1. Kishori Amonkar
Kishori Amonkar
Born 1932 (age 77–78)[1]
Genres Hindustani classical music
Instruments singing
Associated acts Mogubai Kurdikar
Kishori Amonkar (born 1932) is an Indian singer who performs in the classical genre
khyal and the light classical genres thumri and bhajan. Amonkar trained under her
mother, classical singer Mogubai Kurdikar of the Jaipur gharana (musical tradition of
Jaipur), but experimented with a variety of vocal styles in her career. She is considered
one of the preeminent representatives of Hindustani classical music.
Life and career
In the early 1940s, Amonkar began to receive vocal lessons in Hindustani classical music
from her mother Mogubai Kurdikar and later received training from tutors of several
gharanas.[3] Amonkar became interested in film music and sang playback for the movie
Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne, but returned to classical music because of bad experiences in
the movie industry.[3] Amonkar lost her voice for two years in the late 1950s for unknown
reasons.[4]Amonkar's work in light music has informed her classical singing and she
modified her Jaipur gharana performance style by applying features from other
gharanas.[5] She has created many compositions for a number of ragas.[6] Amonkar's
students include Manik Bhide, Meena Joshi, Suhasini Mulgaonkar, Mira Panshikar, and
her granddaughter Tejashree Amonkar.[7][8]Kishori Amonkar had two sons with her
husband Ravindra Amonkar.[9] She is sometimes described as "temperamental".[8]
Amonkar lives in Mumbai.[4]
Recognition
Amonkar received the national awards Padma Bhushan in 1987 and Padma Vibhushan in
2002.[10] She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 1985 and the Sangeet
Natak Akademi Fellowship for 2009.

2. Bismillah Khan
Background information
Birth name Qamaruddin Khan
Born March 21, 1916
Origin India
Died August 21, 2006 (aged 90)
Genres Indian classical music
Occupations Musician
Instruments Shehnai
Ustad Bismillah Khan Sahib was an Indian shehnai maestro. He was the third classical
musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna (in 2001), the highest civilian honour in India
and gained worldwide acclaim for playing the shehnai for more than eight decades [1].
Early life and background
Bismillah Khan was born at Bhirung Raut Ki Gali, in Dumraon, Bihar as the second son
of Paigambar Khan and Mitthan. He was named as Qamaruddin[2] to rhyme with
Shamsuddin, their first son. His grandfather, Rasool Baksh Khan uttered "Bismillah" (the
basmala) after looking at the newborn, thus he was named Bismillah Khan.[3]His
ancestors were court musicians and used to play in Naqqar khana in the princely states of
Bhojpur, now in Bihar. His father was a shehnai player in the court of Maharaja Keshav
Prasad Singh of Dumraon Estate, Bihar.At the age of six, he moved to his maternal
house, located close to the Ganges at Varanasi[1]. He received his training under his uncle,
the late Ali Baksh 'Vilayatu', a shehnai player attached to Varanasi's Vishwanath Temple.
[2]
Career
Bismillah Khan was perhaps single handedly responsible for making the shehnai a
famous classical instrument. He brought the shehnai to the center stage of Indian music
with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference in 1937. He was credited
with having almost monopoly over the instrument as he and the shehnai are almost
synonyms.
Popular culture
Khan had a brief association with movies. He played the shehnai for Dr.Rajkumar's role
of Appanna in the movie Sanaadi Appanna. He acted in Jalsaghar, a movie by Satyajit
Ray and provided sound of shehnai in Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959). Noted director
Goutam Ghose directed Sange Meel Se Mulaqat, a documentary about the life of Khan.[2]

3. Students
Khan seldom accepted students. In 1985 he had a meeting with Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji
where he saw a talented young boy called Baljit Singh Namdhari playing the tarshenai,
and welcomed him as a student. Ustad Bismillah Khan & Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji had
great mutual respect for each other. In 1999 he adopted two more tarshenai students,
named Kirpal Singh and Gurbaksh Singh Namdhari.
Personal life
On August 17, 2006, Khan was taken ill and admitted to the Heritage Hospital, Varanasi
for treatment. He died after four days on August 21, 2006 due to a cardiac arrest. He is
survived by five sons, three daughters and a large number of grandchildren and great-
grandchildren.The Government of India declared a day of national mourning on his
death. His body along with a Shehnai was buried at Fatemain burial ground of old
Varanasi under a neem tree with 21-gun salute from Indian Army.[9]
Awards
• Bharat Ratna (2001)
• Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi (1994).
• Talar Mausiquee from Republic of Iran (1992).
• Padma Vibhushan (1980)
• Padma Bhushan (1968)
• Padma Shri (1961)
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1956)
• Tansen Award by Govt. of Madhya Pradesh.
• Three medals in All India Music Conference, Calcutta (1937)
• "Best Performer" in All India Music Conference, Allahabad (1930)