CleanupBot II at 09:36, 14 August 2023

2023-08-14T09:36:27Z

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2013}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Anant Lal
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| image_size =
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = 1927
| birth_place = [[Varanasi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], India
| death_date = 3 March 2011 (aged 84)
| death_place =
| origin =
| instrument = [[Shehnai]], [[bansuri]]
| genre = [[Hindustani classical music|Hindustani classical]]
| occupation = Musician, [[composer]], teacher
| years_active = 
| label =
| associated_acts =
}}
'''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.

==Early life and background==
Lal was born in [[Varanasi]] (or Benares), in the northern Indian province of [[Uttar Pradesh]], in 1927.<ref name="IndArts bio" /> The [[oboe]]-like<ref>Lavezzoli, p. 443.</ref> [[shehnai]] had been a musical instrument played in his family for over 200 years.<ref name="Chaudhuri & Lal">[http://www.mumpress.com/audios/gandharva/sitar-shehnai-chaudhuri-lal.html "Sitar & Shehnai – Chaudhuri & Lal"], Maharishi University Press (retrieved 27 November 2013).</ref> He initially received tuition on the instrument from his father, Pandit Mithai Lal, as well as his uncles<ref name="ShadjaMadhyam bio">[http://www.shadjamadhyam.com/shehnai_maestro_anant_lal_passes_away "Shehnai maestro Pt Anant Lal passes away"], ShadjaMadhyam, 22 March 2011 (retrieved 27 November 2013).</ref> from the age of nine.<ref name="Collaborations p 47" /> Later, Lal became a student of [[thumri]] vocal teacher Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra of Varanasi.<ref name="IndArts bio">[http://www.indiansarts.com/AnantLalpage.htm "Anant Lal"], Indians Arts (retrieved 27 November 2013).</ref>

In addition to the shehnai, Lal played bamboo flute,<ref name="IndArts bio" /> known as the [[bansuri]].<ref>Lavezzoli, p. 33.</ref> Following the example of master musician [[Bismillah Khan]],<ref>Lavezzoli, pp. 32, 121.</ref> 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.<ref name="Collaborations p 47">''Collaborations'', p. 47.</ref>

==Career==
Lal established himself as a staff artist for [[All India Radio]].<ref name="IndArts bio" /> He worked with the company until 1987.<ref name="ShadjaMadhyam bio" /> Among his works as a performer and recording artist in India, he played with [[sitar]] virtuosos [[Ravi Shankar]]<ref name="ShadjaMadhyam bio" /> and [[Debu Chaudhuri]].<ref name="Chaudhuri & Lal" />

In 1974, Shankar chose Lal to join his [[Ravi Shankar's Music Festival from India|Music Festival from India]] revue, which was the largest Indian orchestra to perform in Europe up to that time.<ref>Leng, p. 148.</ref> In addition to recording a studio album in England with Shankar's ensemble, released on [[George Harrison]]'s [[Dark Horse Records]] in 1976,<ref>''Collaborations'', p. 15.</ref> Lal toured Europe with the Music Festival.<ref name="Badman p 133" /> His fellow performers included several leading figures of Indian classical music<ref>''World Music: The Rough Guide'', pp. 75, 77, 78.</ref> – among them, [[Alla Rakha]], [[Lakshmi Shankar]], [[Shivkumar Sharma]], [[Hariprasad Chaurasia]], [[Sultan Khan (musician)|Sultan Khan]] and [[L. Subramaniam]].<ref name="Lavezzoli p 195">Lavezzoli, p. 195.</ref><ref>''Collaborations'', pp. 44–50.</ref> As on the ''Music Festival from India'' album, Lal's featured spot as a soloist was on the piece "Kajri". The debut performance by the Music Festival ensemble, filmed at London's [[Royal Albert Hall]] on 23 September 1974,<ref name="Badman p 133">Badman, p. 133.</ref> was released on DVD in 2010, as part of Shankar and Harrison's four-disc box set ''[[Collaborations (Ravi Shankar and George Harrison album)|Collaborations]]''.<ref>Olivia Harrison,{{cite web|url=http://www.spinner.com/2010/10/18/george-harrison-ravi-shankar-collaborations/ |title="George Harrison and Ravi Shankar Box Set 'Collaborations' Is a Labor of Love for Me" |accessdate=2010-01-02 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102132411/http://www.spinner.com/2010/10/18/george-harrison-ravi-shankar-collaborations/ |archivedate=2 January 2011 |df=dmy }} , spinner.com, 18 October 2010 (archived version retrieved 27 November 2013).</ref><ref>Richie Unterberger, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/collaborations-mw0002041725 "George Harrison/Ravi Shankar ''Collaborations''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 27 November 2013).</ref>

