Brij Bhushan Kabra
Encyclopedia
Brij Bhushan Kabra is an India
n musician who popularized the guitar as an instrument in Indian classical music
.
Kabra was born 1937 to Goverdhanlal Kabra in Jodhpur
where he spent his youth. He was interested in sports and listened to Indian classical music, but did not intend to become a musician and trained as a geologist. During a visit to Kolkata
he discovered the Hawaiian lap slide guitar
and convinced his father to allow him to learn it by promising to only play classical music. Kabra then lived in Ahmedabad
, Gujarat, learnt the instrument by imitating records, and later studied under Ali Akbar Khan
. He modified the guitar by adding sympathetic
and drone strings.
Kabra became the first Indian musician to play raga
on the guitar, performed publicly, and recorded the successful album Call of the Valley
(1967) with santoor
player Shivkumar Sharma
in 1960. The guitar was seldom used in Indian classical music and his guitar playing gained popularity in the 1970s hippie
culture. Kabra recorded solo albums and concentrated on teaching since the 1990s, but continued to perform. He was awarded the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 1983–84, was made a fellow of the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi for 1995–96, and received the national Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
for 2005.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n musician who popularized the guitar as an instrument in Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
.
Kabra was born 1937 to Goverdhanlal Kabra in Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
where he spent his youth. He was interested in sports and listened to Indian classical music, but did not intend to become a musician and trained as a geologist. During a visit to Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
he discovered the Hawaiian lap slide guitar
Lap slide guitar
A lap slide guitar is a general term often used to describe any guitar played on the lap with a slide or steel.Lap slide guitars are generally one of three types:* Acoustic resonator guitars* Electric lap steels...
and convinced his father to allow him to learn it by promising to only play classical music. Kabra then lived in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
, Gujarat, learnt the instrument by imitating records, and later studied under Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...
. He modified the guitar by adding sympathetic
Sympathetic string
Sympathetic strings or resonance strings are auxiliary strings found on many Indian musical instruments, as well as some Western Baroque instruments and a variety of folk instruments...
and drone strings.
Kabra became the first Indian musician to play raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
on the guitar, performed publicly, and recorded the successful album Call of the Valley
Call of the Valley
Call of the Valley is a 1967 Hindustani classical music album by Hariprasad Chaurasia, Brij Bhushan Kabra, and Shivkumar Sharma. It was recorded for the label EMI....
(1967) with santoor
Santoor
The santoor is an ancient stringed musical instrument, native to Kashmir and Iran. It is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer often made of walnut, with seventy two strings. The special-shaped mallets are lightweight and are held between the index and middle fingers...
player Shivkumar Sharma
Shivkumar Sharma
Shivkumar Sharma is an Indian santoor player. The santoor is a folk instrument from Kashmir and Jammu. Sharma is often referred to by the title Pandit.-Early life:...
in 1960. The guitar was seldom used in Indian classical music and his guitar playing gained popularity in the 1970s hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
culture. Kabra recorded solo albums and concentrated on teaching since the 1990s, but continued to perform. He was awarded the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 1983–84, was made a fellow of the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi for 1995–96, and received the national Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
for 2005.