About Kankana

Born in Kolkata of a business family, Kankana Banerjee inherited a keen sense of music from her very childhood and had early lessons of Classical Hindusthani Music from her mother who was a disciple of Late Tarapada Chakravarty of Kolkata and Late Pdt. Ratan Jhankar of Lucknow. Her mother is the eldest daughter of Late Dr. Radha Kamal Mukherjee, eminent thinker, sociologist and Ex-Vice-chancellor of the University of Lucknow.

Early in 1955, when Kankana was a child, she had the privilege to be introduced to Late Ustad Amir Khan of Indore. In a very informal gathering, the Late Maestro discovered an in-born musical talent, and a seven year old Kankana won his heart by skilfull attachment to the masterly tune of the Maestro. Eventually it became apparent that Amir Khan was looking for a disciple to whom he would impart his own ideas of music to be carried on to the next generation.

With her Ustad at Kolkata

Gifted with a sweet and sonorously rich voice stretching over an amazing wide range, Kankana would in - turn, fathom the intricacies of Indore Gharana originated by her "Guru". Amir Khan took intensive care during the formative period of her musical career to see that this young talent did not go astray. He esured that she would win a cherished place in the sphere of Hindusthani Classical Music. At the tender age of fourteen, Kankana (Mohua, as she was lovingly called), gave her first public performance. But in 1960, that was just a stepping stone on the road to a long career of successes