Lal's own recordings include ''Splendour in Shehnai'', issued in 1990 on the [[Super Cassettes Industries T-Series|T-Series]] record label.<ref>[http://www.discogs.com/Anant-Lal-Splendour-In-Shehnai/release/3278692 "Anant Lal – Splendour in Shehnai"], [[Discogs]] (retrieved 27 November 2013).</ref> Also a teacher, in the Benares [[gharana]] tradition, his students included modern shehnai players Shanjeev Shankar<ref>Amrita Dasgupta, [http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/tunes-of-a-tradition/article506053.ece "Tunes of a Tradition"], ''[[The Hindu]]'', 8 July 2010 (retrieved 27 November 2013).</ref> and Daya Shankar (Lal's son).<ref>[http://www.ganaga.com/classical/instrumentalists/Classical_Instrumentalist_Pandit_Daya_Shankar.asp "Pandit Daya Shankar"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203080522/http://www.ganaga.com/classical/instrumentalists/Classical_Instrumentalist_Pandit_Daya_Shankar.asp |date=3 December 2013 }}, ganaga.com (retrieved 27 November 2013).</ref> His grandson, Anand Shankar, also trained under Lal, before dedicating himself to the [[tabla]].<ref>[http://shankarshehnai.com/anand.html "Anand Shankar"], shankarshenhai.com (retrieved 27 November 2013).</ref>

In 1984, Lal received the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.<ref name="IndArts bio" /> Five years later, he was honoured with a national [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]],<ref>[http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/awardeeslist.htm "SNA: Awardeeslist" > (Instrumental – Shehnai)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331060603/http://sangeetnatak.gov.in/sna/awardeeslist.htm |date=31 March 2016 }}, sangeetnatak.gov.in (retrieved 27 November 2013).</ref> the highest recognition afforded artists in India.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070304065453/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070302/nation.htm#3 "Gursharan gets 'Akademi Ratna'"], ''[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]'', 2 March 2007 (archive version retrieved 27 November 2013).</ref>

Lal died on 3 March 2011, aged 84, from a [[heart attack]].<ref name="ShadjaMadhyam bio" /> Along with Daya Shankar, his musician sons include shehnai player Ashok Kumar and flautist Vijay Kumar.<ref name="ShadjaMadhyam bio" />

==References==
{{Reflist|3}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970−2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; {{ISBN|0-7119-8307-0}}).
* ''Collaborations'', book accompanying Ravi Shankar and George Harrison's ''Collaborations'' box set (Dark Horse Records, 2010; produced by Olivia Harrison; package design by Drew Lorimer & Olivia Harrison).
* Peter Lavezzoli, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|0-8264-2819-3}}).
* Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; {{ISBN|1-4234-0609-5}}).
* ''World Music: The Rough Guide (Volume 2: Latin and North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific)'', Rough Guides/Penguin (London, 2000; {{ISBN|1-85828-636-0}}).
{{refend}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lal, Anant}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:Musicians from Varanasi]]
[[Category:Hindustani instrumentalists]]
[[Category:Indian male classical musicians]]
[[Category:All India Radio people]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Shehnai players]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century male musicians]]

Anant Lal - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 09:36, 14 August 2023