Sulochana Brahaspati Biography 
Sulochana Brahaspati is a vocalist of Hindustani classical music of Allahabad origin. She is a recipient of Tansen Samman by Madhya Pradesh government in 2006, Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1984, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1994 and many other honours. She practises and follows Rampur-Sadarang Parampara in Hindustani music. Sulochana is also a music teacher and musicologist, and has also published many books on music. She is a fount of knowledge of music and related arts.
Sulochana Brahaspati was born and brought up in Allahabad. She was born into an orthodox Maharashtrian Brahmin family where music and Sanskrit shlokas were essentials. She was born in the year 1937. She started her training under elder sisters Kalindi and Saryu Kalekar, followed by Pandit Vasant Thakar and Pandit Bhola Nath Bhatt. She was just 16 when she stood first in the first AIR music competition. She received President’s Gold Medal – that was given to her by India’s first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. She did her post-graduation in English literature at Allahabad University, where she was a student of Raghupati Sahay, K.K. Mehrotra and Harivansh Rai Bachhan.
On a government scholarship, she got opportunity to study music from Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan of the Rampur gharana at the Bharatiya Kala Kendra, Delhi. She then stayed back in Delhi and started performing at All India Radio. Acharya Kailash Chandra Deva Brihaspati, a renowned musicologist, composer and musician of the Rampur Sadarang Parampara was her chief advisor at AIR. He has also composed many Khayals, Thumris, Tappas and Dadras. Later they got married. He introduced her to Mandra sadhana, and started music training fresh from the beginning. ‘Anang-Rang’ compositions are her personal favourites.
Published: February 18, 2019
Updated: February 18, 2019
