The ever-evolving Shonai is a Pianist, composer and music educator. He started his training with learning Tabla and then moved to Piano in 1996. He has done Grade 6 in Classical Music, Grade 8 in Jazz Piano and Diploma on Jazz Piano performance ( ALCM ). Shonai studied Jazz till the advanced level under the guidance of two world class Jazz musicians Mr. Andrew Gracias and Mr. Carlton Kitto.
In his 18 years of professional career he has worked in every possible situation from solo to duet and from bands like trio, quartet and Quintet to Big Bands. Shonai being predominantly a contemporary jazz Pianist has worked with Jazz stalwarts like Mr.Carlton Kitto, Mr.Andrew Gracias, Mr.Marcus Dengate ( who has performed with the great Dizzy Gillespie, Scott Hamilton and many more ), Mr. Clive Hughes, Mr. Monojit Dutta, Mr. Rainer Pusch to name a few. He was lucky enough to get a chance to jam with the great Chick Corea in 2018 when he was touring India.
His performance life started with joining All India Radio as a junior artist in 1997. Where later he became a graded artist and has been continuing recording with many jazz artists along with his solo jazz piano recitals.
He has also played extensively throughout India in festivals like GIANTS OF JAZZ ( Delhi, Gurgaon ), JAZZMATAZZ ( Mumbai , Pune), Jam Steady BIG SUNDAY ( Kolkata ), Kolkata Jazz Fest (Kolkata ) and outside India in JAZZMANDU ( Nepal ), Lent Festival ( Slovenia ), Dev9t Festival ( Serbia ), Fest Jazza ( Croatia ) and prestigious venues like The Oberoi Grand, The Park, ITC Sonar, The Park Plaza etc. (Kolkata ). Opus ( Bangalore ), The Humming Tree ( Bangalore ), Blue Frog ( Bangalore ), The Piano Man ( Delhi ), Trident ( Rajasthan ), NCPA Tata Theatre ( Mumbai ), Anti Social ( Mumbai ), Taj Tashi ( Bhutan ), Dhaka Club (Bangladesh), B Flat ( Berlin ), White Cube ( Hamburg ), BlueNote Jazz Club (Poland ), Celica ( Slovenia ), KCM ( Zagreb ), 100cznia ( Poland ), Babel Camp ( Hungary ). Apart from these he has also played several other places in Northeast India and beyond, like Manipur, Assam, Shillong, Bovec and Kranj ( Slovenia ) which helped him to hone his skills and experiences.
Being a versatile musician Shonai had been a part of several bands with different genres of music like Blue Mist ( pop ), Orient Express ( Latin ), Carlton Kitto Jazz Ensemble ( Jazz ), Fast Forward ( Motown and Funk-Jazz ), Big Family ( Blues ), Bramhakhyapa ( Bawl Jazz fusion ), ABHIND ( avant garde ) etc. Apart from these bands he works with many other bands and artists as a session musician. Currently Shonai is a part of two bands, The Bodhisattwa Trio ( Experimental jazz rock fusion ) and his own set up called The Shonai Collective ( contemporary and traditional jazz ).
Being a music educator he has worked in several academic and music schools in Kolkata, Delhi and in prestigious Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory in Nepal.