# Samta Prasad

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{{Short description|Indian musician (1921–1994)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name             = Samta Prasad
| image            = Shahid_Parvez_Khan_performing_at_a_concert.jpg
| alt              = 
| caption          = Samta Prasad accompanying sitar player [Shahid Parvez Khan](/source/Shahid_Parvez_Khan)
| image_size       = 
| landscape        = yes
| background       = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name       = Samta Prasad Mishra 
| alias            = Gudai Maharaj
| birth_date       = {{birth date|df=yes|1921|07|20}}
| death_date       = {{death date and age|df=yes|1994|5|31|1921|07|20}}
| origin           = [Varanasi](/source/Varanasi), Uttar Pradesh
| instrument       = [Tabla](/source/Tabla)
| genre            = [Indian classical music](/source/Indian_classical_music)
| occupation       = 
| years_active     = 
| label            = 
| associated_acts  = 
| website          = 
}}
'''Samta Prasad''' (Hindi : '''पण्डित सामता प्रसाद'''; 20 July 1921 &ndash; 31 May 1994)<ref>{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Samta Prasad - Library of Congress |url=https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n89184995 |website=id.loc.gov |publisher= |access-date=10 March 2022 |language= |date=}}</ref> was an [Indian classical music](/source/Indian_classical_music)ian and [tabla](/source/tabla) player from the [Benares gharana](/source/Benares_gharana).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kippen.org/t_masters/shantaprasad.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208045709/http://kippen.org/t_masters/shantaprasad.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 February 2021 |title=Shanta Prasad |publisher=kippen.org |access-date=1 May 2009 }}</ref><ref name=hi>{{cite news |title=In memoriam:UNFORGETTABLE Pandit Shanta Prasad Mishra|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/06/02/stories/2006060201330200.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604103234/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/06/02/stories/2006060201330200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 June 2011 |work=[The Hindu](/source/The_Hindu) |date=2 June 2006 }}</ref> He played tabla in many [Hindi film](/source/Hindi_film)s including, ''Meri Surat Teri Ankhen'' (1963) and ''[Sholay](/source/Sholay)'' (1975), and film music composers [Rahul Dev Burman](/source/Rahul_Dev_Burman) and [Bappi Lahiri](/source/Bappi_Lahiri) were his disciples.<ref name=hi/><ref>''Pathfinders: artistes of one World''by Alka Raghuvanshi, Sudhir Tailang. Wisdom Tree, 2002. ''p. 66-67''</ref>

He was the son of Hari Sundarrr, also known as Bachaa Mishra, his grandfather was Jagannath Mishra, and his ancestors included Pratap Maharaj, also known as Gudai Maharaj.<ref>{{cite book |title=Theory and practice of tabla|last=Naimpalli |first=Sadanand|year=2005|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=81-7991-149-7 |pages=100, 104 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=veQX9ZuA6HQC&q=Samta+Prasad&pg=PA104 }}</ref>

He was awarded the [Sangeet Natak Akademi Award](/source/Sangeet_Natak_Akademi_Award) in 1979, given by the [Sangeet Natak Akademi](/source/Sangeet_Natak_Akademi), India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama and the [Padma Bhushan](/source/Padma_Bhushan), the third highest civilian honour given by [Govt. of India](/source/Govt._of_India) in 1991.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sangeet Natak Akademi Award: Instrumental&nbsp;– Tabla |url=http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm |publisher=[Sangeet Natak Akademi](/source/Sangeet_Natak_Akademi) (Official listing) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217185616/http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm |archive-date=17 February 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards Directory (1954–2007)|publisher=[Ministry of Home Affairs](/source/Ministry_of_Home_Affairs_(India))|date=30 May 2007|url=http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/PadmaAwards1954-2007.pdf|quote="1991: 27. Samta Prasad" (Official spelling)}}</ref>

==Early life and training==
Pandit Samta Prasad was born on 20 July 1921, in [Kabir chaura](/source/Kabir_chaura), [Banaras](/source/Banaras) ([Varanasi](/source/Varanasi)), [Uttar Pradesh](/source/Uttar_Pradesh) into a family steeped in the tradition of [tabla](/source/tabla) and [pakhawaj](/source/pakhawaj) of [Benaras gharana](/source/Benaras_gharana), sometimes referred as ''Poorab baaj'' school.<ref>{{cite book |title=Essays on Indian music (History and culture series) |last=Kumar |first=Raj|year=2003 |publisher=Discovery Publishing House|isbn=81-7141-719-1 |page=200 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wwwX6DWfn3gC&q=Samta+Prasad&pg=PA200 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pt Kishan Maharaj: End of an era|author= Shovana Narayan|author-link= Shovana Narayan|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080506/nation.htm#16 |work=[The Tribune](/source/The_Tribune_(Chandigarh)) |date=6 May 2008 }}</ref>

