Named “Queen of thumri” Shobha Gurtu’s warm sensuous voice blends strength with suppleness and vigour and grace in a unique combination of acquired technique and innate spirituality that permeates anything she sings like a fragrant spice. Born in Belgaum in 1925 Shobha Gurtu comes form a family where everyone was involved in music where melody ruled and rhythm was sacred. She began to study music with her mother, Smt. Menakabai Shirodkar a noted dancer of her generation and a classical singer whose vocal training was in the Atrauli Jaipur gayaki tradition of Ustad Alladiya Khan. Shobha Gurtu later received advanced training in classical singing from Ustad Nathan Khan. Her father-in-Law the scholar and musician Pandit Narayan Nath Gurtu also provided her artistic development with invaluable guidance and direction. She has developed a technique that allows her to negotiate with equal ease the subtle regional and stylistic variations found in the thumri dadra, hori, kajri, chaiti, ghazal, bhajan and marathi Natya sangeet musical forms.
In 1989 she received the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy Award. She was also the featured vocalist on Kathak (Times Music 1999) the album by her son percussionist Trilok Gurtu who is a member of the ensemble Oregon. The glimpse and the john Mclaughlin Trio.
Previously released albums in the golden Raaga Collection
Vocal
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi – Raga Malkauns, Raga Bhairavi Pandit Jasraj – Raga Behag, Raga BasantShobha Gurtu – Raga Mishra Kahamaj, Raga Yaman, Raga Piloo, Raga Sindhu Bhairavi Girija Devi – Raga Behag, Raga Mishra Behag, Raga Mishra Pilu, Raga Mishra Khammaj, Raga Mishra GaraPandit C.R.Vyas – Raga Raamkali
Instrumental
Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma – Raga BageshwariPandit Hariprasad Chaurasia – Raga LalitUstad Amjad Ali Khan – Raga Haripriya Kanhara, Lalite GauriUstaad Bismillah Khan – Raga Madhuwanti
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