Sur Sadhika feat. Smt. Devaki Pandit

"Sur Sadhika" (सुर साधिका) is a Sanskrit/Hindi phrase that can be broken down as follows:

Sur (सुर) – Meaning melody, musical notes, or tune.
Sadhika (साधिका) – Refers to a devoted practitioner, seeker, or one who masters a discipline through dedication.
So, "Sur Sadhika" essentially means "a devoted practitioner or master of melody/music", often used to describe a highly skilled and dedicated female musician or vocalist.

Our concert, Sur Sadhika, is a semi-classical vocal concert featuring acclaimed vocalist and playback singer Srimati Devaki Pandit.

On the backdrop of International Women's Day in March, "Sur Sadhika" will showcase popular compositions, songs, ghazals, and thumri, paying tribute to the most eminent women in the history of Indian music, such as Kishori Amonkar, Begum Akhtar, Lata Mangeshkar and many more. Accompanying Smt. Devaki Pandit are Pt. Harshad Kanetkar on tabla and Shri Abhinay Ravande on the Harmonium.

Devaki Pandit is a trained classical singer with a vast body of work spending over 3 decades. Currently under the tutelage of Pt. Babanrao Haldankar. She is one among the few contemporary artists who can render both classical and light music with equal ease. An individual for whom music is life, she continues to enthrall audiences with her melodious voice and soulful compositions.

In her own words, it is her passion for music that defines the artist the world knows as Devaki. Whether singing or composing, classical or light music, live performances or playback; passion is a given. And it is this passion that has fueled her 30 year journey in the field of music and has seen her admired and appreciated by the classical connoisseur and layman music-lover alike.

Devaki was introduced to the world of music at the age of two, and is a third generation musician from the Pandit household. What began with giving an attentive ear to all musical functions at home, took shape with a formal training and induction to music under her mother’s guidance and led her to her first stage performance at age nine.

True to her passion for music, at the age of 18 Devaki spent hours on end practicing and training her voice doing riyaaz. Such was her zest in the pursuit of perfecting her music that her continuous practice resulted in her losing her voice. The next three years saw her forced into silence, but this incident did not dent her passion for music. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes Devaki overcame all odds and spent those three years practicing the art of listening, beginning with her own breathing, its rhythm; the music in nature, and innumerable compositions of musicians and artists from across the world. She counts this phase of her life among her most rewarding experiences, something that brought her closer to her music spiritually.

Harshad Kanetkar, a young, accomplished Tabla player, and well-known young maestro who is one of the few Tabla players of his generation who is equally adept and versatile in the art of accompanying vocals, instrumental and dance as well as his solo performance. Harshad has performed with well-known artists like Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Shahid Parvez, Rashid Khan, Ronu Majumdar, Sanjeev Abhyankar etc.in various music festivals. He has also worked in Jazz with Grammy Award Winning renowned musicians like Jeffrey Barnes, George Brooks, Freddie Brian. His recent albums “Trinity”, “Resonance” and “Divinity” are available on 150 music platforms. Recently he has been selected on the panel of Recording Academy which is famous for “The Grammy Awards”. To learn more about Harshad, click here.

Abhinay Ravande comes from a family of musical background and kirtan tradition at Nanded. He received his initial training in Harmonium as well as vocal music from his own father Shri Laxmikant Ravande Ji for 5 years. Since 10 years he has been learning harmonium under the tutilage of Pandit Pramod Marathe Ji at Gandharva Mahavidyalay Pune in Gurukul Paddhati. He has completed his Visharad and Graduation in Harmonium. He is a recipient of many prestigious awards and scholarships.