His preliminary ''taalim'' (training) began with his father, who died when Samta Prasad Ji was just seven. Thereafter, he took the discipleship of Bikku Maharaj, himself a disciple of Baldev Sahai, and began to practice for long hours daily.<ref name=ban>[http://banarasilife.com/banarasi_people_prominent_in_musinc__dance Pandit Samta Prasad Biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090727221331/http://banarasilife.com/banarasi_people_prominent_in_musinc__dance |date=27 July 2009 }}</ref>

==Career==
Pt. Samta Prasad gave his first major performance at the "[Allahabad](/source/Allahabad) Sangeet Sammelan" in 1942, where he impressed the musicians present there,<ref>{{cite book | title=The music of India | last=Massey | first=Reginald | author2=Jamila Massey | author2-link=Jamila Massey | year=1996 | publisher=Abhinav Publications | isbn=81-7017-332-9 | page=160 | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yySNDP9XVggC&q=Samta+Prasad&pg=PA160 | chapter=15. The Musicians}}</ref> and soon established himself as an accompanist as well as a soloist.

Throughout his career, he performed in various parts of India, such as [Kolkata](/source/Kolkata), [Mumbai](/source/Mumbai), [Chennai](/source/Chennai) and [Lucknow](/source/Lucknow). He also represented the Indian cultural team while abroad, in such places as France, Russia and [Edinburgh](/source/Edinburgh).

He also played the [tabla](/source/tabla) in [Hindi films](/source/Hindi_films) like, ''[Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje](/source/Jhanak_Jhanak_Payal_Baje)'', ''[Meri Surat Teri Ankhen](/source/Meri_Surat_Teri_Ankhen)'', ''[Basant Bahar](/source/Basant_Bahar_(film))'', ''Asamapta'' and ''[Sholay](/source/Sholay)''. It is believed that music director, [S.D. Burman](/source/S.D._Burman) postponed the recording of the song, ''"Nache mora manwa magan tikta dhighi dhighi"'' being sung by [Mohd. Rafi](/source/Mohd._Rafi) in the film ''Meri Surat Teri Aakhen'' until the arrival of Pandit Samta Prasad from Banaras.<ref>{{cite web  |title=SD Burman: A giant's century  |url=http://www.screenindia.com/old/archive/archive_fullstory.php?content_id=13871  |date=23 October 2006  |publisher=[Screen](/source/Screen_(magazine))  }}{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

He died from a heart attack on May 31, 1994 in [Pune, India](/source/Pune%2C_India).<ref>{{Cite web |date=1994-06-30 |title=Tabla maestro Pandit Samata Prasad passes away |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/signposts/story/19940630-tabla-maestro-pandit-samata-prasad-passes-away-809338-1994-06-29 |access-date=2026-04-14 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> He was on a visit to Pune to conduct a coaching workshop organized by Naad Roop. 

==Awards and recognitions==
He was awarded "[Padma Shri](/source/Padma_Shri)" in the year 1972, and received the "[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award](/source/Sangeet_Natak_Akademi_Award)" in 1979 and the President Scholarship in 1987. He achieved the [Padma Bhushan](/source/Padma_Bhushan) in 1991.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India | date=2015 | access-date=July 21, 2015 | archive-date=15 October 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Disciples==
Amongst his noted disciples are Pandit Bhola Prasad Singh, Patna,  Pandit Shashanka Shekhar Bakshi, Nitin Chatterjee, Naba Kumar Panda, Rahul Dev Burman (R.D.Burman, Gurmit Singh Virdee, Partha Sarathi Mukherjee, Satyanarayan Bashisht, (Late) Pandit Chandrakant Kamat, Pt. Manikrao Popatkar and Pt. Samta Prasad's son - (Late) Pandit Kumar Lal Mishra who died recently,{{when|date=January 2020}} a noted tabla player himself. Famous composer Bappi Lahiri was his disciple too.<ref name=ban/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
12. ^ Life history of the [http://www.kashibanarasvaranasi.com/pandit-gudai-maharaj Pandit Gudai Maharaj] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129144615/http://www.kashibanarasvaranasi.com/pandit-gudai-maharaj |date=29 January 2016 }}.

==External links==
* [http://www.last.fm/music/Shanta+Prasad Shanta Prasad Profile] at [Last.fm](/source/Last.fm)
* [http://www.shawnmativetsky.com/benares.html Benares Tabla Gharana]
;Video links
* {{YouTube|3nxMzCvpu48|Pandit Shanta Prasad Tabla Solo Roopak}}
* {{YouTube|10dtpWiCeLs|Pandit Shanta Prasad Tabla Solo Teental}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1990–99}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prasad, Shanta}}
Category:1921 births
Category:1994 deaths
Category:20th-century Indian male classical singers
Category:Hindustani musicians
Category:Indian percussionists
Category:Tabla players
Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts
Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Category:Musicians from Varanasi
Category:20th-century drummers

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Samta Prasad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samta_Prasad) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samta_Prasad?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.