The first edition of "Who'who s of Indian Musicians" was published by the Akademi in 1968. Names of musicians were obtained from a wide and representative cross section of institutions and individuals concerned with the musical life of the country. The material was compiled and published over a period of six years. The publication was widely welcomed and the first edition was sold out over a relatively short period of time. Encouraged by the success of this publication, the Akademi undertook to revise and up-date the work. The information compiled afresh and published in this edition also incorporates names of several musicians that have appeared in the first edition.
The Who's Who of Indian Musicians concerns itself mainly with musicians in the field of art music though information on musicians in other fields like light, western and film music has also been included. In presenting the information, the format of the first edition has been retained. Thus, the data for each entry is as follows:
Name: As is the usual practice of nomenclature, names of North Indian artistes commence with the surnames and those of South India with proper names. The spelling is as given by the person concerned. Certain degree of standardization has been attempted in the case of proper names and technical terms in the body of the entry. The date of birth, particulars with regard to academic and musical achievements, well known titles, the style of singing such as dhrupad, khayal, thumri, the instrument played by the artiste, the gharana etc. have been mentioned in that order. The names/s of the guru/s is given next. If disc records of the musician are available, that is indicated by Disc recordings: the number of records is not given. Any concert or lecture tour abroad undertaken is also mentioned. Under publications only two re mentioned. Various prominent positions held by the person have been included, as well as the last known address. Data on the Awardees and Fellows of the Sangeet Natak Akademi are given in some greater detail. Where there is no specific qualification, the words 'Sangeet Natak Akademi' refer to the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.
The compilation of the material and its publication has taken considerable time during the course of which some musicians are known to have passed away. Also, a few of the musicians might have shifted from the addresses indicated in the publication. These shortcomings apart, it is hoped that the reader will find this reference work useful. As the work may have to be regularly updated and fresh editions published in future, any suggestions for its improvement would be welcome.
Collection of the data for this volume was started by the late Dr. B.C. Deva, former Assistant Secretary for Music, Sangeet Natak Akademi, several years ago. Late Prof. N.S. Ramachandran and Dr. Premlata Puri, presently, Director, Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, New Delhi, helped in editing the material. Their invaluable contribution in the publication of this work is acknowledged.
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