Meet Renowned classical vocalist Prabha Atre of Kirana Gharana honored with all three Padma Awards

Meet Renowned classical vocalist Prabha Atre of Kirana Gharana honored with all three Padma Awards

Prabha Atre is one of the top vocalists in the classical tradition. She has played an important role in popularizing Indian classical music globally. She comes in such rare artists who have mastered different types of music like Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal, Geet, etc.

Prabha Atre, a connoisseur of classical music, has also invented new ragas like Apoorva Kalyan, Darbari Kaun, Patdeep-Malhar, Shiv Kali, Tilang-Bhairav, Ravi Bhairav, and Madhur-Kaun.

Prabha Atre has written different books on different topics of music. The first book written by him is 'Swaramayi'. Which is a compilation of articles written on his music. She has also written books named 'Swaragini' and 'Swaranjani'.

Prabha Atre is a thinker, trainer, lecturer, researcher, and writer on the subjects of Indian classical music. She has also been a guest lecturer at many universities abroad.

She also holds the world record for publishing 11 books (from one phase). On 18 April 2016, she released 11 books on music in Hindi and English at the India Habitat Center in Delhi.

Along with prestigious awards from the music world, the Government of India honored her with the Padma Shri in 1990, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2022.

Prabha Atre has been selected for the Padma Vibhushan, the country's second-highest civilian award, on 25 January 2022. Which he has dedicated to her parents, teachers, and listeners.

Her dream is to popularize classical music in India. She believes that for this government, listeners, and artists all have to make efforts together.

Prabha Atre is teaching music all over the world according to Guru-Shishya Parampara and institutional teaching. To build a bridge between Guru-disciple traditions, he established 'Swarmayee Gurukul'.

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Birth and Early Life

Prabha Atre was born on 13 September 1932 in Pune. Her father, Late Dattatreya Pilaji Abasaheb Atre Rasta Peth Education Society School, Pune (now Abasaheb Atre High School and Junior College) was the headmaster. Her mother Late Indirabai Atre was a teacher.

Prabha Atre and her sister Usha Atre were interested in music since childhood but did not plan to pursue music as a career.

When Prabha ji was eight years old, her mother started feeling a little sick. She was suggested by one of her friends to learn classical music because listening to classical music has a good effect on health. Inspired by this, the desire to learn classical music awakened Prabha ji's mind.

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Education

She started learning classical music initially from Vijay Karandikar. She then took advanced training in classical music under the Guru Shishya Parampara system from Suresh Babu Mane and Mrs. Hirabai Barodekar, famous musicians of the Kirana Gharana.

Along with this, she displayed Thumri in her singing after being influenced by two other great artists, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, and Ustad Amir Khan. She has also received formal training in Kathak dance form.

Prabha ji obtained her Bachelor of Science Education from Fergusson College, University of Pune. She then studied Law (LLB) from Law College, University of Pune.

She also studied at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal Sangeet Alankar (Master of Music), Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance, London (Western Music Theory Grade-IV).

Later she did Ph.D. in Music. got degree. Her doctoral thesis was titled Sargam and was concerned with the use of sol-fa notes (sargam) in Indian classical music.

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Career

Prabha ji had a short stint as a singing stage actress early in her career. She also played roles in a line-up of Marathi theater classics, including musical plays such as Sanshay-Kallol, Manapaman, Soubhadra, and Vidhyaharan.

Presently Prabha ji is one of the senior singers of the country representing Kirana Gharana.

As a brilliant creative thinker, great artist, musician, writer, and in various aspects like music, Prabha ji has got a different place.

Her first LP with Maru Bihag and Kalavati clearly shows the influence of Aamir Khan. She has contributed significantly to popularizing Indian classical vocal music globally.

Prabha ji is competent in various musical styles like Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal, Geet, Natyasangeet, and Bhajan. She has been training students since 1969.

Prabha ji's pleasant and dignified stage presence, pious and creative approach, imaginative playing with nuances of tone and dynamics, alap, taan, and Sargam, her effortless control over complex and catchy phrases in the precise juxtaposition of words, emotional portrayal all together Extreme looks of the best level.

She composed the music for the full-length dance program Nritya Prabha, choreographed by Bharatanatyam dancer Sucheta Bhide Chapekar.

Prabha ji has been a visiting lecturer at some institutions in the West including the Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands. Visiting Instructor at Music Conservatory, Montreux Switzerland, University of California, Los Angeles. She has received Indo-American Fellowship to study research materials used in Ethnomusicology.

Was a former Assistant Producer with All India Radio. She was also an A Grade - All India Radio Drama Artist in Hindi and Marathi language.

She was appointed as 'Special Executive Magistrate' by the Government of Maharashtra in recognition of his services to music.

Worked as Music Instructor and Principal at SNDT Women's University, Mumbai.

In 1992, she started an annual Pandit Sureshbabu Mane and Hirabai Badodekar Sangeet Sammelan music festival. This ceremony takes place every year in December in Mumbai.

She has been the chief music producer and director for 'Swarashree' recording company since 1981. In 1984, she became a member of the advisory panel of the Central Board of Film Censors.

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Discography :

  • Maru Bihag, Kalavati, Khamaj Thumri
  • Niranjani – Puriya Kalyan, Shankara, Basant
  • Anant Prabha – Lalit, Bhinna Shadj, Bhairavi Thumri
  • Bageshree, Khamaz Thumri
  • Jogcons, Toddy, Thumri
  • Malkauns, Dadra
  • Chandrakouns
  • honeydew
  • madhuvanti desi
  • Yemen, Bhairavi
  • Shyam Kalyan, Bihag, Ragashree Thumri
  • Ghazals and Bhajan Recordings from Live Concerts of the 1970s

Prize

  • Acharya Atre Award for Music (1976)
  • Jagatguru Shankaracharya conferred the title of Gana-Prabha
  • Awarded the Padma Shri in 1990 and the Padma Bhushan in 2002 by the Government of India
  • Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1991)
  • Giants International Award, National Kalidas Samman
  • Tagore Akademi Ratna Award announced by Sangeet Natak Akademi (2011)
  • Deenanath Mangeshkar Award
  • Hafiz Ali Khan Award
  • Felicitation Award by Global Action Club International
  • Govind-Lakshmi Award
  • Godavari Gaurav Award
  • Dagar Gharana Award
  • Acharya Pandit Ram Narayan Foundation Award Mumbai
  • Ustad Faiyaz Ahmed Khan Memorial Award (Kirana Gharana)
  • Kala-Shri Samman (2002)
  • PL Deshpande Bahurupi Sanman
  • Sangeet Sadhana Ratna Award
  • 'Lifetime Achievement Award by Pune University
  • Mahim Ratna Award by Shiv Sena Mumbai
  • Felicitation by the Mayor of Mumbai, name included in national and international biographical works
  • State government award for his book Swaramayi
  • “Swarayogini Dr Prabha Atre National Shastri Sangeet Puraskar” since the year 2011, instituted by Tatyasaheb Natu Trust and Ganvardhan Pune

With her hard work and dedication, Prabha ji has made a different mark in the world of literature and art.

There are some moments in life that lead us toward our life purpose. It depends only and only on us whether we start cursing fate after getting defeated by the circumstances or finding some opportunity in it.


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