Veena Sahasrabuddhe
Vocalist
Born: September 14, 1948, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died: June 29, 2016, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Awards: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Hindustani Music – Voca (2013)
Veena Sahasrabuddhe was a leading Indian vocalist and composer of the Hindustani classical music. Her singing style had its roots in Gwalior gharana, but it also borrowed from Jaipur and Kirana gharanas. Veena was known as a singer of khayal and bhajan.
Veena was born in a musical family. Her father, Shankar Shripad Bodas, was a disciple of vocalist Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar. She began her early musical education under her father, and then under her brother Kashinath Shankar Bodas. She also learned Kathak dancing in her childhood.
Veena’s musical mentors included Padma Shri Balwantrai Bhatt, Pandit Vasant Thakar and Pandit Gajananrao Joshi.
She had a bachelor’s degree in vocal, Sanskrit and English Literature from Kanpur University (1968), a master’s degree in vocal from A.B.G.M.V. Mandal (1969) and also master’s degree in Sanskrit from the Kanpur University (1979).
A.B.G.M.V. Mandal conferred on her a doctorate in vocal music (Sangeet Praveen) in 1988.
A renowned vocalist, she performed all over India and in several countries around the world.
She won numerous awards and honors during her musical career that included the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2013.
She died of Parkinson’s disease on June 29, 2016 in Pune.
