Anant Lal (1927 – 3 March 2011), often referred to by the title Pandit, was an Indian classical musician who played the
shehnai
The ''shehnai'' is a musical instrument, originating 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.All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All ...
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 sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North In ...
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 classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, si ...
Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and 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 t ...
(or Benares), in the northern Indian province of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
, 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 oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
-like
shehnai
The ''shehnai'' is a musical instrument, originating 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."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, dr ...
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. Following the example of master musician
Bismillah Khan
Bismillah Khan (born Amaruddin 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. While the shehnai had long held imp ...
, he dedicated his musical career to furthering the role of the shehnai in
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, si ...
, since the instrument had traditionally been reserved for religious ceremonies.''Collaborations'', p. 47.
Career
Lal established himself as a staff artist for
All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All ...
. 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 medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form ...
virtuosos
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North In ...
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's
Dark Horse Records
Dark Horse Records is a record label founded by former Beatle George Harrison in 1974. The label's formation coincided with the winding down of the Beatles' Apple Records and allowed Harrison to continue supporting other artists' projects whil ...
in 1976, Lal toured Europe with the Music Festival. His fellow performers included several leading figures of Indian classical music – among them,
Alla Rakha
Ustad Alla Rakha Qureshi (29 April 1919 – 3 February 2000), popularly known as Alla Rakha, was an Indian tabla player who specialized in Hindustani classical music. He was a frequent accompanist of sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar and ...
,
Lakshmi Shankar
Lakshmi Shankar (née Sastri, 16 June 1926 – 30 December 2013) was an Indian singer and a noted Hindustani classical. Born into a south Indian Brahmin family, she became an outstanding Hindustani vocalist of the Patiala Gharana and married R ...
,
Shivkumar Sharma
Pandit 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 Ha ...
,
Hariprasad Chaurasia
Hariprasad Chaurasia (born 1 July 1938) is an Indian music director and classical flautist, who plays the bansuri, in the Hindustani classical tradition.
Early life
Chaurasia was born in Allahabad (1938) (officially called Prayagraj) in the I ...
, 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 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 mus ...
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, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల ...
The Tribune ''The Tribune'' or ''Tribune'' is the name of various newspapers:
United States Daily California
*'' Oakland Tribune''
* ''The Tribune'' (San Luis Obispo)
*''San Gabriel Valley Tribune''
Indiana
*'' Kokomo Tribune''
*'' Peru Tribune''
* ''The Tri ...
'', 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 blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
. Along with Daya Shankar, his musician sons include shehnai player Ashok Kumar and flautist Vijay Kumar.