Amrita Bazar Patrika
On the last day of the three-day Begum Akhtar Memorial Festival of Music and Dance organized by Kalyani Kala Kendra, Kankana Banerjee's hauntingly melodious songs entranced the audience. Her masterly trills and glides in different tones were marvellous. Ramzan Khan on the tabla and Mahmood Dholpuri on the harmonium meticulously reproduced every intricate taan or boltan, thus enhancing the lustre of her songs.
Much to the delight of the audience, she burst into songs with her renowned Guru, Pandit Pratap Narayan. They put something of their hearts into every note, as they sang two khayals in the traditional Mewati style.
"TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF" - Financial Express - New Delhi
We have heard Kankana Banerjee many times over the past ten years or so. What one, however, witnessed at this concert was a new Kankana. She has acquired greater sweetness, an enriched technique and a completely relaxed manner of delivery. Her smile competed with her music in capturing the hearts of the listeners. Kankana's exposition of "Shudh Kalyan" was notable for the manner in which she harnessed the wide range of her voice to create incredible patterns. One was inevitably reminded of Parveen Sultana, but Parveen's excursions into the top register though they are certainly not false notes. Kankana, on the contrary, sounds pleasant and musical when she dwells on the same notes. There is an effortless ease in her singing, which always seems to be relaxed.
Kankana's "taan" and "sargams" flowed smoothly that day. It was quite clear that she has been able to imbibe the spirit of Ustad Amir Khan, her Guru. She next expounded "sahana" and "adana" with considerable emotional impact.
Times of India
"Kankana Banerjee has admirably imbibed almost all the abstractions and mannerisms of Ustad Amir Khan to a degree where his Gayaki tends to become an integral part of her musical being. Added to this a refreshingly mellow voice with a finesse for elegant, streamlined presentation. There is also a good awareness of the aesthetic purpose in her singing and one is happy to find her recital free from pretense and gimcrackery. She embellished her themes with well defined alaps, clever boltans, relaxed sargams and racy taans - all very much reminiscent of her Ustad's vocalism."
