Dr. Prabha Atre

Hindustani Khayal vocal

Dr. Prabha Atre

3 minute read

Dr. Prabha Atre, a distinguished vocalist of the Kirana gharana, began her musical journey at the age of eight, inspired by her mother’s recovery through classical singing lessons. Under the tutelage of Sureshbabu Mane and Hirabai Badodekar, she honed her craft, drawing additional inspiration from maestros Amir Khan and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, which has significantly influenced her distinctive gayaki style.

In addition to her musical achievements, Dr. Atre has pursued academic excellence, earning degrees in science and law, and obtaining a Ph.D. focusing on the use of sargam in Indian classical music. Her versatile performances encompass a wide range of forms, including ragas, khayal, thumri, ghazal, bhajan, and tarana, captivating audiences worldwide.

Dr. Atre has graced the Darbar Festival stage on multiple occasions. In 2014, she delivered a mesmerizing performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London, accompanied by Bharat Bhushan Goswami on sarangi, Ajay Joglekar on harmonium, and Sanju Sahai on tabla. Her rendition of Raag Shyam Kalyan from this festival is particularly noteworthy.

“Enclosed within the shell of my mind, I keep on at my music, my meditation eternally; the struggles of a calcite inside an oyster; till I sublimate that note into a dazzling pearl!”

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Dr Prabha Atre | Raag Bhairavi

Recorded for Darbar on 21 Sep 2014, at London’s Southbank Centre - Dr Prabha Atre (khayal) - Bharat Bhushan Goswami (sarangi) - Ajay Joglekar (harmonium) - Sanju Sahai (tabla) - Chetna Banawat (khayal & tanpura) - Gunwant Kaur (surmandal) - Priya Parkash (tanpura) Raag Bhairavi; Thaat: Bhairavi; Samay: Morning Prabha Atre, now in her 80s, demonstrates that age does not have to be a barrier to exceptional musicianship. Here she leads a khayal group through Bhairavi. Learn more about the music: Prabha Atre did not originally play to pursue a musical career. But aged eight, her mother was ill and took a friend’s suggestion to take classical singing lessons to help her feel better. The young Prabha was inspired by overhearing the lessons, and studied with Kirana gharana gurus including Sureshbabu Mane and Hirabai Badodekar. She also credits Amir Khan and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan with influencing her gayaki. She has also received degrees in both science and law, and earned a PhD in the use of sargam in Indian classical. Now in her 80s, she continues to captivate audiences with a refined yet often exuberant style. Bhairavi is often described as the ‘queen of ragas’. It takes its name from the Hindu goddess of destruction, and conjures versatile moods. To some it can evoke ‘awe, terror, and chaos’; to others ‘a pleasant sobering atmosphere of love and piety’. It is played at sunrise, or alternatively as the final piece in a concert. Understanding the raga in depth is crucial to Hindustani learning - bansuri master Rupak Kulkarni recounts the approach of his guru Hariprasad Chaurasia: “Guruji taught me Raag Bhairavi for five years. When I complained about the repetition, he said: ‘You have to practice Bhairavi until your last breath’. That is what made me realize what swarabhyas [the study of notes] means”. It is based on the form SrgmPdnS - all swaras [notes] are komal [flattened] except Sa, Ma, and Pa, like the Western Phrygian scale or Carnatic Raga Hanumatodi. The vadi and samvadi [king and queen notes] are typically taken to be Ma and Sa. The raga commonly takes a versatile mishra (‘mixed’) form - all 12 notes are allowed, thus injecting some comparatively rare chromaticism into Hindustani music. Its flexibility is unmatched in the raga pantheon. Subscribe to the Darbar Player to access the full, uncut performance.