Sohamasmi Collaborators
Sri Ashish Mohan Khokar
Eminent Art and Dance Historian
In his generation, he is a reputed cultural personality with wide interest and outreach. He has over 25 years of direct arts management and media related practical experience (dance, music, fashion, exhibitions, seminars, conferences, press, publications) at national and international levels with a wide variety of organizations, govt. bodies, foundations, NGOs. With 40 published books and thousands of articles on Arts, he remains India’s best known voice bridging generations of change with traditional values. A simple Google search on his name also helps establish his outreach.
Guru Vishnu Tattva Das
Eminent Odissi Dancer and Teacher
Guru Vishnu Tattva Das is a dedicated artist who has devoted himself to perfecting the art of Odissi based in the San Fransisco Bay Area, U.S.A.
Born and raised in Mumbai, India, from a very early age, Vishnu had a deep-rooted interest in Vaishnava philosophy and teachings and has dedicated a lifetime inculcating the same doctrines to his life as well as others his life has touched upon. He began his training in dance with Smt. Jhelum Paranjape, director of Smitalay Dance Company in Mumbai. He then traveled to Orissa for intensive studies with Padmavibhusan Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra at the Odissi Research Center in Bhubaneshwar.
Vishnu is recognized as one of India’s prominent male Odissi dancers and choreographers.
Guru Sangita Gosain
Prominent Odiya Vocalist and Scholar
Associate Professor in Utkal University of Culture and is a renowned scholar and vocalist was born into music and has always been associated with music.
Dr. Sangita Gosain, a prominent Odissi singer has recently completed 45 years in her music career. ‘A’ grade artist of A.I.R and Door Darshan, Dr Gosain had earned Gold medal with First Class First position in “Odissi Music” from Pracheen Kala Kendra Chandigarh in Sangeet Bhaskar. She completed Visharad in Hindustani Music from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahabad and A.B.G.M. Mandal Pune. Dual Phd degree holder in Odissi Music and in English literature, Dr Gosain now serves as a distinguished member in Odissi research center and involved in many research work on Odissi dance and music. She has performed as an invited artists both in India and abroad and has received many recognition for her versatile renditions in 17 different languages and specially for her melodious presentations of Odissi, Champu, Chhanda, Geet Govinda, devotional and film songs. An exponent of Odissi Music, Dr Gosain is the pride of Orissa who tirelessly works in arranging, organizing, directing and promoting Odissi dance and music programs all over India and abroad so that Oriya art and Culture is preserved in it’s original form.
Guru Achyuta Maharana
Prominent Odissi Classical Music Vocalist & Teacher
A popular name in the Odissi music circle of Odisha, Sri Achyuta Maharana had his initial training under Guru Chandramani Lenka in Puri, where his obtained his Sangeet Visharad. He has had a strong passion for classical music since his early childhood, something which led him to continue traning sincerely through his early years. He contniued his training in Odissi music under Guru Damodar Kar, in Puri, to then obtain a Sangeet Bhaskar. He furthered his studies of music at the Odissi Research Centre, Bhubaneshwar, where he had the opportunity to be under the able guidance of the Hindustani Vocal Maestro, Guru Deepak Basu, and conduct research on advanced Odissi vocal music. He is also B-grade artist of All India Radio, Cuttack with speciality in Champu, Chhanda & Bhajana.
Being trained in both Odissi and Hindustani classical styles, Sri Achyuta Maharana has a strong understanding of the stylistic diffrences between these two artforms and brings the best of them both in his music, without diluting the strengths of these forms. He is endowed with a bhava-laden voice with a large range as well as depth and has established himself amongst the very popular vocalists, performing widely for Odissi dance and Odissi music festivals.
He is ably guiding many fortunate students in their journeys of music both in Odisha and abroad. He currently teaches music at Satyabadi Sangeet Mahavidyalaya in Sakhigopal. He also currently trains musicians in Australia for the Sohamasmi Orchestra in Odissi classical music, enabling a live Odissi music orchestra, the first of its kind in Australia, to accompany Odissi dance concerts. His association with Sohamasmi goes back to 2016 where he has been an important part of student workshops imparting his knowledge of Odissi music for Odissi dancers from varied backgrounds.