Anant Lal
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Anant Lal | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1927 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Died | 3 March 2011 (aged 84) |
| Genres | Hindustani classical |
| Occupations | Musician, composer, teacher |
| Instruments | Shehnai, bansuri |
Anant Lal (1927 – 3 March 2011), often referred to by the title Pandit, was an Indian classical musician who played the shehnai. He worked for All India Radio and played with artists such as Ravi Shankar and Debu Chaudhuri in addition to recording under his own name. Lal was one of the leading exponents of the shehnai in Hindustani classical music. In 1989, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest recognition afforded artists in India.
Lal was born in Varanasi (or Benares), in the northern Indian province of Uttar Pradesh, in 1927.[1] The oboe-like[2] shehnai had been a musical instrument played in his family for over 200 years.[3] He initially received tuition on the instrument from his father, Pandit Mithai Lal, as well as his uncles[4] from the age of nine.[5] Later, Lal became a student of thumri vocal teacher Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra of Varanasi.[1]
In addition to the shehnai, Lal played bamboo flute,[1] known as the bansuri.[6] Following the example of master musician Bismillah Khan,[7] he dedicated his musical career to furthering the role of the shehnai in Hindustani classical music, since the instrument had traditionally been reserved for religious ceremonies.[5]
