Anant Lal (1927 – 3 March 2011), often referred to by the title

Pandit A pandit (; ; also spelled pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt. or Pdt.) is an individual with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge in Hinduism, particularly the Vedic scriptures, dharma, or Hindu philosophy; in colonial-e ...

, was an Indian classical musician who played the

shehnai The ''shehnai'' is a type of oboe from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end. It was one of the nine instruments found in the royal court. The shehnai is sim ...

. He worked for

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

and played with artists such as

Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitar, sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known expert of Hin ...

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 Hindustani classical music is the Indian classical music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent's northern regions. It may also be called North Indian classical music or ''Uttar Bhartiya shastriya sangeet''. The term ''shastriya sangeet'' ...

. In 1989, he received the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...

, the highest recognition afforded artists in India.

Early life and background

Lal was born in

Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...

(or Benares), in the northern Indian province of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

, in 1927. The

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...

-like

had been a musical instrument played in his family for over 200 years."Sitar & Shehnai – Chaudhuri & Lal"
Maharishi University Press (retrieved 27 November 2013). He initially received tuition on the instrument from his father, Pandit Mithai Lal, as well as his uncles"Shehnai maestro Pt Anant Lal passes away"
ShadjaMadhyam, 22 March 2011 (retrieved 27 November 2013). from the age of nine. Later, Lal became a student of

thumri Thumri () is a vocal genre or style of Indian music. The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb ''thumuknaa'', which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, dram ...

vocal teacher Pandit Mahadev Prasad Mishra of Varanasi."Anant Lal"
Indians Arts (retrieved 27 November 2013). In addition to the shehnai, Lal played bamboo flute, known as the

bansuri A bansuri is an ancient side-blown bamboo flute originating from the Indian Subcontinent. It is an aerophone produced from bamboo and metal-like material, used in many Indian and Nepali Lok songs. A ''bansuri'' is traditionally made from a ...

. Following the example of master musician

Bismillah Khan Ustad Bismillah Khan (born Qamaruddin Khan, 21 March 1916 – 21 August 2006), often referred to by the title ''Ustad'', was an Indian musician credited with popularizing the shehnai, a reeded woodwind instrument. His virtuosity made him a le ...

, he dedicated his musical career to furthering the role of the shehnai in

, since the instrument had traditionally been reserved for religious ceremonies.''Collaborations'', p. 47.

Career

Lal established himself as a staff artist for

. He worked with the company until 1987. Among his works as a performer and recording artist in India, he played with

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...

virtuosos

and Debu Chaudhuri. In 1974, Shankar chose Lal to join his Music Festival from India revue, which was the largest Indian orchestra to perform in Europe up to that time. In addition to recording a studio album in England with Shankar's ensemble, released on

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...

's Dark Horse Records in 1976, Lal toured Europe with the Music Festival. His fellow performers included several leading figures of Indian classical music – among them, Alla Rakha,

Lakshmi Shankar Lakshmi Shankar (née Sastri, 16 June 1926 – 30 December 2013) was an Indian singer and a noted Hindustani classical music, Hindustani classical. Born into a south Indian Hindu family, she became an outstanding Hindustani music, Hindustani voc ...

Shivkumar Sharma Shivkumar Sharma (13 January 1938 – 10 May 2022) was an Indian classical musician and santoor player who is credited with adapting the santoor for Indian classical music. As a music composer, he collaborated with Indian flautist Hariprasad ...

, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Sultan Khan and L. Subramaniam.Lavezzoli, p. 195. 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 The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

on 23 September 1974,Badman, p. 133. was released on DVD in 2010, as part of Shankar and Harrison's four-disc box set '' Collaborations''. Lal's own recordings include ''Splendour in Shehnai'', issued in 1990 on the T-Series record label. Also a teacher, in the Benares

gharana In Hindustani music (North Indian classical music), a ''gharānā'' is a system of social organisation in the Indian subcontinent, linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and more importantly by adherence to a particular musi ...

tradition, his students included modern shehnai players Shanjeev Shankar and Daya Shankar (Lal's son). His grandson, Anand Shankar, also trained under Lal, before dedicating himself to the

tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...

. In 1984, Lal received the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. Five years later, he was honoured with a national

, the highest recognition afforded artists in India."Gursharan gets 'Akademi Ratna'"
'' The Tribune'', 2 March 2007 (archive version retrieved 27 November 2013). Lal died on 3 March 2011, aged 84, from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

. Along with Daya Shankar, his musician sons include shehnai player Ashok Kumar and flautist Vijay Kumar.

References

Sources

* Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970−2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; ). * ''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; ). * Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; ). * ''World Music: The Rough Guide (Volume 2: Latin and North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific)'', Rough Guides/Penguin (London, 2000; ). {{DEFAULTSORT:Lal, Anant 1927 births 2011 deaths Musicians from Varanasi Hindustani instrumentalists Indian male classical musicians All India Radio people Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Shehnai players 20th-century Indian musicians 20th-century male musicians