Ministry of Information & Cultural Affairs West Bengal

GOUTAM HAZRA & EKTARA (3 IN ONE)

Ektara (a kind of manual musical instrument made of stretched single string, empty gourd/pumpkin and a small part of a split bamboo) is a one string instrument most often used in traditional music from Bangladesh, India, Egypt and Pakisthan. It is an inevitable inseparable entangled instrument of the far –old singing such as Baul, Palligiti, Vatiali, Dhaki song, Sharingan etc, the capacitor and conductor of Indian culture. From the songs of Lalan Fakir to the world poet Rabindranath Tagore’s various composed story and song, the mention of the word “Ektara tune” is notable. The monk-compared Baul opera of Arjyabatya with Ektara in hand seems to be complement of each other. Ektara tune has changed the Bengali Loko Giti into a great spiritual feelings blended good hearing song. Now this Instrument can be used as a multi-toner instrument according the experiment of Sri Goutam Hazra.

Experiment & Result:
The music or tune of Hawaiian guitar can be played with the single string of Ektara.
Where any change in tune is required but which cannot be created in manual/conventional other instrument except key board or electronic instrument and processor, there it is possible only in conventional Ektara.
Violin music or tune can be played with conventional Ektara.
Any manual instrument cannot create duel tone. But in conventional Ektara, it is possible. The matter of creation of duel tone of the instruments like Guitar and Santoor with Ektara without any electronics musical support has been proved and it is the truth today.

Objective & Goal:
Searching for an exposure to establish his new idea and experiment to all of us throughout country. He is ready to demonstrate his new invention to the interested Media / Reputed Musician also in musical exhibition throughout the country. Interested to develop as well as share & spread a concept of use of conventional/manual Ektara in different way to create the various tone of different stringing instrument but keeping the whole formation & tone of ancient Ektara intact. Want to see this new & proved concept as the part of subject of Indian Music in various Musical Institutions in future.

Few Advantages of This Musical Ektara:
Every manual musical instrument has its own fundamental, virtual and constructive tone feature; yet, the binding of the one string of Ektara, being a manual instrument is made itself variable. We find the pleasure of playing various manual musical instruments in conventional /manual Ektara.

Economical advantages: If anyone doesn’t have sufficient financial support to buy the musical instrument but eagerly wish to learn as well as play those musical instruments, the following information & comparison are the solution.
Say present prices of:
Hawaiian guitar – Rs 3000/- (Minimum)
Violin – Rs 5000/- (Minimum)
Santoor – Rs 10000/- (Minimum)

Total Price of above those Instruments is Rs 18,000/- (Minimum)

But the making cost of Ektara is only Rs. 1,500/- along with pick up, Carry bag, violin bow, & Santoor stick which all are to be framed itself and all these tone / music can be played with this Ektara.

Advantages to Carry: It works like 3 in 1 musical instrument. As three instruments are being played in one so, other musical hand with that particular musical instrument like Santoor, Violin etc which can be played in Ektara, are not always essential.

Very Low Maintenance Cost: In case of Santoor, Guitar, as these instruments are configured by various types and many nos. of strings, hence, at the time of getting cut off the string, some time it is difficult to arrange the same string for these instruments instantly if it is not available with you. It will not be happened if the all type of strings is available with you always as spare, which is expensive compare to the maintenance cost of Ektara as it is configured by only single string.

Tuning Time is less: For tuning purpose, it is time taking in case of Guitar, Violin etc as these are configured by so many strings But in case of Ektara being a single stringed manual musical instrument tuning, use and fixing as well as tuning of it are very easy and less time taking.
Goutam Hazra, a self motivated musician residing at a remote village of Namkhana Block, South 24 parganas, West Bengal, has experimented and proved such a new idea in music with EKTARA that may be unbelievable to all of us but it is true. He is from a Musical family but has not gone through the traditional learning method. As, from the childhood, he is very much passionate in music, basically in instrumental music; he has learned music himself from surroundings and his family background by his own efforts. Although, he is expert in playing various type of string instrument but where required he can perform vocal music also. In profession, he is a small businessman but his passion of music has inspired as well as compelled him to continue the culture of music with various musical experiments. Recently, he has almost completed his experiment on an ancient musical instrument manual/conventional EKTARA through making little bit modification of it; basically by addition of few extra components. Achievement of this experiment as follows:

Contact Details:
MUSICIAN: SRI GOUTAM HAZRA
I am playing only Rabindra Sangeet & Desatwa Bodhak(instumental)
Vill+Post –Shibrampur
P.S-Namkhana;
Dist –South 24 Parganas;
Pin- 743357
Mobile-9732758538
India West Bengal
E-mail :- goutam.hazra33@gmail.com
Face Book :- ektara371@gmail.com

**** THANK YOU FOR READING THIS PROFILE ****