Smita Bellur

Smita Bellur is a Hindustani classical^[1] vocalist and Sufi singer.

Smita Bellur is a versatile Indian classical vocalist who specializes in the field of Hindustani Classical Khyal and traditional Sufi music (Qawwali). She is also adept at other genres such as Ghazal/Thumri/Chaiti and other semi-classical varieties, does collaborative work with fusion rock/pop bands, playback singing for movies, retro-hits from Indian Film music. Having sung (live in concert) at more than 300 venues ranging from Classical/Sufi music festivals to Corporate events, Fund raiser/Charity shows, harmony gatherings, she also performs at weddings and private HNI family functions/Chamber music.^[2] She belongs to Jaipur -Kirana gharana.^[3]

Life and career

Smita Bellur hails from North Karnataka. She is the third child of Late Shri. K.L Subba Rao and Late Smt. K.S. Susheela Rao.^[4]

Smita has 3 album releases to her credit: Kaisi Madhur Shyaam – itunes/Amazon, Vachan Kirana – Lahari Audio, and Shareefara Pada – GIPA/Kalkur Audio. She is working on new musical productions and recordings of specialized Sufi music/Ragas.

She has won 3 awards for her contribution to the field of music - Rotary Vocational Excellence Award 2010, ‘Sangeeta Shri 2007’ and ‘Dr. Puttaraj Gawai Krupa Bhushana Prashasti’.

She regularly broadcasts as a graded artiste (B High) from India’s national broadasting network- All India Radio/Doordarshan, and from media/TV Networks and radio channels such as ETV Urdu/Kannada, Zee, Doordarshan, TV9 and Suvarna/Asianet and All India Radio/Doordarshan, FM channels such as 92.7BIG FM in addition to Twaang, Youtube, Facebook, Sound Cloud on the Internet.

She is committed to regularly working with her music to support causes like: fundraiser for Shankara Cancer Foundation, fundraiser for Rotary’s End Polio mission (through an audio CD release), songs for MNREGA propagation etc.,

She has a keen interest in propagating Hindustani Classical and Sufi music through her NGO Nadanubhava Foundation® (free-to-listen live concerts of upcoming artistes); more than 80 programmes have been successfully done.

She also actively teaches in an online mode or face-to-face in the guru shishya parampara style, and has taught for more than 1200 hours. Smita has earlier been a senior faculty at the Shankar Mahadevan Academy. In addition, she also works on a fellowship research project by Govt. department – Karnataka Sangeeta Nritya Academy.

She holds a master's degree MS (QM) from BITS Pilani and Bachelor of Engineering (Bangalore University) and has earlier worked in software multi-national companies like FirstApex, Oracle and the German software giant SAP, before giving it up to focus full-time on her passion-turned-profession.^[5]

Khyal and Sufi/Qawwali Gayaki training in Guru Shishya Parampara

She has trained for more than 20 years from gurus - late Shri. P.R. Bhaagwat, ‘Sangeet Ratna’ late Pt. Arjunsa Nakod, briefly from late Pt. Rajabhau Sontakke (disciple of Pt. Omkarnath Thakur) and Shri. Bhalachandra Nakod. She is currently taking her taaleem from ‘Gaan Saraswati’ Vid. Dr. Alka Dev Maarulkar for Hindustani Khayal, and Ustads Naasir – Nazeer Ahmed Warsi (Warsi Brothers) of Hyderabad (grandsons of Padmashri Late Ustad Aziz Ahmed Warsi) for Sufiana music /Qawwali rendition. She is trained in Sufism by Dr. Ejazuddin Ashrafi and Murshad Hazrat Akhtar Ali Shah of Saigaon Latur.

[6]

Press comments

• “… Jo dooba so paar - Sufi Sangeet ko samarpit Smita Bellur” – Hindi Milap, Aug 2014
• “Smita mesmerized with her voice” (translated) – Eenadu, Aug 2014
• “Truly a Jashn” – Metro India, Aug 2014
• “Immersing herself in music” – The New Indian Express, Feb 2014
• “The Audience was charged up with the beautiful ghazal “Aye Muhabbat tere anjaam pe” – Hyderabad Hans, Feb 2014
• “A Khayal to be remembered” – The Metro India, Feb 2014
• “Music is for Love, Harmony” – The Hindustan Times, Jan 2014
• “Get Inspired – An Ode to Music” - Femina, Dec 2013
• “दमदम मस्त क़लंदर - पर कुर्सियां छोड थिर्के युवा” - Hindustan Times Hindi, Dec 2013
• “सरहदों मे नहीं बन्धा सुफ़ी संगीत” - Dainik Jagran, Dec 2013
• “..उनके द्वारा गाये गये 'छाप तिलक सब छीनी रे मोसे नैना मिलायके' ने खचाखच भरे महोत्सव स्थल के दर्शकों को झॊम्ने पे मज्बॊर कर दिया” – Rashtriya Sahara Patna, Dec 2013
• “Aman aur Rawadari ko aam karne ki zaroorat” – Siasat, Aug 2013
• “Music, Milap and a Message” – Times of India

