Somnath D Chari

Born in 1935 in Chimbel village, Tiswadi Taluk of Goa, Shri Somnath Damodar Chari received his initial training in Bhakti Sangeet tradition of Goa from his father, Shri Damodar V. Chari, and later from Shri Manohar Buva Shirgaonkar. He has received training in Indian music from Shri Shripad Madiye of Kirana Gharana. Shri Chari is also adept in playing various musical instruments like Pakhawaj, Tabla, Violin and Harmonium. He obtained Sangeet Visharad from the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Miraj. He is also an accomplished theatre artist, who has composed music for many stage plays, and has given several noteworthy performances in various presentations of Marathi Natya Sangeet. Shri Chari has authored a book on the traditional Goan Bhajan Parampara. A biography titled Bhajan Charya Somnath Chari Jeevan and Karya has been penned by Shri Raju Naik on his life. A graded artist of All India Radio and Doordarshan. Shri Chari has taught music as a faculty member at several institutions in Goa. He has to credit a large number of recordings of traditional music. For his contribution to the field of devotional music of Goa, Shri Chari has been conferred the Goa State Cultural Award, the Bhajan Samrat Puraskar, and several other titles. Shri Somnath Damodar Chari receives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to the traditional music of Goa.