- Anant Lal, 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 Chowdhury, besides recording under his own name.
- Lal was one of the leading exponents of shehnai in Hindustani classical music. In 1989, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest recognition given to artists in India.
Anant Lal Biography In English
Birth Details –
Place– Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Date of Birth – 1927
Marital Status- Married
Nationality -Indian
Family –
Father- Pandit Mithai Lal
Son- Ashok Kumar, Vijay Kumar
Teacher – Pandit Mithai Lal, Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra
Early Life And Background
- Lal was born in 1927 in Varanasi (or Banaras) in the northern Indian province of Uttar Pradesh.
- The shehnai, like the oboe, was an instrument played in his family for over 200 years.
- He initially received tuition on the instrument from the age of nine, from his father, Pandit Mithai Lal, as well as from his uncle. Later Lal became a disciple of thumri singer Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra of Varanasi.
- In addition to the shehnai, Lal played a bamboo flute, known as a bansuri. Following the example of the master musician Bismillah Khan, he devoted his musical career to furthering the role of the shehnai in Hindustani classical music, as the instrument was traditionally reserved for religious ceremonies.
Career
- Lal established himself as a staff artist for All India Radio. He worked with the company till 1987.
- In between his work as a performer and recording artist in India, he played with sitar virtuosos Ravi Shankar and Debu Chowdhary.
- In 1974, Shankar selected Lal to join his concert from the India Revue, which was up to that time the largest Indian orchestra to perform in Europe.
- In addition to recording a studio album in England with Shankar’s ensemble, released in 1976 on George Harrison’s Dark Horse Records, Lal toured Europe with concerts.
- His fellow artists included many prominent figures of Indian classical music –
- Allah Rakha
- Lakshmi Shankar
- Shivkumar Sharma
- Hariprasad Chaurasia
- Sultan Khan
- Ale. subramaniam
- In the concert, Lal’s special appearance as a solo artist was on “Kajri” from the Bharat album. The cast’s first performance of the concert, filmed at London’s Royal Albert Hall on 23 September 1974, was released on DVD in 2010 as part of a four-disc box set collaboration of Shankar and Harrison.
Awards
1984- Sangeet Natak Academy
1989 – National Sangeet Natak Akademi
Other Information –
Date of Death – 3 March 2011
Question Related to Anant Lal
What is the birth place and date of birth of Anant Lal?
Anant Lal was born in 1927 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
What was the name of Anant Lal’s father?
Anant Lal’s father’s name was Pandit Mithai Lal.
What was the name of Anant Lal’s teacher?
Anant Lal’s teacher’s name was Pandit Mithai Lal, Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra.
What was the childhood name of Anant Lal?
Anant Lal’s childhood name was Qamaruddin.
Which award was given to Anant Lal?
Anant Lal was honored with Bharat Ratna, Swati Sangeet Puraskaram, T Chowdayya National Award, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Akademi All India Sangeet Sammelan.
Name the son of Anant Lal?
Anant Lal’s son’s name is Ashok Kumar, Vijay Kumar.
When and where did Anant Lal die?
Anant Lal died on 3 March 2011.
