Kamala Shankar
Encyclopedia
Kamala Shankar is a Hindustani classical guitar
player. She is married to sitar player Rajeev Janardan
, with whom she performs. Shankar is the first woman to have been awarded a doctorate in guitar.
Kamala was trained in music by her mother from the age of six, and went on to study with khyal
singer Channulal Mishra and sitar maestro Bimalendu Mukherjee
. She received a doctorate of music (guitar playing) from vichitra-beenkar
Gopal Shankar Mishra at Banaras Hindu University
, and also holds bachelor's degrees in both vocal music and zoology.
The guitar has only recently begun to be adopted to Indian classical music, and many players modify the instrument with their own developments to better suit the idiom. In this, Shankar is no exception. Her model, the Shankar guitar (built by Bishan Das Sharma of instrument makers Rikhi Ram and Sons, New Delhi
), is made from a single block of wood, with thicker walls and no sound hole. It has four melody strings, four chikari (rhythm strings) and 12 taraf (sympathetic strings). The guitar is named after Shankar Bhagwan. Shankar calls it a "modified version of the Hawaiian guitar".
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
player. She is married to sitar player Rajeev Janardan
Rajeev Janardan
Rajeev Janardan , is a Hindustani classical sitar player of the Imdadkhani gharana , taught by Bimalendu Mukherjee. He is married to guitarist Kamala Shankar, with whom he performs. They live in New Delhi....
, with whom she performs. Shankar is the first woman to have been awarded a doctorate in guitar.
Kamala was trained in music by her mother from the age of six, and went on to study with khyal
Khyal
Khyal is the modern genre of classical singing in North India. Its name comes from an Arabic word meaning "imagination". It is thought to have developed out of the qawwali singing style. It appeared more recently than dhrupad, is a more free and flexible form, and it provides greater scope for...
singer Channulal Mishra and sitar maestro Bimalendu Mukherjee
Bimalendu Mukherjee
Bimalendu Mukherjee is world-renowned Hindustani classical sitar player, and a teacher of the Imdadkhani gharana ,...
. She received a doctorate of music (guitar playing) from vichitra-beenkar
Vichitra veena
The vichitra veena is a plucked string instrument used in Hindustani music. It is similar to the Carnatic gottuvadhyam . It has no frets and is played with a slide.-The structure:...
Gopal Shankar Mishra at Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
, and also holds bachelor's degrees in both vocal music and zoology.
The guitar has only recently begun to be adopted to Indian classical music, and many players modify the instrument with their own developments to better suit the idiom. In this, Shankar is no exception. Her model, the Shankar guitar (built by Bishan Das Sharma of instrument makers Rikhi Ram and Sons, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
), is made from a single block of wood, with thicker walls and no sound hole. It has four melody strings, four chikari (rhythm strings) and 12 taraf (sympathetic strings). The guitar is named after Shankar Bhagwan. Shankar calls it a "modified version of the Hawaiian guitar".