaps, in particular, is so appealing that it completely envelops her audience.
“When I set to perform, I have a feeling that I have been given a bunch of colourful flowers that are synonymous with our musical notes,” Mukherjee said in a telephone interview. “The mere utterance of the notes with fervour takes me to the spiritual world of music. It creates an ambience of devotion for me as well as the listeners.” Amarendra Dhaneshwar
Source : Time Out Mumbai ISSUE 24 Friday, July 24, 2009

Two Musical Worlds Meet Effortlessly

"Mukherjee's (Raka) clear voice and restrained style spoke of maturity and years of practice. Her powerful voice with strong emotional appeal did justice to her renderings Her khayals and thumris were rendered with with equal ease,revealing her control over the three octaves"

HINDUSTAN TIMES

"Vocalist Raka Mukherjee cast a spell on her large audience as she began with a thumri in Raga Kaafi Sindhura.She followed this up with a dadra in Misra pilu and a Holi Bhajan.With a voice that reflects years of rigorous training in classical singing under the late Jnan Prakash Ghosh and Kala Chand Lahiri,and a gayki that is infused with tremendous feeling.Mukherjee was at her best and the audience responded enthusiastically to her glorious performance.Indeed , the echoes continued long after she was done"

H.T.City Saturday,26 July 2003
A Classical Touch Even In Her cooking

"Her(Raka Mukherjee) voice is suited to classical music and she excels in her Khayals and Thumris"
"A busy artist, Raka nevertheless makes time to keep a beautiful house and often hosts get togethers for her family and friends. And is at these dos that one gets to sample her delicious cooking"

HINDUSTAN TIMES, New Delhi, Feb 22,2005
"Meet the press"

The Tribune, Chandigarh, Feb 22,2005
"Meet the press"

'Large - scale patronage needed for classical music'

'Anirban Sangeet Sammelan' - kolkata

with Samar Saha on tabla and JyotiGuha on harmonium.

Kaumudi, Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 20,1998
Raka Mukherjee in concert 'Surya Festival'