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Pandit S. Ballesh Bhajantri (born Ballappa Sanna Bharamappa Bhajantri) is a popular[1] Indian classical Hindustani shehnai player.[2] He is a disciple of shehnai player Ustad Bismillah Khan,[2] he is benares gharana shehnai player and a patiala gharana hindustani vocalist, ghazal singer, Indian playback singer and musician,[3][4] Ballesh is credited with popularizing the shehnai, a reeded woodwind instrument.[5][6][7] He is also a Prasar Bharati's All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan artist.[8]

Quick Facts PadmashriPandit S. Ballesh Bhajantri, Background information ...
Pandit S. Ballesh Bhajantri
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Pandit Ballesh playing shehnai, in a tribute concert for Ustad Bismillah Khan, Chennai
Background information
Birth nameBallappa Sanna Bharamappa Bhajantri
Also known asS. Ballesh, S. Balesh, Baalesh, Ballappa, Balu
BornM.K.Hubli, Karnataka, India
Occupation(s)Shehnai player, classical vocalist
InstrumentShehnai
Websiteshehnaiballesh.com
Musical career
GenresHindustani classical music, modern and film music, gospel
Years active1970–present
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In 2022, he was awarded India's fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, in the field of Art. He is the second classical musician of India after Ustad Bismillah Khan to receive the award as a shehnai player.[9][10][11][12] He has also worked for Ilaiyaraaja and A. R. Rahman.[13]

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Pt Ballesh is conferred with Padmashri award by President of India, Shri. Ramnath Kovind
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Early life and education

Ballesh was born to Shehnai player Sanna Bharamanna and Yellamma in M.K.Hubli, Kittur, Belgaum district, Karnataka.[8] He started learning Shehnai from his father, and later continued from his (uncle) father's elder brother Dodda Bharamanna and with musicians such as D.P. Hiremath, and Pt. Puttaraj Gawai. he was also a Bismillah Khan's disciple, Bismillah Khan once remarked that Ballesh will be the "assurance for the future of Shehnai in Indian classical music".[14][15]

Musical career

Shehnai

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S. Ballesh and son in concert

Ballesh plays various styles on the shehnai: aalaapi and aakaar like khayal singing, jhala like sitar and sarod, tatkar like kathak dancers, meend and harquatts like sarangi and violin, and continuity tones like bansuri.[16] He has also performed jugalbandis,[2] along with sitarist Ustad Shahid Parvez,[17] mohan veena player Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and accompanied by tablist Yogesh Samsi, Subhankar Banerjee.[18][19]

Film music

Ballesh has been a musician for many music directors in Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Rajasthani, Punjabi, Oriya, Sanskrit, English, Tulu, Konkani and Bhojpuri cinema, performing compositions by Naushad Ali, M. S. Viswanathan, Satyam (music director), G.K. Venkatesh, Ravindra Jain, Ravendra master, Ilaiyaraaja, A. R. Rahman and M. M. Keeravani.[20][2] He has sung and played shehnai for more than 12,000 movies background scores[21] and 85,000 film songs in several languages,[22][14] more than 1,50,000 devotional songs for several religions and languages, he has played shehnai for more than 50,000 Swami Ayyappan songs in several languages, [21] he has sung Hindustani music Alaaps for films, and had also collaborated on shehnai with international musicians and composers in recordings.[21] He has sung several songs along with the singers K. J. Yesudas, S. Janaki, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Ilaiyaraaja, M. M. Keeravani and A. R. Rahman.[14][22] Ballesh appeared playing shehnai for the Hindi film Raanjhanaa, with music by A.R. Rahman.[23] He also played shehnai for the song "The Dichotomy of Fame" in Imtiaz Ali's 2011 Hindi film Rockstar[24] and also played for Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera song for Hindi film Swades, with music and sung by A.R. Rahman, and also in Bigil Tamil film with music by A.R. Rahman. [25][26] He also composed music for Jawan with Anirudh Ravichander.

Music Education

Ballesh founded Tansen Academy of Music,[27] a school of Hindustani Classical Music, with his musical work continued by his three sons by Prakash, Krishna and Shivanand Ballesh.[28][29]

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Awards and recognition

National Civilian awards

State Civilian awards

Other awards

Recognition

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Performances

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References

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