“She plays music for the soul" – The New Indian Express, Oct 2012^[7]

• "The old strains of Sufi" – Deccan Herald, Jun 2012^[8]
• "Exploring common threads of pholisophy" – Indian Express, Sep 2011
• "Music for the Soul" – DNA, Apr 2011
• "Striking a chord with the masses..Presenting carefully selected verses in her melodious voice, Smita stole the show and enthralled the audience with her scintillating performance" – Deccan Herald, April 2011
• "Lilting Melody" – Deccan Herald, Jan 2009
• "A piece of Hindustani" – Deccan Herald, July 2008
• "Graceful Alliance"…”Her voice traversed the three octaves with ease, dazzling the audience. The synchronisation was perfect, thereby enhancing the euphonious appeal." – The Hindu, Feb 2008
• "An evening of Jugalbandhi".."credit goes to both singers who maintained the style of the system and their individual styles even while singing together" – The New Indian Express, Aug 2007
• "Melody Makers" – Deccan Herald, Mar 2007
• "In pursuit of excellence" – Deccan Herald, Mar 2007
• "Hogging the limelight" – VT Life, Mar 2007
• "Carving a niche in the realm of Classical music" – Indian Express, Mar 2007
• "Music of the soul" – Indian Express, Dec 2006
• "Convincing Kajri and Malkauns by Smita Bellur" – Lokmat, Jan 2006 (translated)
• "I don't want to commercialize my passion for singing: Bellur” – Hitavada, Jan 2006
• “Honesty in art and spirit” – The Hindu, Oct 2005
• “Melodious monsoon recital” – The Hindu, Aug 2005
• “Amazing! ...” – Deccan Herald, Jul 2005
• “that night the audience was spell-bound by the recital of the Gwalior- Kirana gharana vocalist” – Samyukta Karnataka, Jul 2005 (translated)
• “Hindustani Shastriya yuva gaana kogilegalu” – Navodaya, Jan 2005
• “With a mellifluous golden voice, sincere approach and abundant talent, her recital was soul-stirring.”- Prajavani, Aug 2004 (translated)
• “...not only did she develop the raga beautifully, her exquisite taans made her recital magnificent.”- Dainik Bhaskar, April 2004 (translated)
• “The high point of her performance was the ‘tar saptak’ where the voice traversed effortlessly...” – Vijay Times, Dec 2003
• “extraordinary talent in Hindustani music...” – Deccan Herald, Nov 2003
• “...she came in for some extraordinary appreciation from the audience...” – Samyukta Karnataka, 2001 (translated)

Recitals and concerts

Smita is a regular B High artiste of All India Radio, Dharwad. She gave her first performance at the age of fourteen, at Rastrothana Parishat and since then has given several recitals at important forums/music festivals, including:

Some of her performances include: • INTACH and India Habitat Centre - New Delhi, • Govt. of Bihar Rajgir Utsav - Patna • Raj Bhavan - Bangalore • Hyderabad Heritage Festival - Chowmohalla Palace - Hyderabad • Inauguration of the T2 terminal – Mumbai International Airport • Infosys Foundation • Kingfisher Oktober Fest • Pt. Shankar Rao Gaikwad Punyatithi • SAP CIO conference in Gurgaon, Delhi and Bangalore • Saptak – Ahmedabad • Hamara Hindustan’s Eid – e- Milap Harmony programme • Swar Sadhana Samiti – Mumbai • Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (Centenary Year) • Ustad Imammuddin Dagar Music festival, Pt. Manmohan memorial festival - Jaipur • 67th Shri Thyagaraja Annual Festival of music - Tirupati, • Pt. Sawai Gandharv Punyatithi – Kundgol, • Parthasarathy Sangeet Sabha – Chennai • Govt. of Karnataka, Dept. of Kannada and Culture Festivals like ‘Chalukyotsav’, ‘Karavalli Utsav’,‘Lakkundi Utsav’and Navraspur Utsav, Bijapur • Private baithaks for HNIs like Ms. Kiran Majumdar, Mr. Khalil Ahmed and Nawab Shah Alam • Corporate events: Sony Ericsson, Nippon, SAP etc

Awards

• Rotary Vocational Excellence award 2010
• ‘Sangeeta Shri 2007’ award by Shraddha Sangeeta Kala Samiti, Bangalore
• Dr. Puttaraj Gawai Krupa Bhushana Prashasti 2007

