Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was one of the greatest Indian vocalists from Karnataka, in the Hindustani classical tradition. He is known for the khayal form of singing, as well as for his popular renditions of devotional music. Bhimsen Joshi, a legend belongs to the Kirana gharana tradition of Hindustani Classical Music. Pt. Joshi is noted for his concerts, and between 1964 to 1982 Joshi toured Afghanistan, Italy, France, Canada and USA. He was the first musician from India whose concerts were advertised through posters in New York city, United States. Bhimsen Joshi was instrumental in organising the Sawai Gandharva Music Festival annually, as homage to his guru, Pandit Sawai Gandharva.
Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty is an Indian Hindustani classical vocalist, composer, lyricist and Gurudev. He is considered to be one of the proverbial figures of Indian classical music. He has also dominated for other major classical genres of India especially - Indore, Delhi, Jaipur, Gwalior, Agra, Kirana, Rampur and even Carnatic music in South India. He was given Padma Bhushan Award, the third highest civilian award in India in 2020.
Girija Devi was an Indian classical singer of the Seniya and Banaras gharanas. She performed classical and light classical music and helped elevate the profile of thumri. She died on 24 October 2017.
Pandit Satyasheel Deshpande is a Hindustani classical musician who specialises in singing Khayal. He is a disciple of Pandit Kumar Gandharva and the son of musicologist Vamanrao Deshpande.
Sulochana Brahaspati is one of the noted vocalist of Hindustani classical music.
Ganesh Balawant Nawathe, better known as Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, was an Indian vocalist, composer and scholar of Indian classical, semi-classical, and devotional music. While he distinguished himself in Hindustani music, he is also credited for the revival of the Marathi musical theatre in the 1960s. Jitendra Abhisheki has been praised as being "among the stalwarts of Hindustani classical music who mastered other musical forms such as thumri, tappa, bhajan, and bhavgeet. His work in Marathi natyasangeet is well-known."
Nirmala Devi, also known as Nirmala Arun, was an Indian film actress in the 1940s and a Hindustani classical vocalist of the Patiala Gharana. She is the mother of Bollywood actor Govinda.
Khamaj is a Hindustani classical Music raga within the Khamaj thaat which is named after it.
Jagdish Prasad was a Calcutta-based Indian classical vocalist of the Patiala gharana.
Sureshbabu Mane was a prominent Hindustani classical music singer of Kirānā Gharānā in India. He was the son of a doyen of Kirana Gharana, Ustad Abdul Karim Khan.
Pandit Chhannulal Mishra is a celebrated Hindustani classical singer from Banaras, a noted exponent of the Kirana gharana (school) of the Hindustani classical music and especially the Khayal and the 'Purab Ang' – Thumri.
Ram Narayan, often referred to with the title Pandit, is an Indian musician who popularised the bowed instrument sarangi as a solo concert instrument in Hindustani classical music and became the first internationally successful sarangi player.
Rasoolan Bai was a leading Indian Hindustani classical music vocal musician. Belonging to the Benaras gharana, she specialized in the romantic Purab Ang of the Thumri musical genre and tappa.
Ka Karoon Sajni Aye Na Baalam is a classical song of Hindustani classical music. It is a Thumri sung in the raaga, Sindh Bhairavi Thumri. It was popularised by legendary Hindustani vocalist, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Barkat Ali Khan, Bismillah Khan on shehnai (instrument), Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty etc.
Pandit Siyaram Tiwari was an Indian classical singer and leading exponent of Dhrupad-genre of Hindustani classical music. He belonged to the Darbhanga gharana and was based in Patna. Though Darbhaga gharam is known for its laykari techniques, he was the first exponent of the gharana to promote fast-paced laykari in Dhrupad, which developed in the second half of 20th-century.
Padmaja Phenany Joglekar is a Hindustani Classical singer. She is a disciple of Pandit Jasraj. She was awarded the Padma Shri Award in 2001.
Music in Varanasi is a tradition linked to the ancient times of the Pauranic legends. Lord Shiva, who is reported to have established this city, was credited with developing music and dance forms. Legend also attributes that Renu, son of sage Vishvamitra and Mahagobind, was the precursors of music tradition in Kashi (Varanasi) when nymphs (Apsaras), Gandharvas and Kinnaras were the traditional practitioners of this art form, and saint Chaitanya and Vallabhacharya were the pioneers in spreading this music tradition in Varanasi. Notable musicians of Varanasi include the iconic sitar player Ravi Shankar, the Shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan, Sarod maestro vikash Maharaj and singer Girija Devi. Varanasi has joined the global bandwagon of UNESCO "Cities of Music" under the Creative Cities Network. Varanasi chosen in music category of creative cities network clearly signifies the rich musical heritage of this ancient city.
Shanno Khurana is a noted Indian classical vocalist and composer, from the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana of Hindustani classical music. A disciple of the doyen of the gharana, Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan, she is known for performing rare bandish and raag, though her singing style includes genres like khayal, tarana, thumri, dadra, tappa, to chaiti and bhajan. Born and brought up in Jodhpur, she started singing on All India Radio in 1945 in Lahore, later shifted to Delhi, where she continued her singing on All India Radio, Delhi and in concerts and music festivals. She also pursued music education, finally earning her M. Phil. and PhD in music from the Kairagarh University, and has undertakes extensive research on folk music of Rajasthan.
Krishnarao Shankar Pandit (1893–1989) was an Indian musician, considered by many as one of the leading vocalists of the Gwalior gharana. He authored several articles and 8 books on music and was the founder of Shankar Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, a music college based in Gwalior. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1973, for his contributions to music. He was also a recipient of several other honors, including the 1959 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the 1980 Tansen Award of the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Pandit Damodar Keshav Datar, popular as D. K. Datar, was an Indian violinist. He was born in Kurundwad, Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. His brother Narayanrao introduced him to music and he took early lessons in violin from Pandit Vighneshwar Shastri, who used to teach at the Deodhar School of Indian Music, Mumbai. Datar completed his Bachelor's Degree but took music as full time profession. He was nephew of Hindustani classical vocalist D. V. Paluskar, under whom he later on studied music. Influenced by Paluskar, Datar adjusted his violin playing technique to vocal dominated style and played violin according to the khyal style of Gwalior gharana. Apart from khyal, he popularly also played on bhajan, thumri and natya sangeet styles. Among various countries, he toured Europe, the United States, Canada, and Japan. He was also employed by Films Division of India and regularly provided background score for various documentary films. He received Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in Hindustani Music in 1995 and in 2004 was conferred with Padma Shri, India's 4th highest civilian honour. he died on 10 October 2018 of old age at his residing home in Goregaon, Mumbai.
