Kumar Gandharva was renowned Hindustani classical vocalist who was known because of his unique style of singing. He was a known as a child prodigy due to his genius musical abilities. By his early 20s, he was seen as a star of Indian classical music. At the peak of his music career, Gandharva was struck by Tuberculosis and was told that he could never sing again. That however didn’t stop him. He started to perform again after 6 year with…
Posts published in “Knowledge”
Uppalapu Srinivas was a Carnatic classical mandolin player. His skill on the instrument was so perfect, that he was considered to be the successor to Pandit Ravi Shankar. His music was even heard by famous international artists like George Harrison (Lead Guitarist of The Beatles). He said his favourite piece of Indian music was “Mandolin Ecstasy” performed by Uppalapu Srinivas. He also won a number of prestigious awards for his contributions to music such as the Padma Shri (1998) and…
Pandit Ram Narayan is considered to be the first internationally successful sarangi player. He is credited with popularizing the sarangi as a solo concert instrument in Hindustani Classical music. His career first started with playing on All India Radio, as an accompanist with vocalists. He soon grew tired and ventured into composing in Indian Cinema. Some of the scores he composed were used in the movies Adalat, Kashmir, Madhumati and many more. After trying out many different fields he realised…
Ustad Zakir Hussain is widely regarded as one of the greatest tabla players of all time. He single handedly raised the profile of tabla as an instrument to a whole new level globally. Considered a child prodigy at his instrument, he started touring the world at the young age of just 11. Some of the big names in Indian Classical music whom he accompanied at that time were Pandit Ravi Shankar, Pandit Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and many…
Ustad Vilayat Khan was a renowned Indian Classical Sitar player. He was one of the first sitarists who developed the “gayaki ang” (mimicing vocal music) on sitar. His performances were so engaging that his Mumbai concert at Vikramaditya Sangeet Parishad drew the headline “Electrifying Sitar”. He was also a composer, giving music to films such as Jalsaghar by acclaimed film maker Satyajt Ray. In these videos, learn how Ustad Vilayat Khan charmed the world with his skilful sitar playing. He…
Pandit Ravi Shankar was the best known Sitar player in the world, in the second half of the 20th century. He was not only a “Sitar Maestro” but also a composer of Hindustani Classical Music. His influence does not end with just Indian musicians. Some of the famous international artists influenced by him were Yehudi Menuhin (One of the greatest Violinists of the 20th century) and George Harrison (Lead Guitarist of The Beatles). Pandit Ravi Shankar was also awarded the…
Ustad Amir Khan is regarded to be one of the most influential Hindustani Classical vocalists of the 20th century. He was the founder of the Indore Gharana as well. A few prestigious awards he had won for his singing were Sangeet Natak in 1967 and Padma Bhushan in 1971. Get a glimpse into Ustad Amir Khan’s life and the struggles that he overcame to become the musician you hear about today. His dedication was so much that he once said,…
Rajan and Sajan Mishra are Hindustani classical vocalists specialised in the Khyal style. Rajan and Sajan Mishra obtain their distinct sound from the Banaras style of singing. They have performed to audiences all over India and the world. Some prestigious awards won by this duo are Padma Bhushan in 2007, Sangeet Natak in 1998 and the Gandharwa National Award for 1994 – 1995. In this video the duo talks about how they practiced hitting the right sur by doing Riyaz for the…
Ustad Rashid Khan is a renowned and celebrated Hindustani classical vocalist. He owes his roots to the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana. Even the great Pandit Bhimsen Joshi once said that Rashid Khan is the “assurance for the future of Indian vocal music”. He has been awarded the prestigious Padma Shri, as well as the Sangeet Natak Award in 2006. In this video Rashid Khan speaks about how listening to great musicians will mould you into a great musician. Another treat to listen to in this video is his rendition of…
Vidushi Kaushiki Chakraborty daughter of Ajoy Chakraborty is a Indian Classical Singer. Her grooming happened at Sangeet Research Academy and she is one of the exponents of Patiala gharana. She is an acclaimed singer and highly revered for her Khyals and Thumris, the latter being ‘semi-classical’ or ‘light classical’ styles. She is a recipient of many national and international awards such as the 2005 BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in Asia/Pacific category. She has performed at many national and international festivals and conferences. She is often…