Audio CD releases

• ‘Vachana Kirana’ – Shivasharana Vachana by Lahari Audio
• ‘Kaisi Madhur Shyaam’ – Bhajan, Holi, Chaiti CD for the cause of ‘End-Polio’ by Rotary International

Broadcasts on TV and Radio

• ‘Krishna Bhakti Karanji’ – on Suvarna News
• ‘Anwar-e-Ramadaan’ on ETV Urdu – Naat
• ‘Bhakti Maalike’ for ETV Kannada
• ‘Jashn-e-Sufi’ – special Sufi music programme on TV9
• ‘Namana’ – Vachana programme on Suvarna News Kannada
• ‘Jugalbandhi’ – musical concert/appreciation 1.5 hour programme on TV9
• ‘Naada’ on Udaya TV (Sun TV Network) and Vachana on Kasturi channel
• Interviews on Suvarna News, TV 9 and Zee TV Kannada
• Doordarshan I/Chandana and Doordarshan Sahyadri
• All India Radio, Dharwad

Skills

• Hindustani Classical: Khayal gayaki
• Semi classical varieties such as thumri, dadra, kajri, chaiti and jhoola.
• Sufi music: ‘Jashn-e-Sufi’, ‘Sufiana Kalaam’
• Bhaktigeet: Bhajan, Abhang (Marathi), Vachana (Kannada) and Daasarapada (Kannada) and a special philosophy based ‘Dasa-Sufi-Sharanara Anubhaava Lahari’
• Colours of Diversity: singing in 6–7 languages
• Jugalbandhi with Carnatik music (have performed at various Utsavs like Rama Seva Mandali, Rudrapatna Sangeetotsav, Vadirajara aradhane etc.)
• Lecture demonstrations

Propagation and promotion of Indian classical music

Nadanubhava® – aimed at providing a platform for talented artistes and high quality classical concerts to music lovers, Smita has successfully hosted more than 63 well-received programmes in about 5 years under this banner which was earlier called Nadasree Sangit Sabha. People for Raaga – a forum of thinking minds working for propagation of classical music among people of all age groups and walks of life. Anhad Naad Sufi Sangeet – is a forum for Sufi philosophy and music.

Expression through writing

Smita freelances as a journalist writing on classical artforms, especially music. More than 50 of her articles have been published.

Music for a cause

Smita Bellur has joined many causes with her music contribution:

• Has sung free for Rotary’s End-Polio Cause that aims to raise 200 million dollars as a matching grant to Bill gates foundation grant. The proceeds from the sale of the CD are entirely for the End-Polio cause.
• working with an NGO that spreads awareness about the National rural Employment guarantee scheme such that rural unemployed get to know their rights to employment/wages – composing and singing songs about the scheme. This will be aired by A.I.R in rural areas.
• working for the propagation of Shivasharana literature – Vachanas among the youth for its simple message that is relevant to the current day
• working with a country wide artistes-co-operative Sangeet Sankalp

Jashn-e-Soofi

Compositions of the great Sufi poets of India like 13th-century poet Amir Khusrau, Bulla Shah, Kabir, Khwaja Bandanawaz Gesudaraz, Baba Farid etc. were presented by Smita Bellur along with explanations by the Spiritual Guru and Prof. Dr. Ejazuddin Ashrafi (Retd Prof. Hindi at Government Arts and Science College, Bangalore, Former MLC Government of Karnataka), an authority on Jainism, Sufism and Veerashaiva Philosophies. Presented at several fora like corporate events (SAP Labs India, SAP Analyst Day etc.), Indian Institute of World Culture; televised and broadcast by news channel TV9.

Daasa-Soofi-Sharanara Anubhaava Lahari

Exploring the common threads of Dasa, Soofi and Shivasharana philosophies with multi-lingual music that celebrates 'unity in diversity'. Compositions from Haridasas of Karnataka like Purandaradasa, Venkata Vittala Dasa, Shivasharana saints like Basavanna and Akkamahadevi, along with Soofi saints like Bullah Shah and Amir Khusrau were presented in Avadhi, Kannada, Hindi, Punjabi and Pharsi. The music is accompanied by an explanatory lecture by Dr. Yejazuddin Ashrafi. Presented in Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs etc.,

Smita’s team – Music of the soul offers a variety of programmes including

• Theme based music Like "Monsoon melodies", "Peace and Unity" etc.
• Shastriya Sangeet: Hindustani Classical Music Programme
• 'Music of love’: Semi-Classical/Light Classical music
• Mystic verses/Sufi tunes: Sufi/Nirguni music programme
• Colours of Diversity: Multi-lingual devotional/patriotic music that celebrates 'unity in diversity'
• Bhaktimala:spiritual/religious music.
• Uttar-Dakshin Sammilan: Confluence of Hindustani and Carnatic styles.
• Indo-western fusion

References

External links

• Official website
• Official website
• Smita Bellur on Facebook