SSC
Prabha Atre, the renowned Hindustani classical vocalist, is related to which gharana?
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Answer: Option B — Kirana gharana
Detailed Solution
Explanation
Dr. Prabha Atre (1932-2024) was one of the leading Hindustani classical vocalists of India and a distinguished representative of the Kirana gharana. She was also a composer, teacher, writer and scholar of music.
Prabha Atre was born in Pune, Maharashtra. She learnt music from Sureshbabu Mane and Hirabai Barodekar, who were children of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, the founder of the Kirana gharana. She was known for her sweet, melodious voice and her mastery of khayal, thumri, dadra, ghazal and bhajan. She was also a scholar, with degrees in science and law and a doctorate in music. She wrote several books on music, including "Swaramayee", and composed many new bandishes (compositions), which were published in books such as "Swarangini" and "Swaranjani". She taught music at the S.N.D.T. Women's University in Mumbai and trained many students. She received the Padma Shri (1990), the Padma Bhushan (2002) and the Padma Vibhushan (2022). She died in Pune on 13 January 2024.
The Kirana gharana takes its name from the town of Kairana in present-day Uttar Pradesh. It was founded by Ustad Abdul Karim Khan and his cousin Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan. It is known for its emphasis on swara (the purity and expression of each note) and the slow, gradual development of a raga. Its famous singers include Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal, Hirabai Barodekar, Sawai Gandharva and Prabha Atre.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Gwalior gharana is the oldest khayal gharana, linked with Hassu Khan and Haddu Khan.
- ✗Patiala gharana is linked with Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
- ✗Indore gharana was founded by Ustad Amir Khan.
💡 Exam tip
The Kirana gharana is the most frequently asked gharana in exams. Remember its founder (Abdul Karim Khan) and its famous singers (Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal, Prabha Atre and Hirabai Barodekar).💬 Discussions on this question
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Music & Musical Instruments — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Music & Musical Instruments, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers Indian classical music, its two main traditions (Hindustani and Carnatic), gharanas, ragas and talas, folk music styles, and the musical instruments of India along with the artists who are famous for playing them. It also includes the four classes of instruments: string (tata), wind (sushira), percussion (avanaddha) and solid (ghana). Exam questions usually pair an instrument with its maestro, such as the sitar with Pandit Ravi Shankar, the shehnai with Ustad Bismillah Khan or the santoor with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Other common questions ask about the origin of a gharana, the instrument a folk style uses, or the class an instrument belongs to. Making a two-column list of instruments and artists is the quickest way to revise. Practise the music and musical instruments questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.