Veena Sahasrabuddhe
Veena Sahasrabuddhe (14 September 1948 – 29 June 2016) was a leading Indian vocalist and composer of Hindustani classical music. Her singing style had its roots in Gwalior gharana, but it also borrowed from Jaipur and Kirana gharanas. Veena was known as a singer of khyal and bhajan.
Musical career
Veena was born in a musical family. Her father Shankar Shripad Bodas was a disciple of vocalist Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar. She began her early musical education under her father, and then under her brother Kashinath Shankar Bodas. She also learned Kathak dancing in her childhood.
Veena's musical mentors included Padmashri Balwantrai Bhatt, Pandit Vasant Thakar, and Pandit Gajananrao Joshi.
She had a bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance, Sanskrit Literature, and English Literature from Kanpur University (1968), a master's degree (Sangeet Alankar) in Vocal Performance from A.B.G.M.V. Mandal (1969), and also master's degree in Sanskrit from Kanpur University (1979). A.B.G.M.V. Mandal conferred on her a doctorate in vocal music (Sangeet Praveen) in 1988. For some years she was the Head of the Department of Music at SNDT Pune campus.
A renowned vocalist, she performed all over India and in several countries around the world. She died of Parkinson's disease.
Awards
- A prize in Vocal Classical category in a national competition for artists under age 25, conducted by All India Radio (1972)
- Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1993)
- National Sangeet Natak Akademi Award ( 2013)
Press
- "Captivating- took her audience to dizzy heights of evocation by her impassioned Khayal renditions" -The Times of India, 1986
- "Despite inclement weather, drew a phenomenal turnout...did much more than fulfill the expectations of her eager fans" - The Times of India, 1989
- "Unforgettable recital...superlative performance...[held] her listeners spellbound" -The Times of India, 1990
- "Imbued with tremendous melodic appeal" - Indian Express, 1992
- "A concert to remember...clear pronunciation...improvisation in keeping with word meanings...ability to develop an instant rapport with the audience" - The Times of India, 1995
Sources
1. Biographical Information: http://www.it.iitb.ac.in/~hvs/Veena/index.html
2. Hinduonnet.com, by Mala Kumar http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2006/02/10/stories/2006021003230200.htm
3. Press http://www.unl.edu/raag/veena/Veena.html