Ajay Pohankar

Pandit Ajay Pohankar
Born	(1947-02-24) 24 February 1947 (age 77)
Origin	Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
Genres	Hindustani classical music, Kirana Gharana
Occupation	Classical Vocalist
Website	www.ajaypohankar.in

Ajay Pohankar (born 24 February 1947) is an Indian classical vocalist belonging to Kirana Gharana school of Hindustani classical music.[1][2]

Background and career

Ajay Pohankar (Marathi: अजय पोहणकर) was born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh in a Deshastha Brahmin Marathi family, where his father was a lawyer. His first Guru was his mother Sushilabai Pohankar, a classical vocalist and a musicologist of Kirana gharana. At a young age of 11, Pohankar was invited to perform at the annual Sawai Gandharva Music Festival in Pune[3] His sister, Swati Natekar, is also a singer based in London.

Ajay Pohankar is married to Anjali, a vocalist and musicologist who has also written a book on Thumri. They have a son, Abhijit Pohankar, a keyboard player of Indian classical music and a fusion music composer and producer.[4]

Awards and honours

In 2009, Pohankar was awarded the Tansen Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh[5] In 2012, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest award for performing artists, conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.[6][7]

References

1. "Ajay Pohankar concert". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 9 November 2010. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010.
2. "Sitara, Keka to perform in Mumbai". The Times of India. 8 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012.
3. Samhita Barooah. "Five decades of uncompromised music". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
4. "Magical fusion - Express India". Archived from the original on 21 September 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
5. "Tansen Samman for Ghulam Mustafa Khan". The Pioneer. 26 November 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
6. "Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Akademi Awards 2012" (PDF). Press Information Bureau, Govt of India. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
7. "SNA: List of Akademi Awardees". Sangeet Natak Akademi Official website. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015.

External links

• Official site