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Pandit Manilal Nag hails from a family of musicians, traditionally associated with the Vishnupur Gharana which is generally accepted to be around 300 years old. Born in 1939 in Bankura District of West Bengal in India, his grandfather Govinda Chandra Nag and great-grandfather Bauridas Nag were both distinguished sitariyas of their time.
Manilal Nag was initiated into the art of playing sitar at the age of 5 by his father Late Shri Gokul Nag. Imbibing the rudiments of a well balanced presentation of various aspects of music, he passed the Senior Diploma Examination in music from Rabindra Bharati University with first class honours, while in his teens. He had the unique opportunity of being in close proximity to legendary musicians such as Ustad Allauddin Khan, Pt Kanthe Maharaj, Pt. Omkarnath Thakur, Pt. Vinayak Rao Patwardhan, Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan, Ustad Ahmad Jan Thirakwa and many others. Absorbing various aspects of the music of these legendary musicians, he further enhanced his music.
His debut performance was at the All India Music Conference in 1954, where he was accompanied by Pandit Samta Prasad. Since then he has performed at music conferences all over India as well as at International Music Festivals and concerts held at UK, USA, Canada, Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Japan, Fiji and Nepal. He has represented India in Indian Ocean Arts Festival Australia 1979 and at the 50 years of Bath Music Festival in 1998 in UK.
A "top" graded artiste of All India Radio and Doordarshan, he has played several times for the National Programme of Music and Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan. He has also released several cassettes and CDs from different music companies. At present he is a member of Central Audition Board of All India Radio, New Delhi and is attached with various Universities as an expert and examiner. He is also a nominated member of West Bengal Academy of Dance, Drama and Music. Pandit Nag was on the faculty of ITC SRA from August 2005 to September 2010.
As a guru, he has trained more than 2000 students in his career and many of them are today placed in Akashvani and in various Universities. Pandit Manilal Nag has received numerous awards for his contribution to Indian Music. In 2001 he received both the Sangeet Natak Academy award and the ITC Award; in 2005, the Kosher Award from Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh and the Senior Fellowship Award from Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India; the Honorary Gold Medal from the Asiatic Society, Kolkata in 2008 and the Alauddin Award, from the West Bengal Government in 2012.
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