“I’m just so grateful to God that he brought me music and enriched my life.”

“Aaj main upar, asmaan niche!”

Kavita Krishnamurti ‘s song echoes in the heart of every patron of Indian Bollywood music. Born on 25 January, 1958 in New Delhi, she was schooled in St. Xaviers College, Mumbai and has secured a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. She learnt Rabindra Sangeet under the training of her aunt, Mrs. Bhattacharya; to later receive formal training in Hindustani classical music as a disciple of Sri. Balram Puri.

Interestingly, her career began at the age of 16, by dubbing songs of legendary singers Lata Didi and Asha Bhosale. Her first performance was with Lata Mangeshkar for a Bengali movie Shriman Prithviraj. The song Tumse milkar na jaane kyun from the film Pyar Jhukta Nahin fetched many accolades for her. Although the song was to be sung by Lata Didi for the final album, she advised against it suggesting that Kavita has already done a fabulous job. She has lent her voice to almost all leading actresses during the 90s. The songs Hawa Hawaii, Pyaar Hua Chupke se, Aaj Main Upar, Ye Dil Sun Raha Hai, Mera Piya Ghar Aaya, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and Dola Re were instant hits and still receive the same love. She delivered many hits under the patronage of well-established composers such as Laxmikant-Pyarelal, R.D. Burman, and Ismail Durbar.

An accomplished singer, Krishnamurti ‘s songs will remain evergreen. She was honored with many awards, some of which have been mentioned below:

·         Padma Shri in 2005
·         Filmfare Awards for Best Playback Singer – Female in 1995, 1996, 1997, and 2003
·         Zee Cine Awards for Best Playback Singer – Female in 2000

She is married to violinist Pt. Dr. Lakshminarayan Subramaniam, who is also a Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan award recipient. Along with her spouse, she has founded a global music institute Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts in Bengaluru, which trains students in both Indian and Western music. The institute conducts classes for various instruments including violin, tabla, piano, guitar along with Carnatic vocal and Hindustani vocal. They have also set up Lakshminarayana Global Centre of Excellence, which is named after Kavita’s father-in-law. The institute offers Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in music in collaboration with other educational institutes.

“One of its objectives is to teach music in schools in a fun manner. My children Bindu and Ambi are totally involved with that, while my husband takes care of the advanced level.”

With more than 15,000 songs to her credit and a career spanning more than 30 years, she has enthralled the audience on a global level with her impeccable and passionate singing.

Do you remember the popular musical series “Ganare Violin” by noted violinist Prabhakar Jog? He was a music maestro known for his significant contributions to both Marathi and Hindi film industries. He breathed his last on 31st October 2021 at his Pune residence due to age-related issues. This sad demise has certainly left a void in the music industry, although his music will always remain evergreen through his renditions and lessons imparted to disciples.

Born in a Marathi Brahmin family in 1932, he started playing the violin at a young age of 12. He adopted the love for violin as his elder brother, Vamanrao Jog, used to conduct musical classes for this instrument at his residence. The untimely demise of his father had put him in a situation wherein he had to take up violin lessons as well as work for a living. That is when he started playing at concerts and gatherings. It is said that he was an expert in writing musical notations, which fetched him the position of assistant director under musical stalwart Sudhir Phadke, which gave him the opportunity to play a key role in the creation of “Geet Ramayana“.

Following this, he had an illustrious career during which he composed music for almost 22 Marathi films. Iconic singers such as Lata Mangeshkar, Suresh Wadkar, and Asha Bhosale have sung under his direction. Later, he joined the Bollywood industry and worked with veterans in this field, including S.D. Burman, Laxmikan Pyarelal, and Shankar Jaikishan. He even performed solo on stage for various programs including “Gata Rahe Mera Violin” and “Ganare Violin“. During his tenure, he was honored with awards such as Swami Haridas, Saraswati Awards, and the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Trophy.

He had recorded more than 12 albums and also played the role of a mentor to budding talent. Recently, he also played the role of a judge at the popular Marathi show SaReGaMaPa. He is survived by his two children and their families, who also have carried forward his legacy of music. Jog will always be fondly remembered for his special ability of making lyrics of a song come alive through his violin.

Birth Score – 4/5
Pride Score – 4/5
A super-impressive 8/10 Notable Brahmin Score

 Life is a question asked by God about the way He exists.
- Pandit Bhimsen Joshi

Ravi Shankar

“A national treasure and global ambassador of India’s cultural heritage.” – tweeted by PM Manmohan Singh’s office

Ravi Shankar is a Bengali Brahmin  (caste).

Ravi Shankar was born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhary in 1920 in Varanasi. He spent the first decade of his life in Varanasi with his mother and the next in Europe – mainly Paris with his brother Uday Shankar and his dance group. The next 7 years he spent learning Indian classical music with his guru, Baba Allaudin Khan at Maihar, MP in India.

Ravi Shankar composed music for several Indian films notably the Apu trilogy and worked as music director for All India Radio before beginning his international career – playing on the sitar for small audiences around the world and educating them about Indian classical music. He managed to conjure much-deserved recognition and appreciation for the Indian variety of classical music.

A few among his personal accomplishments include the top 3 Indian civil honours, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, 3 Grammys and 14 honorary doctorates. He was knighted by Elizabeth II for his services to music and given the Legion of Honour by the French Govt. He was also the recipient of the first Tagore Award.

Birth Score – 3/5
Pride Score – 4/5

An adequate 7/10 Notable Brahmin Score.