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.